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

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 en-ergy 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 occur-ring pentose carbohydrate, at a dose of 5 g t.i.d. for a total of 280 g. All patients completed questionnaires con-taining 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 improve-ment 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. 85