Trypan Blue: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Trypan Blue is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Available as: Injectable
Sold as: Membraneblue
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Not in our catalog

How trypan blue is dosed

From the FDA label for Membraneblue (application NDA022278). Other trypan blue products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

MembraneBlue 0.15% - Dosage & administration section MembraneBlue 0.15% is packaged in a single-patient-use syringe filled to a volume of 0.5 mL. Make sure the plunger moves smoothly before use. Prime the syringe prior to use by retracting the plunger before injecting the fluid. Alternatively, twist the plunger into the stopper in a clockwise motion until tight. Once tight, continue turning the plunger in a clockwise motion until the stopper rotates freely within the syringe, two or three rotations. The syringe is now primed and suitable for injection. Before injection of MembraneBlue perform a “fluid-air exchange” (i.e., filling the entire vitreous cavity with air, to prevent aqueous dilution of MembraneBlue). MembraneBlue is carefully applied to the retinal membrane using a blunt cannula attached to the MembraneBlue syringe, without allowing the cannula to contact or damage the retina. Sufficient staining is expected on contact with the membrane. All excess dye should be removed from the vitreous cavity before performing an air-fluid exchange, to prevent unnecessary spreading of the dye. MembraneBlue can also be injected directly in a BSS filled vitreous cavity (instead of injecting under air). Clinical use demonstrated that, after complete vitreous and posterior hyaloid removal, sufficient staining is achieved after 30 seconds of application under BSS. MembraneBlue is…

Trypan Blue side effects

MembraneBlue 0.15% - Adverse reactions section Adverse reactions reported following use of MembraneBlue 0.15% include discoloration of high water content hydrogen intraocular lenses [see Contraindications] and inadvertent staining of the posterior lens capsule and vitreous face. Staining of the posterior lens capsule or staining of the vitreous face is generally self limited, lasting up to one week. Most common adverse reactions include discoloration of high water content hydrogen intraocular lenses and inadvertent staining of the posterior lens capsule and vitreous face. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS contact Dutch Ophthalmic, USA at 1-800-75-DUTCH or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Who shouldn’t take trypan blue

MembraneBlue 0.15% - Contraindications section. MembraneBlue 0.15% is contraindicated when a non-hydrated (dry state), hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) is planned to be inserted into the eye. The dye may be absorbed by the IOL and stain it. Insertion of a non-hydrated (dry state), hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL). MembraneBlue may be absorbed by the IOL and stain it.

Every trypan blue product we track (1)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Only one: Membraneblue.

What people report to the FDA about trypan blue

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 33 reports naming trypan blue, and the FDA flagged 100% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

blindness21 reports
toxic anterior segment syndrome21 reports
corneal oedema6 reports
cerebral infarction3 reports
pigmentation disorder3 reports
thyroid disorder3 reports
vision blurred2 reports
corneal degeneration1 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean trypan blue caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.

Related calculators

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Frequently asked questions

What is trypan blue?

MembraneBlue - Description. MembraneBlue™ (trypan blue ophthalmic solution) 0.15% is a sterile solution of trypan blue (an acid di-azo group dye) for intraocular ophthalmic use. MembraneBlue selectively stains epiretinal membranes during ophthalmic surgical vitrectomy procedures. Each mL of MembraneBlue 0.15% contains: 1.5 mg trypan blue; 1.9 mg sodium mono-hydrogen orthophosphate (Na 2 HPO 4 •2H 2 O); 0.3 mg sodium di-hydrogen orthophosphate (NaH 2 PO 4 •2H 2 O); 8.2 mg sodium chloride (NaCl); and water for injection. The pH is 7.3 - 7.6. The osmolality is 257 - 314 mOsm/kg.

Can you take trypan blue with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run trypan blue against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What forms does trypan blue come in?

Across the brands we track, trypan blue is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic trypan blue?

We do not currently list a generic-labelled trypan blue product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.

Cite this page

APA: pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Trypan Blue: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/trypan-blue
MLA: “Trypan Blue: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/trypan-blue.

We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.

Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.

Read the full FDA label for trypan blue on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.