Drug & supplement interaction

Methylene Blue + Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine

Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine brand names: Mescolor, Rescon-Mx, Xiral.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine

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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine

Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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 this combo cold-and-allergy product. Two of its ingredients, chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine) and methscopolamine (a drying agent), already have anticholinergic activity, meaning they tend to dry you out and slow certain body functions. Methylene blue can add its own anticholinergic-type effects on top, so the two together may push those effects harder than either alone.

In plain terms, you could see more dry mouth, blurry vision, dilated pupils, constipation, trouble urinating, overheating (from not sweating), fast heartbeat, or confusion. Honestly though, this warning comes from a single case report in a very sick hospital patient, so the everyday risk is likely low. Still, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, especially if you're older or have kidney issues.

Moderate

Serotonergic Drugs

2 of 2

Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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 this combo product (Mescolor and similar). Methylene blue acts like a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, meaning it blocks an enzyme that helps clear certain brain chemicals like serotonin. The pseudoephedrine piece of this medicine can nudge those same chemicals up. Put together, they may stack, and in rare cases that can lead to serotonin syndrome, which shows up as agitation, a racing heart, sweating, shakiness, high blood pressure, or high body temperature.

The good news is that the serious reactions were reported mainly with methylene blue given by IV, not the oral supplement form, so this is more theoretical for pills. Still, since fatalities have happened, I'd play it safe. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing these rather than combining them on your own.

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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine

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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine, 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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine

This page covers Methylene Blue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine page lists 231 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 10 major · 176 moderate · 45 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine page

“The three-drug combination of chlorpheniramine, methscopolamine, and pseudoephedrine (Mescolor, Rescon-Mx, Xiral) sits at the serious end of supplement interactions, with 231 ingredients on file and 10 rated major, and those ten are what to understand first. Most of the list splits into two problems.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Methylene Blue and Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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 half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine
Top 5%

#139 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
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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Methylene Blue with Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine?
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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine?
Chlorpheniramine, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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, Methscopolamine, Pseudoephedrine 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

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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.