I wonder if Methylene Blue would be effective for Babesia?
Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :
how toxic is it?
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
up for me to read tomorrow ...
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
It's not toxic at all.
quote:MB isn't something brand new. It's been around for ages, used at concentrations way beyond 100nM (~1mg!) in humans ...
Considering ~200mg of MB is used routinely for methylhemoglobinemia, and anywhere from ~733mg (12mg/kg/day) to ~1,500mg (24mg/kg/day) in humans is used to treat malaria with few ill effects
(the minimal dosage needed to see any toxic effect what so ever from MB is estimated around 600mg from the rat toxicological studies)...
The thread is a long discussion on the long term use of MB.
They're discussing using it as an anti-aging agent. I take 200mcg or so every day.
I wonder if using it as an anti-parasite (higher dosage) will work as well.
Lots of interesting info in this thread.
MB is available as a lab chemical or from a fish store, where it's used to fight infections in fish ... and it's pretty cheap.
Posted by ThatColorGreen (Member # 16016) on :
isnt that one of the dyes used to stain bacteria in labs?
...interesting.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Yep, it is the dye that's used to stain bacteria. But when given in the correct dosage Methylene Blue is considered to very safe when taken internally.
Methylene Blue is used in humans to treat the blood disorder, Methemoglobinemia or "smurf syndrome."
Methylene Blue has also been used as a treatment for various infections in humans because of it's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and and anti-parasital/anti-protozoal propertie
Posted by lightfoot (Member # 2536) on :
Thank you all!!!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
so is anyone using this for PARKINSON'S only ??
Posted by Janice70 (Member # 16319) on :
So who here will be the first to try it?
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
ninjaphire says that they are already taking it in their post above.
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
quote:Originally posted by ninjaphire: It's not toxic at all.
Particularly of note, for those taking antidepressants. It's toxic when taken with SSRIs.
It can also cause something called pseudo-cyanosis.
I would hope that anyone here would do their own research and talk to their physician before deciding to try taking anything they're not completely sure of, so I'm sure that my warning is probably not necessary, but I just felt compelled to share my own preliminary findings.
I like to try to check out things that look interesting, when I can, in case I ever feel I need to try them and happen to be in a bad brain fog or something at that time.
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
I'm not saying it's definitely a bad thing, only that I wouldn't throw caution to the wind with it. It may cause problems for SOME people.
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
quote:Originally posted by AliG: [QUOTE]Originally posted by ninjaphire: It's not toxic at all.
Particularly of note, for those taking antidepressants. It's toxic when taken with SSRIs.
It can also cause something called pseudo-cyanosis.
I like to try to check out things that look interesting, when I can, in case I ever feel I need to try them and happen to be in a bad brain fog or something at that time.
Well, pseudo-cyanosis is certainly not a risk at the dosages we're talking about (<1mg)
You're right, Methylene Blue is a MAO Inhibitor, and doesn't mix with SSRIs.
btw, Methylene Blue works nicely for brain-fog, but you gotta dilute it first.
Posted by Janice70 (Member # 16319) on :
How do you measure the dose accurately? Does it come in pill form?
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
From what I have read, Methylene Blue seems to be a safe compound to take for most people.
But Methylene Blue should not be taken by anyone who has a deficiency of the enzyme G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase).
***Although, Methylene Blue may be safe for people with the G6PD deficiency when its taken in small dosages.
[ 06-28-2009, 02:28 AM: Message edited by: emla999/Lyme ]
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
Instructions for diluting MB starting with 2.303% solution for aquariums.
quote: Originally posted by Lufega A 2.303% solution is 2.303 grams MB per 100 ml solution or 23 mg/ml.
There are 20 drops to a ml so each drop will have 1.15 mg MB.
Now, I take 32 drops (=1.6 ml) of this (which equals 36.8 mg MB) and add it to 30 ml water.
This will equal 1.23 mg/ml. This divided by 20 = 0.0613 mg per drop, or 60 micrograms.
You can get a graduated cylinder to measure 30ml from ebay.
So take 1 drop 3x daily, that will maintain a relatively constant concentration of MB.
You can get 3X homepathic pills, but they are of unknown dosage.
If you can get a prescription, a pharmacy might be able to compound 60mcg of Methylene Blue.
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
quote:Originally posted by emla999/Lyme: But Methylene Blue should not be taken by anyone who has a deficiency of the enzyme G-6-PD (glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase)
Actually, low dose Methylene Blue (60 mcg) has an anti-oxidant effect rather than the pro-oxidant effect of higher dosages.
So it might be safe after all.
But I am not a Doctor or a Biochemist.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Ninjaphire,
I am glad that you mentioned the 60 mcg dosage of Methylene Blue as being an antioxidant.
And it looks like you may be correct when you say that Methylene Blue may be safe for people to take that have the G6PD enzyme deficiency when it's taking in small dosages.
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
I just wanted to add that at the 60 mcg dosage, Methylene Blue is not an MAO Inhibitor.
quote:The IC50 value for MB inhibition of MAO A was 164�8 nM under this specific condition with 122 nM MAO A. (The activity of MAO A was reduced to 50% at an 164 nM concentration of MB)
In contrast, no inhibition of MAO B was seen in the spectrophotometric assay at 100 nM.
1mg of MB = ~100nM in the human body 60mcg = ~6nM
There should be very little MAO Inhibition at 60 mcg.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Here's an interesting article about the combination of Methylene Blue and Crystal Violet's usefulness in killing blood parasites.
"The two dyes appeared to wipe out any measurable concentration in the laboratory of T. cruzi from the blood samples, Ocariz said.
This means the dyes could prove a low-tech way to eliminate most of the parasites, allowing the body's immune system to fight the disease successfully.
The dyes also removed from blood a number of disease-causing organisms, including viruses and bacteria." Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
quote:Originally posted by emla999/Lyme: Here's an interesting article about the combination of Methylene Blue and Crystal Violet's usefulness in killing blood parasites.
Here's a study of action against Malaria. This one shows effectiveness at very achievable concentrations (10-20nM).
Yama****a M, Nonaka T, Arai T, Kametani F, Buchman VL, Ninkina N, Bachurin SO, Akiyama H, Goedert M, Hasegawa M.
Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research, 2-1-8 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8585, Japan.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitinated inclusions (FTLD-U) are major neurodegenerative diseases with TDP-43 pathology.
Here we investigated the effects of Methylene Blue (MB) and dimebon, two compounds that have been reported to be beneficial in phase II clinical trials of Alzheimer's disease, on the formation of TDP-43 aggregates in SH-SY5Y cells.
Following treatment with 0.05 muM MB or 5 muM dimebon, the number of TDP-43 aggregates was reduced by 50% and 45%, respectively. The combined use of MB and dimebon resulted in a 80% reduction in the number. These findings were confirmed by immunoblot analysis.
The results indicate that Methylene Blue (MB) and dimebon may be useful for the treatment of ALS, FTLD-U and other TDP-43 proteinopathies.
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
My goodness...start reading under medicine (uses)malaria, etc.:
So Methylene Blue is potentially a good treatment for Lyme too. It certainly gives me increased energy.
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
Looks like this stuff might be worth a try for Babesia.
I saw some Methylene Blue online at an aquarium supply store. It's pretty cheap - about $3.00 for a 4 Oz bottle!
Is it safe to ingest something from a fish supply store or does one need to procure medical grade substance?
Also, how long can somebody be on MB?
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
good questions Yanivnaced. I think Ninja listed an aquarium supply as his/he source in a previous post.
I'd give it a go around.
Ninja, are you turning colors?
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
I got it from the aquarium store, simply because it was the quickest and cheapest way to get a hold of it.
Right now, I'm planning to use it indefinitely.
Yeah, something about get a few decades supply for <$10 really appeals to me.
Tropical fish are very sensitive to heavy metals and the liquid is going to be diluted further anyway, so it should be pretty safe.
The 60mcg dose is far too small to cause color changes. Urine color hasn't changed either.
Edit: Darn, I always have to edit my post atleast twice. Not entirely sure what I can blame on Lyme anymore.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Yanivnaced said:
quote: Looks like this stuff might be worth a try for Babesia.
I agree.
Quite often a drug or herb that has antimalarial properties also posses anti-babesia properties. And since Methylene Blue has been clinically proven as to having antimalarial properties I can't help but wonder if Methylene Blue would help with babesia.
Also, I thought this was interesting.
Apparently, Methylene Blue was the first synthetic drug ever used to treat malaria. It was first used as treatment for malaria in the late 1800's. So, Methylene Blue's effectiveness against malaria has been known for over 100 years.
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