However, im not sure if I should be counting the carbs in D-Ribose after doing a little research on Google. This is my basic understanding:

D-Ribose is technically a 'sugar' but it's used by the body in a completely different way to other sugars: Rather than being burned for fuel like glucose, fructose etc, Ribose's role is to make ATP, the energy currency of the mitochondria. Basically D-Ribose is sent directly to fuel muscle cells, rather than being burned up as simple energy like other carbohydrates.

I read on several web pages that D-Ribose does not affect blood sugar.

My question is:- *Should I be counting my daily dose of 10-15g of pure D-Ribose as 10-15g of net carbs? Or should I omit logging them as they aren't utilised by the body like regular carbs? (Obviously I would still log the calories if this is the case, just not the carbs)*.

What would you do? Thanks for your opinions. X

Thanks Bacon, let me know if you discover anything more - You will understand all the scientific jargon better than me!

I didn't realise you have CFS. Have you looked into Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum's protocol? He gas a website and a book called "From Fatigued to Fantastic". I was just telling Sunny_Bunny about it on my Potassium thread. I've been using his CFS/FMS treatment protocol for a couple of months now (which includes D-Ribose as a must-have supplement) and I've felt a noticeable improvement in all areas, including the chronic fatigue - not a miracle cure but definitely improves symptoms enough to be valuable.

Baconslave, your sleep issues sound exactly the same as mine - I'm always tired so falling asleep isn't a problem but my body will not allow me to go into deep sleep (without heavy sleeping pills, which I had to fight my doctors for months to get - I was so ill with sleep deprivation before they would prescribe me anything strong enough to help). I've tried going without the sleeping pills many times and I always still keep waking up with a jump LITERALLY every 20 minutes. Before the pills I had to nap like that all day and all night and was still exhausted because I wasn't getting any Delta wave (deep) sleep. It causes so many health problems and flares the Fibro & ME symptoms because your body repairs itself in deep sleep mode - without delta wave sleep your body and brain can't function. This kind of sleep disorder is intrinsically linked to syndromes such as CFS/FMS/ME. It's a chicken-or-egg issue, not sure which comes first, the sleep disorder or the syndromes, but they go hand-in-hand and create a vicious cycle of symptoms, triggering each other.

For me, I've found my night-time meds and supplement routine to be key in solving the lack of deep sleep problem, which has a positive knock-on effect on my Fibro/ME symptoms the following day. My pain & fatigue levels are quartered when I get a good, heavy sleep the previous night.

My night-time meds & supplements are:

- Amitriptyline 70mg (about 8pm to start winding down - I take it when I put my little one to bed, but you can take it anytime before bedtime).

- Magnesium Citrate 400mg, Calcium (to help it absorb), HMB, Glycine, L-Glutamine.

- Transdermal Magnesium Chloride Oil or a hot magnesium chloride flakes bath with de-stress essential oils.

- Aromatherapy essential oils ('sleep blends' on pillow and in an electric oil atomiser).

- 'Sleep' CD playing quietly on repeat all night - delta wave sounds to help train the brain.

- (I also sometimes use guided meditation & hypnotherapy CDs to help my brain get in a more relaxed state on the run-up to bedtime, but that's proving harder to keep up as I need complete peace n quiet to do that so I can really concentrate & relax, which is hard with a noisy hubby moving about or my 4 year old calling out. It definitely helps a little when I do get the chance).

- PM Yoga practice (DVD or app) can help relax the body tension that makes it hard to sleep, too. Again, I don't get to do this as often as I'd like but when I do fit it in my body feels much more prepared for sleep.

- Technology off & lights out 30mins to 1hr before your planned sleep-time (this helps more than I'd believed. I used to fall asleep at my laptop, with the TV on low. Now I even cover up the light on my stereo so my body can sense it's night-time & encourage melatonin production.

- Zopiclone 7.5mg (sleeping pill, taken 30mins-1hr before you want to fall asleep. It used to work within 15mins but it takes a little longer to kick in after using it every night for a couple of months. I only wake up 1 or 2 times a night briefly and I'm able to get back to deep sleep with these magic pills!).

- (Baclofen 10mg - muscle relaxant - only if needed ie. during Fibro' flares, restless legs, tense body, muscle spasms/cramps etc).

Together, this night-time protocol helps big-time. X

P.s. Check out Adrenal Fatigue advice/supplements too. I was under a lot of stress for years prior to contracting CFS/FMS/ME. I didn't realise how damaging it could be to the body. I took bovine Adrenal Gland supplements for a couple of months to help my adrenals repair to balance Cortisol levels.

Many of the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue are similar to those of CFS, plus a lot of sufferers have both issues anyway. It's just another sign of your body being really run-down. It might be something else to research. X

Ah, Baconslave, thanks so much for appreciating the info. Took me forever to write, what with the Rheumatism & Reynaulds syndrome in my stupid hands & fingers and the brain-fog, but I want to offer any help I can to anyone suffering with my symptoms. I know how debilitating it all can be. At least with my current treatment protocol I'm able to manage the symptoms with a much better quality of life than pre-treatment.

I'm so sorry to hear if your corneal erosion. It sounds very painful. You have every right to whinge along with me. Nobody deserves to suffer. I hope your eye apptmnt goes well and they can offer you the treatment you need for relief.

Btw, I just thought - A cup of Licorice Root Tea a day helps your adrenals (and it has gastro benefits too, which helps my gastric ulcers & acid reflux as an aside). Limit it to 1 cup, though, as it can increase blood pressure a little, in larger quantities. I, like many CFS sufferers, have low blood pressure, so it's a non-issue for me, but frankly I couldn't bring myself to drink more than 1 cup of the stuff - it's got a really strong, naturally sweet taste. I'm not going to lie, I don't enjoy the taste much, but I force it down for its benefits.

Oh, and just to mention again, the Energy Revitalization System powder is possibly the most important daytime supplement in the whole program - closely followed by D-Ribose. The formula was designed by Dr Jacob Teitelbaum (apparently his side of the profits goes to charity) to contain peak effective doses of countless essential nutrients indicated for CFS. There's way more in his cocktail, at highly effective doses, than I've found in any other supplement, and it's all designed entirely for CFS sufferers (who have increased needs for many nutrients). I think he said it's the equivalent of 32 pills. I know it's expensive but it gives complete peace of mind that you have all your bases covered. There's no way I could ingest the right quantity of all of those nutrients every day without it. (N/A btw - just a happy customer!).