Drug & supplement interaction

Methylene Blue + Chlorpheniramine

Chlorpheniramine brand names: Chlor-Trimeton, Teldrin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Chlorpheniramine falls into 2 drug categories that Methylene Blue can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Concomitant use may increase anticholinergic effects and adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Methylene Blue interacts with whole categories of medication. Chlorpheniramine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Methylene Blue in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

Anticholinergic Drugs

1 of 2

Why this applies to Chlorpheniramine

Chlorpheniramine falls under Anticholinergic Drugs — the group Methylene Blue interacts with.

Concomitant use may increase anticholinergic effects and adverse effects. In a case report, a critically-ill male in his mid-60s developed a toxicological process attributed to anticholinergic syndrome following treatment with methylene blue for vasoplegia. Symptoms included anhidrosis, fever, lactic acidosis, mucosal dryness, and pupil dilation. Potential exacerbating factors included renal failure and use of fentanyl intra-operatively.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for Chlorpheniramine, a common allergy antihistamine. On its own, it already has mild anticholinergic (drying) properties, meaning it can cause dry mouth, blurry vision, constipation, trouble urinating, and drowsiness. Methylene blue appears to add to that same drying effect, so stacking the two could push those symptoms up a notch rather than change how the drug is broken down.

Honestly, this warning rests on a single hospital case report in a very sick patient, so it's weak, anecdotal evidence. Everyday allergy use of Chlorpheniramine is unlikely to cause trouble, but the concern grows with higher doses or other drying medicines on board. If you're considering methylene blue as a supplement, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Moderate

Serotonergic Drugs

2 of 2

Chlorpheniramine also falls under Serotonergic Drugs.

Combining serotonergic drugs with methylene blue can cause additive serotonergic effects, including serotonin syndrome. Methylene blue inhibits monoamine oxidase A. Intravenous or intrapulmonary use has resulted in serotonin syndrome, including reported fatalities, in patients taking some serotonergic drugs. This effect has not been reported with oral methylene blue. However, tell patients to avoid taking methylene blue with serotonergic drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence C

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the concern with pairing these two. Methylene blue acts like a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, which means it slows the breakdown of serotonin in your body. Chlorpheniramine, while mostly known as an allergy antihistamine, also has some mild serotonin-related activity. Stacked together, they could raise serotonin levels more than expected, and in rare cases that can lead to serotonin syndrome (agitation, a racing heart, sweating, tremor, or confusion).

The good news: the serious reactions have been tied to injected or IV methylene blue, not the oral form, and the risk here is considered possible rather than likely. Chlorpheniramine can already make you drowsy or dry-mouthed on its own. I wouldn't panic, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, especially with any methylene blue product.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Methylene Blue Also Interacts With Other Medications

Methylene Blue has 314 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Chlorpheniramine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Methylene Blue

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Methylene Blue. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Methylene Blue or Chlorpheniramine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Methylene Blue or Chlorpheniramine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Chlorpheniramine

This page covers Methylene Blue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Chlorpheniramine page lists 198 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Henbane (major), Lithium (major) and Scopolia (major).

By severity: 6 major · 149 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Chlorpheniramine page

“An over-the-counter allergy pill sounds harmless, but chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) has one of the longer supplement interaction lists I review, and it calls for real vigilance, with the major-rated entries the ones to understand first. Most of the list can shift how the body clears the drug: grapefruit can raise its levels while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Chlorpheniramine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Methylene Blue
Top 25%

#291 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Chlorpheniramine
Top half

#891 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Methylene Blue

What is Methylene Blue?

Methylene Blue
  • Methemoglobinemia (a blood disorder)
  • Claimed energy or mental focus support
  • Anti-aging or longevity claims
  • Antimicrobial or antimalarial uses (historical)
  • Dye for medical and lab procedures

Methylene blue is a synthetic dye that is an FDA-approved prescription medicine for a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia, and it is also used as a diagnostic dye. Its popular use as a supplement for energy, brain health, or anti-aging is not well supported by solid human evidence, and it can cause serious side effects. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and never take non-pharmaceutical or industrial-grade products.

Read the full Methylene Blue monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Chlorpheniramine

What Is Chlorpheniramine Used For?

Brand names: Chlor-Trimeton, Teldrin

Chlorpheniramine is used to temporarily relieve common allergy symptoms caused by hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or other upper respiratory allergies. These include runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and itching of the nose or throat.

These uses are supported across multiple products — including tablets (such as Aller-chlor, Allergy, Allergy Relief, Allergy Time, Anti Allergy, and Chlorpheniramine Maleate), extended-release tablets (Allergy Relief and Chlorphen-12), the oral solution Ed Chlorped Jr, and the inhalers ClorRelief and ClorRelief KIDs.

See full Chlorpheniramine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Methylene Blue

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Methylene Blue — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
314Moderate
0Minor
2,515No known interaction
Moderate

314 interactions

Showing 60 of 314 moderate interactions — see all 314 on the Methylene Blue page.

No interaction 2,515 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Methylene Blue with Chlorpheniramine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine?
Chlorpheniramine belongs to more than one drug category, and Methylene Blue interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Chlorpheniramine and Methylene Blue?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.