Olson, L G, Ambrogetti, A, Sutherland, D C · Psychosomatics · 2003 · DOI
This small study tested whether dexamphetamine, a stimulant medication, could help people with ME/CFS feel less tired and improve their quality of life. Over 6 weeks, 10 patients took dexamphetamine and 10 took a placebo (inactive pill). Nine out of 10 people on dexamphetamine reported improvement in their fatigue scores, compared to only 4 out of 10 on placebo. The researchers concluded that dexamphetamine might be helpful for ME/CFS, but a larger study is needed to confirm these results.
ME/CFS currently lacks FDA-approved pharmacological treatments, making any controlled evidence of symptom improvement clinically relevant. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that stimulant medications might address fatigue severity, potentially opening a new therapeutic avenue for a debilitating condition where treatment options are severely limited.
This pilot study does not establish that dexamphetamine is safe or effective as a standard ME/CFS treatment—it is too small and short to draw definitive conclusions. The study does not clarify mechanisms of action, optimal dosing, long-term safety, or whether benefits persist beyond 6 weeks. It also does not address whether dexamphetamine might worsen post-exertional malaise, a core ME/CFS feature.
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
Olson, L G, Ambrogetti, A, & Sutherland, D C (2003). A pilot randomized controlled trial of dexamphetamine in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Psychosomatics. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psy.44.1.38
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-olson-2003-pilot-randomized,
author = {Olson, L G and Ambrogetti, A and Sutherland, D C},
title = {A pilot randomized controlled trial of dexamphetamine in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Psychosomatics},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1176/appi.psy.44.1.38},
note = {PubMed: 12515836},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/olson-2003-pilot-randomized},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/olson-2003-pilot-randomized
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