Comparison
Methylene Blue vs Noopept
Side-by-side of Methylene Blue and Noopept. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Methylene Blue
Methylene blue as a nootropic: low-dose cognitive enhancement, mitochondrial electron cycling, brain oxygen uptake, SSRI interaction risk, typical 0.5 to 4 mg.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Effects at a glance
Methylene Blue
- •FDA approved for methemoglobinemia and ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy
- •Mitochondrial electron-transport support at low doses (0.5 to 4 mg/kg) via cytochrome c shuttle
- •Potent MAO-A inhibitor; serotonin syndrome risk with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, fentanyl, tramadol, St John's wort
- •Causes harmless blue-green urine and sweat coloration; useful adherence marker
- •G6PD deficiency is an absolute contraindication; can trigger massive hemolysis
- •Cognitive-enhancement evidence is preliminary, mostly preclinical and small fMRI trials
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Methylene Blue | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | nootropic |
| Also known as | Methylthioninium chloride, Provayblue, tetramethylthionine chloride | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 5.5 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 70 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | 1 to 3 times daily for cognitive use; single IV dose for methemoglobinemia | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral, intravenous | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 1.5 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 319.85 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C16H18ClN3S | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | Mitochondrial electron carrier at low doses (cytochrome c shuttle to complex IV) and methemoglobin reductase substrate at higher doses; potent MAO-A inhibitor across the dose range. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | Prescription (injectable, FDA approved); supplement form (oral) widely available; not scheduled | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled in the US | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Contraindicated | Not recommended |
| CAS | 61-73-4 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 6099 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q409021 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
Methylene Blue
Common side effects
- blue-green urine and sweat
- skin and oral mucosa staining
- GI upset
- headache
- dizziness
Contraindications
- G6PD deficiency
- pregnancy
- concurrent serotonergic medication
- severe renal impairment
- infants under 6 months
Interactions
- SSRIs and SNRIs: serotonin syndrome, potentially fatal(major)
- MAOIs: additive MAO inhibition, serotonin syndrome risk(major)
- fentanyl, tramadol, meperidine: serotonin syndrome risk(major)
- dextromethorphan: serotonin syndrome risk(major)
- St John's wort: serotonin syndrome risk(major)
- lithium: additive serotonergic risk(major)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Methylene Blue comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, controlled substance, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is mitochondrial function, pick Methylene Blue.
- → If your priority is antimicrobial action, pick Methylene Blue.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Noopept.
Edge case: Methylene Blue is contraindicated in pregnancy; Noopept is the safer pick if that applies.
Default choice: Methylene Blue. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Methylene Blue and Noopept?
Methylene Blue and Noopept differ in category (pharmaceutical vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Methylene Blue or Noopept?
Methylene Blue half-life is 5.5 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack Methylene Blue with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper