Life ExtensionRibogen French Oak Wood Extract 200mg, 30 Vegetarian Capsules

I've only been taking this for about 5 days. I'd normally wait till I had more experience taking the supplement but since there aren't very many reviews, I wanted to let others know as soon as possible what I've found. So far it seems to be helping. If I take it in the evening it takes an extra hour to fall asleep. If taken in the morning on an empty stomach, I do get some nausea, although I'm prone to nausea. An apple with it helps the nausea and doesn't seem to affect the benefit of the supplement. The energy it gives me isn't huge, which is good because I can't handle strong stimulants. I did take 2 this morning rather than the recommended 1 and I've been able to work about 7 hours today rather than the 4 hours that's been typical the last few weeks. Things that help me do quit working after a few weeks but hopefully this will keep giving that gently extra boost I need. I'll try and remember to report back in after a few more weeks. For now I'd say it might be worth a try for people who have CFS.12/28/14 Update:I found that actually I do better with the recommended 1 capsule per day. If I take 2 in the morning, I feel tired but somewhat restless in the evening when I want to start winding down for the night. They still are helping with my energy, though I have the tendency to over do it when I feel even a little better and then I am fatigued whether I take these or not. I'd say so far it's a 15% increase in energy. I still have to watch what I eat and how much rest I get along with what chemicals I'm exposed to (such as bleach and scented dryer sheets) otherwise, again, these won't help much.1/4/15 Update:Still seems to be helping, though I may have plateaued for the last week. No further improvement for now. Just enough of a nudge to help me be a little more active through the day. My food cravings feel slightly more manageable as well.I should mention that my diagnoses given to me by a doctor (and several others didn't disagree) was due to the supposed elimination of other causes of fatigue (blood sugar, Lyme, etc, etc...). I did have Mono years ago and my neck and energy has never been the same. I was also exposed to mold a number of times where I've lived and worked. I also have poor circulation. So I can't say for sure if my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is the same as others.My fatigue is not only a 'heavy' physical fatigue but also mental and emotional. The most frustrating part when I don't feel well is finding the drive to do things. I 'want' to do laundry, work or even watch tv but I feel little enjoyment or reward in doing so, so it's very hard or impossible to carry through. That is the sort of fatigue the Ribogen is helping with. I'm still tired but it feels good to be up and about doing stuff, within my ability, when otherwise I would be in bed wishing I could be up doing something.I did read on a forum for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (don't think I can say here which site) that a few people have had no results and a few have had mild results but not in removing the fatigue. I mention this because sadly this doesn't appear to be a 'one size fits all' solution. I hope my description of my fatigue will help you know if it fits you or not.3/15/15 Update:I quit taking it for a few weeks in February. This was due to financial reasons and the belief that it wasn't helping as much as it did to begin with. After those few weeks I could tell I wasn't doing as well and it was around the time that I had run out of the French Oak that this began. The effect had become more subtle but it was evidently still helping. As long as I take one capsule in the morning, it no longer has any negative effects on my sleep. If it did, I would pull open a capsule and take just half the powder inside and see if a half dose affected my sleep.I can't say I feel tons of energy but as long as I pace myself I can see I'm more productive than I was prior to taking it. I know that I'm feeling better than usual but I also can't say with 100% confidence that that is all due to the French Oak. My energy and health fluctuates by the hours, days and months. Now that the days are longer and the weather is warmer, I know that is helping as well.However I'm determined to continue taking it for at least 6 months and see what happens. I realize that the research into the effectiveness of Oak Wood Extract has considered the effectiveness after several months but at the same time I haven't seen anything that says there will be no effect prior to that, though I could be wrong and may have missed something.9/8/15 Update:I've stopped taking French Oak Extract a number of times for a couple weeks because I thought it wasn't making a noticeable difference anymore and I was short on money. After I get really fatigued and having trouble keeping up with work, I get desperate and try it again.The result is always positive and boosts my energy by maybe 30% on the first day I take it again. Other supplements and treatments I've tried, quit working and usually don't work again or actually cause a negative reaction such as instant burnout and fatigue. The next day, it doesn't help as much-maybe 20%. Then the next days: 10%, 5%, 0%. Then it's the weekend and I don't take it Saturday and Sunday. If I do, I have trouble just resting and reading/listening to music. Which means that Monday, work feels like torture. So if I've taken it the previous week, take Saturday/Sunday off, I get a 20% boost. The 30% boost usually only comes with a week or more break. So my conclusion is that it helps me push further than I would be able to otherwise AND without the long term exhaustive effects other "stimulants" have on me . Again, this is all 'just my opinion' observations for my own situation, coming from a fog filled mind. I hope it can help some people.(I should clarify. I really don't think the French Oak is loosing effect through the week but that as I have a bad tendency to push myself until I'm exhausted and then some. Then the fatigue catches up with me as the work week progresses. So by Friday when I say that it's giving me a 0% boost, actually if I didn't take it that day, my energy would be negative 20%. Sorry if that's confusing. It's hard for me to explain)9/26/15 Update:I've been opening the capsules and taking just half a capsule every single day including weekends for the last 10 days. This seems to keep my energy at the most productive and comfortable level for my case. I don't feel too restless to rest and at the same time with a little will power I can still get some things accomplished in a day. I'm sure the ideal amount will vary according to each individual so it may be worth experimenting6/9/16 UpdateI'm back to buy more and noticed that my review is no longer visible at this time because I added the review to the "2 pack" version of Ribogen and that isn't showing up at this point in my search on Amazon. So I've copied and pasted it here on this page for a single bottle purchase. Hopefully that's allowed. This is the most important supplement that I have ever taken for my fatigue. I've taken others that work better/stronger but eventually quit working. This is still helping me almost two years later! When I forget to take a half capsule of French Oak in the morning (along with Gingko Biloba Powder under the tongue) I have to come home early from work. With the French Oak/Gingko combo, I can pace myself and put in an 8 hour day most days, though I'm exhausted by the end of the day.

I noticed when I feel sleepy it wakes me up enough I don't need to lay down for a nap

I could use more energy! This was a new one on me, but believe Life Extension does some really solid research and has good products.I am not honestly noting anything at the moment, but it's been a week and a half since I started it.Can say as someone who gets nauseated too often from supplements or medicine that I've not noticed any issue there. Know it usually takes a month to really see improvements.I will use through the end of the bottle and decide. At least I know it is not something that would be a problem for me to take.

A little over a year ago, a friend recommended this to my husband to deal with his chronic fatigue. While I'm not saying he never gets tired, the addition of this to his diet has kept him from having a major flare-up since he started taking it. It is nice to see him have energy again!

Made me sick