Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia With D-ribose- a Multicenter Study

Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia With D-ribose- a Multicenter Study

To determine whether adding Ribose 5 grams 3 x day would improve quality of life, energy, sleep and cognitive function and decrease pain in patients with CFS and/or fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS).

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS) are debilitating syndromes affecting ~ 2-4% of the population. Although they are heterogeneous conditions associated with many triggers, including infections, autoimmune illnesses, hormonal dysfunctions and other processes, they appear to have the common pathology of being associated with impaired energy metabolism.

As D-ribose has been shown to increase cellular energy synthesis in heart and skeletal muscle, and was shown to significantly improve clinical outcomes in CFS/FMS in an earlier pilot study, we conducted a larger, community based, multicenter trial to see if these findings could be generalized to a broader patient population. We hypothesized that giving D-ribose would improve function in CFS/FMS patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FMS) (by American College of Rheumatology [ACR] criteria) and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS- by Centers for Disease Control [CDC] criteria) by a health practitioner.

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnant or nursing women, or
• any participants with known severe medication or nutrient sensitivities, or
• previous ribose use.