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. Outcome measures: All patients were assessed at baseline (1 week before treatment), and after 1,2, & 3 weeks using a Visual Analog Scale(1-7 points) rating energy, sleep, cognitive function, pain and overall well being. Results: 203 patients completed the 3 week treatment trial. D-ribose treatment led to both statistically(p<.0001) and clinically highly important average improvements in all categories: 61.3 % increase in energy 37% increase in overall well being 29.3% improvement in sleep 30% improvement in mental clarity 15.6% decrease in pain Improvement began in the first week of treatment, and continued to increase at the end of the 3 weeks of treatment. The D-ribose was well tolerated. Conclusions: In this multicenter study, D-ribose resulted in markedly improved energy levels, sleep, mental clarity, pain relief, and well being in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. clinicaltrials.gov NCT01108549
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS) affect 2.1% of the world’s population and ~10–25% of people who have had COVID-19. Previous clinical data suggested that a unique Panax ginseng (C.A. Meyer, family Araliaceae) root extract (HRG80™ Red Ginseng) often resulted in marked improvement. We aimed to study this hydroponic form of red ginseng root, containing high levels of rare ginsenosides, for improving energy, cognition, and stamina. This open-label prospective study included participants with severe CFS/FMS who took a daily supplement of HRG80 capsules (200–400 mg) or tablets (100–200 mg) for one month. A total of 188 subject patients completed the one-month treatment trial. Of these, 60.1% rated themselves as improved, with 13.3% rating themselves as being much better. In this group, the mean composite score improved from 11.9 to 18.8 (p < 0.001), with a 67% average increase in energy, 44% average increase in overall well-being, 48% average improvement in mental clarity, 58% average composite improvement in the previous three measurements (primary outcome measure), 46% average improvement in sleep, 33% average decrease in pain, and 72% average increase in stamina. Our study showed that HRG80 red ginseng root powder resulted in a marked improvement in people with CFS and fibromyalgia. This included the subgroup with post-viral CFS/FMS.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.