Forsyth, L M, Preuss, H G, MacDowell, A L et al. · Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology · 1999 · DOI
This study tested whether a supplement called NADH (a form of vitamin B3) could help people with ME/CFS feel less fatigued and improve other symptoms. Twenty-six patients took either NADH or a placebo pill for 4 weeks, then switched to the other for another 4 weeks. About 31% of patients felt better on NADH compared to only 8% on placebo, with no serious side effects reported.
ME/CFS currently has no proven effective treatment, making even preliminary evidence of symptom improvement clinically significant. This pilot study suggests NADH warrants further investigation as a potential adjunctive therapy, offering hope for patients with a debilitating condition and guiding future research directions.
This small pilot study does not establish that NADH is an effective treatment for ME/CFS—it only suggests potential benefit and warrants larger trials. The study cannot prove mechanism of action (ATP generation), nor can it determine which specific symptoms most benefit or identify which patients are most likely to respond. The modest placebo response (8%) and lack of detailed clinical outcome measures limit definitive conclusions.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Forsyth, L M, Preuss, H G, MacDowell, A L, Chiazze, L, Birkmayer, G D, & Bellanti, J A (1999). Therapeutic effects of oral NADH on the symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62595-1
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-forsyth-1999-therapeutic-effects,
author = {Forsyth, L M and Preuss, H G and MacDowell, A L and Chiazze, L and Birkmayer, G D and Bellanti, J A},
title = {Therapeutic effects of oral NADH on the symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology},
year = {1999},
doi = {10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62595-1},
note = {PubMed: 10071523},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/forsyth-1999-therapeutic-effects},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/forsyth-1999-therapeutic-effects
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