The Biohacker Who Lost His Leg: Dr. John Lieurance’s Wild Recovery With Peptides and Breathwork

Lieurance emphasizes that methylene blue's safety record over 100+ years is excellent below 2 mg/kg. The serotonin syndrome warning originated from high-dose IV use during thymectomy surgeries; the Mayo Clinic later retracted the general warning. He recommends taking it in a form that dissolves in the stomach (like his Mitozen bars) to avoid intestinal irritation and microbiome disruption. He also notes that adding vitamin C can convert it to the reduced form, which is clear and may be better tolerated by some. Cycling is advised because buildup in mitochondria could theoretically slow them down.

Lieurance's clinic uses next-generation sequencing that tests up to 60,000 microbes. Most men tested show infections. He reports dramatic results: a patient with MRI-suggested cancer had the lesion disappear after 3 months; another regained ability to ejaculate; Ben's nocturia reduced from 2-3 times to once per night, and his wife's recurrent infections stopped. He plans to teach the protocol to other doctors through his nonprofit. The test is ordered through a doctor's office, but patients can collect samples at home.

Lieurance uses a rebranded Carbohaler (Mito Carbonator) and also combines it with a Russian intermittent hypoxic device (Hypoxyzen) that alternates low and high oxygen, sometimes adding hydrogen gas. He believes CO2's vasodilation is superior to nitric oxide's because CO2 itself is the vasodilator, while also activating NO. He notes that the research from Russia on intermittent hypoxic therapy is extensive and impressive. Ben Greenfield also uses 7% CO2 and confirms the calming effect.

Lieurance's clinic has a device called Hypoxyzen, which is Russian technology. He has modified it to also deliver CO2 and plans to add hydrogen gas. He believes this combination is more powerful than hypoxia alone. The research from Russia is described as 'unbelievable,' though no specific studies are cited. This protocol is part of his personal routine and offered at his clinic.

Lieurance's clinic initially launched methylene blue as a suppository. They still use it for specific protocols, such as before stem cell infusions or for patients with high viral/bacterial loads. The light is delivered via a German technology: a plastic catheter with a tiny filament that irradiates blood as it flows past. This is called photodynamic therapy. He notes that oral absorption is already high, but IV and suppository routes allow for higher peak levels needed for certain treatments.

Lieurance notes that some manufacturers already include vitamin C in their formulations. His own product, Lumat Blue, includes vitamin C along with polyphenols, riboflavin, green tea extract, lutein, quercetin, and phycocyanin to support photobiomodulation. He suggests that more companies should use this trick to increase user compliance.

Lieurance explains that methylene blue is an oxidant that cycles between oxidized (blue) and reduced (leucomethylene blue, clear) forms, donating and accepting electrons in mitochondria. The blue staining simply reflects its affinity for mitochondria-rich tissues like brain and heart, not toxicity. He notes that all pharmaceuticals originate from petroleum hydrocarbons, which are natural building blocks, and that the Flexner Report of 1910 shifted medical education away from natural remedies toward synthetic pharmaceuticals. He argues that in a world full of man-made problems (Lyme, COVID, EMF, chemicals), a man-made solution like methylene blue is appropriate. He also points out that negative effects in literature all involve high-dose IV boluses, not oral use under 2 mg/kg.

Lieurance recounts that after WWII, the US recruited Nazi scientists who had been developing biological weapons, including the idea of inserting bacteria into insects to drop behind enemy lines. One such facility was Plum Island, where they worked on spirochetes. He says that ancient Lyme DNA was tiny compared to today's enormous genome, suggesting deliberate enhancement. He believes the engineered organisms escaped containment and spread, making ticks essentially biological weapons. He cites a book but cannot recall the title. This narrative ties into his broader view that many modern diseases are man-made and require man-made countermeasures like methylene blue.

Lieurance found research suggesting inflammatory changes at the cellular level in prostate tissue, altering androgen receptors. With advanced DNA sequencing (testing up to 60,000 microbes), his clinic consistently finds infections in men's prostates—fungal, bacterial, etc. Because the prostate is encapsulated with poor circulation, infections can hide from the immune system. He developed a protocol called 'Prosta Blue Zone' involving three sessions of ultrasound-guided injection of matched antibiotics, methylene blue, a numbing agent, and ozone, followed by red light irradiation via a probe. He reports a case where a pre-MRI suggested cancer and the lesion disappeared after three months, and another where a man regained ability to ejaculate. He also notes that infections can be sexually transmitted, as seen when Ben's wife's recurrent UTIs stopped after Ben's treatment.

Lieurance uses a device (rebranded from Andre Olsen's Carbohaler as 'Mito Carbonator') to breathe 7% CO2. He notes that 3-5% is more typical, but 7% is a 'heroic' dose. The immediate effect is breathlessness and hypoxia, but afterward he feels a release of stress and a 'huge pump' from nitric oxide release. He combines this with an intermittent hypoxic therapy device from Russia that alternates between low and high oxygen, sometimes adding CO2 or hydrogen gas. The idea is to mimic the respiratory states of extreme sports, improving oxygen utilization and inducing anxiolysis. He believes CO2's vasodilation is superior to nitric oxide's because CO2 itself relaxes smooth muscle, while also activating nitric oxide pathways.