The Open Pain Journal
2012, 5 : 32-37Published online 2012 June 27. DOI: 10.2174/1876386301205010032
Publisher ID: TOPAINJ-5-32
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia with D-Ribose– An Open-label, Multicenter Study
2 Schwabe North America, 3051 West Maple Loop Dr., Lehi, UT 84043, USA
3 Schwabe North America, 3051 West Maple Loop Dr., Lehi, UT 84043, USA
* Address correspondence to this author at the 76-6326 Kaheiau St; Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA 96740; Fax: 808-329-5534; E-mail: Endfatigue@aol.com
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
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, 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, and was shown to significantly improve clinical outcomes in CFS/FMS in an earlier study, we hypothesized that giving D-ribose would improve function in CFS/FMS patients.
Design, Location, and Subjects:
An open-label, unblinded study in which 53 US clinics enrolled 257 patients who had been given a diagnosis of CFS/FMS by a health practitioner.
Interventions:
All subjects were given D-ribose (Corvalen™), a naturally occurring pentose carbohydrate, 5-g TID for 3 weeks.