Rise Of The Avatars? Malaysians Express Concern Over “Methylene Blue Drip”
A local aesthetic clinic shared an advertisement online promoting methylene blue IV drip treatment.
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Some celebrities and influencers abroad have been promoting the benefits of vitamin drips or vitamin therapy as a quick pick-me-up before events.
Depending on the formulation, the vitamin drips can allegedly help brighten complexion, even out skin tone, boost immune system, help with anti-aging, and improve overall health.
These treatments have been featured in shows like The Kardashians, Billions, and Dubai Bling.
However, it looks like these vitamin drips have come to Malaysia. Motoring journalist Paul Tan (@paultantk) came across an advertisement by a local aesthetic clinic promoting Methylene Blue Drips and shared it on his Twitter account.
We checked out the clinic’s Instagram page and found that they have been actively promoting methylene blue.
Touted as the “unsung hero of brain health”, the treatment is supposed to be able to improve the brain’s oxidative metabolism.
The clinic claimed methylene blue can help enhance memory retention and increased memory activity while rewiring fear responses like anxiety.
The clinic also cited an alleged clinical study of giving low doses of methylene blue to rats after fear-extinction training. The rats allegedly showed better recall and were less afraid of tones that was once linked to shock.
Additionally, the clinic claimed the treatment could treat trauma and anxiety in humans, calling it a possible “game changer for mental health.”
Tan said it was his first time seeing methylene blue being advertised in Malaysia. He thinks a clinic will push for the IV delivery method as a way to differentiate their services from off-the-shelf oral ingestion methods.
Those who keep fishes were alarmed because methylene blue is used to clean aquariums, leading to some attempting to alert the Health Ministry (KKM) about the treatment here.
it's a chemical you use for cleaning your aquarium from parasites. One bottle is 8-10 ringgit. pic.twitter.com/9Ow4QN3Znu
— Friday Night Macaulayculkin' (@36angstroms) April 8, 2025
isn't methylene blue the stuff you put in aquariums if your fishes get fungal infection? this stuff is 8 ringgit at fish shops pic.twitter.com/omjb0zarYt
— Friday Night Macaulayculkin' (@36angstroms) April 8, 2025
@KKMPutrajaya @DrDzul time for action, educate religiously our people on the rising “clinic” deemed they are certified medical practitioner pls
— pekupeku (@dyoguma) April 7, 2025
What is methylene blue used for?
The methylene blue IV drip in the picture above looks like an energy drink, but it’s actually commonly used among aquarists and fish breeders to clean and treat fungal infections on fish eggs and treat fish with cyanide and nitrite poisoning. It’s also used as an anti-fungal and rid of some parasites on fish.
However, methylene blue is also a legit medication prescribed in hospitals. In a medical setting, methylene blue is prescribed to treat methemoglobinemia, a condition in which the blood loses its ability to carry oxygen through the body.
Due to potential side effects, the treatment is prescribed under the supervision of a medical professional and is usually administered in a hospital. This allows medical professionals to monitor the patient in case there’s a bad reaction to methylene blue.
Methylene blue’s ability to “recognize and target cells with impaired mitochondrial function” is one of the reason’s why it has been researched as a viable treatment.
Some research showed that methylene blue combined with red light therapy, known as photobiomodulation (PBM), can help improve disorders ranging from depression to Alzheimer’s disease. PBM is also known as low-level light laser therapy (LLLT).
This does not constitute as professional medical advice but a precaution and for some awareness so it’s best to consult with your doctor before undergoing the treatment.
For now, KKM has yet to address this form of treatment.
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