“I have no energy and brain fog”…man, if I had a nickel for every time I read that on our new patient chief complaint list. There is an epidemic of fatigue and brain dysfunction that only seems to be getting more pronounced—especially in the last five years, and we all know what the world survived in the last five years. So, what is the underlying reason? Stress? Inflammation? Toxins? These are all the buzz words we hear, but what is the common dysfunctional denominator when our cells cannot make enough energy and our brain is malfunctioning?
 
Correct! Our Mitochondria
Let me tell you more about these incredibly important cellular organelles. First, they are derived from a symbiotic (meaning mutually beneficial) relationship between human cells and ancient bacteria, specifically the alphaproteobacterial (which I only mention to make my claim sound more scientific). Yes, you read that correctly! Throughout human evolution bacteria evolved into the remarkable organelles referred to as our “power houses”, allowing for more efficient energy production via cellular respiration which I will simply describe as the process of combining oxygen and glucose to make energy—technically ATP. Sounds marvelous! And it is! When the process is working.
 
Unfortunately, our mitochondria are quite vulnerable and can easily become less efficient at their job when bombarded by toxic substances from both our environment and free radicals generated by our own cells during the energy making process. As with any energy generating process, there is always the production of toxic byproducts, often referred to as free radicals, likened to car exhaust fumes. Healthy mitochondria, of course, should be able to offset the potential damage of these self-regenerated toxins and suffer little if any harm. Of course, if the mitochondria are also overly burdened from many outside insults such as infections, injuries, chemicals in our food, air and water, seed oils, and pharmaceuticals, they are not so resilient. Mitochondrial dysfunction can ensue….this means every cell in the body functions sub-optimally due to lack of ATP (yep, the chemical word for energy) from the muscles, to the immune system, to the brain.
 
What if we had a “biohack” (another commonly used buzz word of late) to help easily reverse mitochondrial dysfunction, no matter what the cause? Well, we do! It is a versatile medicinal compound that has been around for many years primarily used and FDA approved for the treatment of a rare, but life-threatening condition called Methemoglobinemia. It works primarily by protecting the mitochondria by neutralizing toxic free radicals and bypassing intermediary steps in energy production that can be limited by the lack of important enzymes. It also acts as a strong anti-inflammatory by favorably modulating the immune system and decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which probably is why it has become so popular in the integrative medical communities for its effectiveness in treating Long COVID symptoms. We are also seeing its benefits shine in those with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, depression, mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. It is particularly effective in brain disorders because it can easily cross the blood-brain barrier.
 
Methylene Blue may sound too good to be true, but so far it has proven to be exactly that! There are a few precautions though, especially for those who are on SSRI anti-depressants (due to its activity as an MAO-Inhibitor) and for those who may have an active underlying chronic infection such as Lyme disease, as it can cause a Herxheimer or die-off reactions. These are rare and dose-dependent so can be avoided or reduced with proper dosing. The only absolute contraindication is a G6PD deficiency which is easily screened for on blood work.
 
Overall, Methylene Blue has shown to be a very promising (and even possibly magical) molecule with a wide range of benefits especially for challenging health conditions that have not been amenable to other therapeutics. If you would like to continue the discussion to find out how it may help improve your health, give us a call today. We look forward to helping you heal.
 
Jaimie L. Mickey, MD, of Restoring Wellness, in Pinellas Park, Florida, is Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Board Certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine (AIHM), and a Member of American Academy of Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine (A4M).
 
Restoring Wellness is located at 10597 US Hwy. 19 North, Pinellas Park. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 727-351-1700 or email [email protected].