Methylene Blue (Systemic)

Brand Names : Urolene Blue, aniline violet, methylthionine chloride, tetramethylthionine chloride

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For methylene blue, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to methylene blue. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether methylene blue passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children - Babies are especially sensitive to the effects of methylene blue. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing the use of methylene blue in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of methylene blue. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency - Methylene blue may cause anemia or make methemoglobinemia worse

• Kidney disease - In patients with kidney disease methylene blue may accumulate in the body; smaller doses of this medicine may be needed

• Methemoglobinemia to treat cyanide toxicity - Methylene blue may make cyanide toxicity worse by increasing the amount of cyanide in the blood