D-Ribose

Uses

• Energy Booster: Ribose is used to improve athletic performance and the ability to exercise by boosting muscle energy.
• Blood Flow: It has also been used to improve symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, and coronary artery disease.
• Ribose has been used to prevent symptoms such as cramping, pain, and stiffness after exercise in people with an inherited disorder called myoadenylate deaminase deficiency (MAD) or AMP deaminase deficiency (AMPD deficiency). *Ribose has also been used to improve exercise ability in people with another inherited disorder called McArdle’s disease.
• Healthcare providers sometimes give ribose intravenously (by IV) as part of an imaging procedure used to measure the extent of damaged heart muscle in people with coronary artery disease.
• Ribose has also been used intravenously in patients with MAD to prevent symptoms such as cramping, pain, and stiffness.

Side Effects

Ribose seems to be LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth for short-term use or when given intravenously (by IV) by a healthcare provider. It can cause some side effects including diarrhea, stomach discomfort, nausea, headache, and low blood sugar.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking ribose if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

• Diabetes: Ribose might lower blood sugar. When used along with diabetes medications that lower blood sugar, it might make blood sugar drop too low. It’s best not to use ribose if you have diabetes.

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Ribose might lower blood sugar. If you already have blood sugar that is too low, don’t take ribose.

• Surgery: Since ribose might lower blood sugar, there is a concern that it might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop taking ribose at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination

• Insulin interacts with RIBOSE. Ribose might decrease blood sugar. Insulin is also used to decrease blood sugar. Taking ribose along with insulin might cause your blood sugar to be too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your insulin might need to be changed.

• Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with RIBOSE. Ribose might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking ribose along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

• Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Minor Interaction Be watchful with this combination

• Alcohol interacts with ribose. Alcohol might decrease your blood sugar. Ribose might also decrease your blood sugar. Taking ribose along with alcohol might cause your blood sugar to go too low.

• Aspirin interacts with ribose. Ribose might decrease blood sugar. Large amounts of aspirin might also decrease blood sugar. Taking ribose along with large amounts of aspirin might cause your blood sugar to go too low. But this interaction probably isn’t a big concern for most people that take 81 mg of aspirin a day.

• Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate (Trilisate) interacts with RIBOSE. Choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trilisate) might decrease your blood sugar. Ribose might also decrease blood sugar. Taking ribose along with choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trilisate) might cause your blood sugar to be too low. But it is not clear if this interaction is a big concern.

• Propranolol (Inderal) interacts with RIBOSE. Propanolol (Inderal) might decrease blood sugar. Ribose might also decrease blood sugar. Taking ribose along with propanolol (Inderal) might cause your blood sugar to go too low.

• Salsalate (Disalcid) interacts with RIBOSE. Large amounts of salsalate (Disalcid) can cause blood sugar to become low. Taking salsalate along with ribose might cause blood sugar to become too low.

Other Names:

Beta-D-ribofuranose, Ribose, D-ribosa, Ribosa.

References

Source: WebMD, “Ribose”, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/