Giraffe
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I came accross an article written by Paul Ehrlich and Arthur Leppmann called "Über schmerzstillende Wirkung des Methylenblau." published in 1890 in the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift. This was a couple of years before Aspirin came on the market.
The researchers tested methylene blue on young, male (allegedly mental ill) prison inmates.
In the beginning they experimented with injections, but switched to oral administration (gelatine capsules with either 100 or 500 mg methylene blue) which allowed to use larger doses. The highest daily dose they tried was 1,000 mg.
They write that methylene blue helped in certain cases of neuritis (inflammation of a nerve) and rheumatoid pains of muscles, joints and tendon sheaths. They describe that you start to see an effect two hours after ingestion (oral dose 0.1 - 0.25 g) and this effect increases remarkably in the next hours, sometimes leading to complete relief from pain. They did not notice any change in swelling etc. that could have explained the pain relieving effect. There were two cases of vasospastic (?? - they write "angiospastisch") migraines: one was stopped in its tracks, the other one shortened in duration.
Methylene blue did not help in cases of neurasthenia, bone pains caused by syphilis, and stomach ulcer.
......
Here are a couple of more recent studies, mostly pilot studies:
Methylene Blue in the Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain
They used injections. 4 out of 8 patients report partial or complete pain relieve for at least several weeks.
A randomized placebo-controlled trial of intradiscal methylene blue injection for the treatment of chronic discogenic low back pain. - PubMed - NCBI
They also used injections. Found it safe and useful.
Repeated methylene blue administration produces analgesia in experimental pain
Animal study.
Randomized single-blind clinical trial of intradermal methylene blue on pain reduction after open diathermy haemorrhoidectomy. - PubMed - NCBI
Evaluation of the protein biomarkers and the analgesic response to systemic methylene blue in patients with refractory neuropathic pain: a double-blind, controlled study
They used infusions. Methylene blue was added to 5% glucose. The treatment group received 2 mg/kg, the control group 0.02 mg/kg. It looks like both groups felt better after treatment.
According to this paper the description of "refractory neuropathic pains" includes "prickling, tingling, pins & needles", "pain evoked by light touch", "electric shocks or shooting pain", "hot or burning" pain, "brush allodynia on self-examination".
The researchers tested methylene blue on young, male (allegedly mental ill) prison inmates.
In the beginning they experimented with injections, but switched to oral administration (gelatine capsules with either 100 or 500 mg methylene blue) which allowed to use larger doses. The highest daily dose they tried was 1,000 mg.
They write that methylene blue helped in certain cases of neuritis (inflammation of a nerve) and rheumatoid pains of muscles, joints and tendon sheaths. They describe that you start to see an effect two hours after ingestion (oral dose 0.1 - 0.25 g) and this effect increases remarkably in the next hours, sometimes leading to complete relief from pain. They did not notice any change in swelling etc. that could have explained the pain relieving effect. There were two cases of vasospastic (?? - they write "angiospastisch") migraines: one was stopped in its tracks, the other one shortened in duration.
Methylene blue did not help in cases of neurasthenia, bone pains caused by syphilis, and stomach ulcer.
......
Here are a couple of more recent studies, mostly pilot studies:
Methylene Blue in the Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain
They used injections. 4 out of 8 patients report partial or complete pain relieve for at least several weeks.
A randomized placebo-controlled trial of intradiscal methylene blue injection for the treatment of chronic discogenic low back pain. - PubMed - NCBI
They also used injections. Found it safe and useful.
Repeated methylene blue administration produces analgesia in experimental pain
Animal study.
Our study demonstrates that chronic administration of MB has analgesic effects on acute nociception as well as on the orofacial inflammatory pain; further studies must be conducted in order to elucidate the mechanism by which the methylene blue exerts its antinociceptive effect.
Randomized single-blind clinical trial of intradermal methylene blue on pain reduction after open diathermy haemorrhoidectomy. - PubMed - NCBI
Perianal intradermal injection of methylene blue was useful in reducing the initial postoperative pain of open haemorrhoidectomy.
Evaluation of the protein biomarkers and the analgesic response to systemic methylene blue in patients with refractory neuropathic pain: a double-blind, controlled study
They used infusions. Methylene blue was added to 5% glucose. The treatment group received 2 mg/kg, the control group 0.02 mg/kg. It looks like both groups felt better after treatment.
As neuropathic pain responds poorly to the available pharmacological and interventional methods of treatment, this study represents a new approach for targeting neuropathic pain resistant to all conventional treatments.
According to this paper the description of "refractory neuropathic pains" includes "prickling, tingling, pins & needles", "pain evoked by light touch", "electric shocks or shooting pain", "hot or burning" pain, "brush allodynia on self-examination".