• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

The Synergy Trial: Ritalin and Micronutrients

Snowdrop

Rebel without a biscuit
Messages
2,933
I don't want to be known as the harbinger of cynicism and gloom but the trial sounds like its treating vague amorphous fatigue.
And who knows what the already available drug is (one used for depression perhaps).
Kind of short on details.
If it were available here I wouldn't bother with it.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
I don't want to be known as the harbinger of cynicism and gloom but the trial sounds like its treating vague amorphous fatigue.
And who knows what the already available drug is (one used for depression perhaps).
Kind of short on details.
If it were available here I wouldn't bother with it.
I think the combo in question is a Ritalin generic and a supplement combo. Not sure what I think about that. Might be helpful for cognitive dysfunction, which is a problem for many of us.
 

Snowdrop

Rebel without a biscuit
Messages
2,933
I think the combo in question is a Ritalin generic and a supplement combo. Not sure what I think about that. Might be helpful for cognitive dysfunction, which is a problem for many of us.

That's fair enough. But how will you know if the trial is a success for people like us with such loose parameters.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
That's fair enough. But how will you know if the trial is a success for people like us with such loose parameters.
Agreed. I'd need to know a lot more about this research before I'd participate, but hey, since I'm not near the research sites, I'm not willing to do much to find out more. ;)
 

Persimmon

Senior Member
Messages
135
Their website indicates they're using Fukuda (only).

The flier certainly looks dodgy, but notice the trial centres:
Stanford
NYC
Ft Lauderdale
Salt Lake City

That presumably means Montoya, Enlander, Klimas and Bateman are involved.

If they're doing a double-blinded multi-site trial and have persuaded those four to participate, I'd be satisfied.

Could a PRer in America please ring their recruitment phone number & find out whether those 4 are involved?
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Interesting. The study is testing a low dose of generic Ritalin plus a 'nutrient formula' defined as: "vitamins, minerals, and other cofactors: amino acids, antioxidants, and mitochondrial cofactors." (Includes: acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, L-taurine, B-vitamins.) The full list of ingredients can be seen here: http://thesynergytrial.org/study-treatment/ (scroll to bottom of page.)

It could be interesting, but I don't personally hold out much hope for stimulants as a treatment for ME.
(I think some patients have reported that Modafinil can be helpful, but that has an unusual mechanism that increases wakefulness rather than being a standard stimulant.)

Study Start Date: November 2013
Estimated Study Completion Date: September 2014
 
Last edited:

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,086
Location
australia (brisbane)
The supplement looks ok similar to what many of us take now. I wonder what this supp would cost compared to buying them individually. Be nice to take a couple of pills rather than 6 million currently.
 
Messages
2
Their website indicates they're using Fukuda (only).

The flier certainly looks dodgy, but notice the trial centres:
Stanford
NYC
Ft Lauderdale
Salt Lake City

That presumably means Montoya, Enlander, Klimas and Bateman are involved.

If they're doing a double-blinded multi-site trial and have persuaded those four to participate, I'd be satisfied.

Could a PRer in America please ring their recruitment phone number & find out whether those 4 are involved?
Montoya, Klimas, Bateman and Sue Levine in NYC.- Confirmed.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
The OTC version of the micronutrient formula looks like nothing special compared to what PWME take routinely, so the main benefit of this product (if there is one) appears to be in the Ritalin.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
maybe convenience of one bottle of pills instead of heaps of bottles of pills lol??

Its sort of a generic mito cocktail.
Maybe. :) I'd still prefer to know how much of each component I'm getting rather than just accept their "Proprietary Blend of Energy and Immune Boosting Nutrients". I'm not even sure that kind of description would mean I'd get the same amount of say, acetyl-l-carnitine, from one bottle to the next. There has to be a reason they don't list the amount of each ingredient separately. Perhaps I'm just a hard sell. ;)

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what Montoya, Klimas, Bateman, and Levine have to say when it's all over.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,086
Location
australia (brisbane)
[quote="SOC, post: 431937in member: 842]Maybe. :) I'd still prefer to know how much of each component I'm getting rather than just accept their "Proprietary Blend of Energy and Immune Boosting Nutrients". I'm not even sure that kind of description would mean I'd get the same amount of say, acetyl-l-carnitine, from one bottle to the next. There has to be a reason they don't list the amount of each ingredient separately. Perhaps I'm just a hard sell. ;)

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what Montoya, Klimas, Bateman, and Levine have to say when it's all over.[/quote]
Yep can only fit so much In one pill. I would need a pill the size of a hockey puk to fit all my supps.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Thanks @Bob
This is it. Looks like something a lot of people on here would take (not me can't tolerate multi's)
- so the low dose Ritalin is obviously the key.

Synergy-SFB-Scaled.jpg
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
Fwiw, I've been experimenting with taking caffeine pills almost everyday since Feb 3rd and they're helping my energy level.

I can't say they've helped my cognitive abilities tho. I'd fail a pop quiz in simple Math immediately.

And I certainly couldn't have tried this prior to eliminating my food intolerances in 2005 and letting my body heal as much as it has in the last 8 years. Healing was important for me.

I wouldn't qualify for this study tho due to seizures and possibly my left bundle branch block. I suspect a lot of pwcs dx with the ccc would be ineligible.

I'll let y'all know if I keel over. ;)

Tc .. x