Compound or practice · Supplement
Methylene Blue
A century-old dye and drug repurposed as a low-dose mitochondrial nootropic — real pharmacology, serious MAOI-level interactions.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade C — 1 graded row
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Memory / brain metabolismEvidence grade C
Low-dose, small trials
Smallmixed
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Memory / brain metabolism (grade C).
- Caution with SSRIs / SNRIs: MAO inhibition + serotonergic drugs = serotonin-syndrome risk. Do not combine.
- Caution with MAOIs: Additive MAO inhibition.
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
SSRIs / SNRIsCaution
MAO inhibition + serotonergic drugs = serotonin-syndrome risk. Do not combine.
MAOIsCaution
Additive MAO inhibition.
The evidence in words
What it is
Methylene blue is a synthetic dye used medically (for methemoglobinemia) and, at low doses, promoted for cognition and energy.
How it works
At low doses it acts as an alternative electron carrier in mitochondria, supporting ATP production and acting as an antioxidant; it also inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO).
What the evidence shows
Low-dose methylene blue has small human studies suggesting memory and brain-metabolism benefits, and it's a genuine mitochondrial agent. But it is a potent MAO inhibitor — combining it with serotonergic drugs (SSRIs, SNRIs) has caused serotonin syndrome. This is a drug, not a casual nootropic.
Safety & interactions
Turns urine blue-green. Dangerous serotonin-syndrome risk with serotonergic medications. Avoid in G6PD deficiency (hemolysis) and pregnancy. Dose precision matters — pharmaceutical-grade only. ssri — MAO inhibition + serotonergic drugs = serotonin-syndrome risk. Do not combine. maoi — Additive MAO inhibition.
Bottom line
Legitimate mitochondrial pharmacology with early cognitive signals, but MAOI-level interactions make it inappropriate to stack casually — especially with any serotonergic drug.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Methylene Blue for Memory / brain metabolismEvidence grade C — Low-dose, small trialsEvidence grade C
- Methylene Blue: side effects, safety & interactionsTurns urine blue-green. Dangerous serotonin-syndrome risk with serotonergic medications. Avoid in G6PD deficiency (hemolEvidence grade C
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)The brain-penetrant carnitine — real evidence for diabetic neuropathy, softer signals for mood and aging cognition.Evidence grade B
- IdebenoneA synthetic CoQ10 relative with niche evidence in specific mitochondrial diseases, not general use.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.