The Use of D-Ribose in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study

Journal: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2006 Nov;12(9):857-862.

Authors and affiliation: Teitelbaum JE, Johnson C, Cyr JS. Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, Dallas, Texas, USA.

PMID: 17109576

Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are debilitating syndromes that are often associated with impaired cellular energy metabolism. As D-ribose has been shown to increase cellular energy synthesis in heart and skeletal muscle, this open-label uncontrolled pilot study was done to evaluate if D-ribose could improve symptoms in Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

Design: Forty-one (41) patients with a diagnosis of FMS and/or CFS were given D-ribose, a naturally occurring pentose carbohydrate, at a dose of 5 g t.i.d. for a total of 280 g. All patients completed questionnaires containing discrete visual analog scales and a global assessment pre- and post-D-ribose administration.

Results: D-ribose, which was well-tolerated, resulted in a significant improvement in all five visual analog scale (VAS) categories: energy; sleep; mental clarity; pain intensity; and well-being, as well as an improvement in patients' global assessment. Approximately 66% of patients experienced significant improvement while on D-ribose, with an average increase in energy on the VAS of 45% and an average improvement in overall well-being of 30% (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: D-ribose significantly reduced clinical symptoms in patients suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.


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