dribose

D Ribose is basically a sugar. It is supposed to help fibro and some heart problems. As with most things, it works well for some people and not at all for others. The dosage for fibro is 5 g 3X/day. It is rather expensive. There have been studies that have shown it to work.

I like it but it doesn't help me enough to justify the cost.

Some health/vitamin stores carry it or you can order it online. You need 15 g/day and should probably try it for at least 3 weeks to decide if it helps.

Hi Sue!

I dug around and did some reading on this since it's new to me. I'm not going to rush out and buy any right away. The only study that was conducted was of 41 patients who, for their final results, filled out a form answering questions. about 66% claimed improvement. Some were taking a Placebo and others were taking the D-Ribose. So in some respect...everyone was taking a 'sugar pill'. There was no control group for this study. Now what you have is marketing all over the internet and in stores that this is a cure all for fibro and cfs. This is the type of research/marketing that frustrates me. A 'compound' might make someone feel a bit better and all of a sudden it's a cure-all and people spend a lot of hard earned money because we are desperate with chronic pain.

Give me good hard science, double blind studies and reputable results. Then I'll consider trying something. My doc has mentioned a couple of things coming down the pike for fibro and chronic pain and D-Ribose is not one of them. I'm sorry if I sound a bit jaded but I just hate seeing people who need help get taken in by something that in the long run doesn't give them the relief they were hoping for and in the mean time someone else has their money. For those trying it I do wish you well and truly hope it helps you. But just a caution to all in general...IMHO, do a lot of research/homework before trying new OTC or herbal medications. And make sure your doctor knows that you are taking it. Many times prescription medications conflict with these other compounds with tragic results.

Just my opinions here...FWIW,
Chutz

There have been some small scientific double blind animal studies on D Ribose and the heart . These small studies have shown that it helps the heart after a heart attack and helps with congestive heart failure. It increases the ATP levels levels in the heart. I've read some theories that people with fibro have ATP problems.

I won a small bottle and figured I'd give it a try, it's a 5 chain sugar, and the only side affect I've read about was D. My doc was fine with it, he didn't think it would do much one way or the other. I felt a little better while taking it so I bought another small bottle. It didn't make enough of a difference for me to continue it. It's expensive.

Dr. Weil says it shows promise for fibro but more studies are needed. Since it is an OTC product that can't be patented, I doubt there will be many studies, especially larger, scientific ones.

I've been getting my malic acid from Puritan's Pride. They frequently have sales like "buy1/get1 free" or "buy 2/get 3 free." I take 6 tablets per day so it costs me about $8/month. If you are sensitive to meds/supplements, especially magnesium, you may want to buy a bottle locally in case you can't take it. Then, if you like it, you can stock up.

D Ribose would have been over $40/month based on the best prices I could find at the time. For me, that's a lot of money.