ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06227273Updated Jan 26, 2024

Hydrogen Water Dosing Study for ME/CFS

An interventional study of Hydrogen water in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, sponsored by Stony Brook University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-01-26.

Sponsored by Stony Brook University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Nov 2024, 2 years ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Dec 2023; still recruiting 2 years 11 months later.

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-14

Among 86 studies in Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic with a site in United States — 21 open to participants now, 24 under way, none of them phase 3. Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic · United States.

Planned enrollment
27th of 58
50 · median 50
Started
2023
with 5 others
No phase
30 of 86
6 open now
Primary completion
2024-11
later than 0 of 23 live
Registered
72nd of 86
by date
Lead sponsor
7 of 86
Stony Brook University

Among the 86 studies in Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic with a site in United States, this one is the 27th largest by planned enrollment of the 58 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 6 that started in 2023, is one of 30 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 0 of the 23 other live ones, and was the 72nd registered.

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic

264 studies on the registry are indexed under Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; 62 are open to participants now.

Browse Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic studies →

Open to participants now

21 of the 86 studies in Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic with a site in United States are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:

15 more — sign in →

All 21 open studies →

A study can be open while its sites in United States have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in United States →

Who these studies take

Of the 44 Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic studies recruiting now, 18 (41%) set no upper age limit and 20 (45%) stop at 75 or younger; 5 take children under 18; 10 take healthy volunteers.

This study: 18 Years to 65 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.

The full table on the hub →

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Watch this landscapeDownload CSVNarrow it in search →With an account: a weekly mail of what changed among 86 studies in Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic with a site in United States, or all of them as a file.
02

Study summary

The aim of this 16-week pilot randomized trial is to explore the potential benefit of the OTC supplement hydrogen water, for the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods: This 16-week home-based trial will compare two groups: (1) low dose hydrogen water (2-3 glasses/day) for all 16 weeks; and (2) low dose followed by high dose hydrogen water (up to 5 glasses/day). Condition (2) involves an initial 8 weeks of low dose H2 followed by 8 weeks of high dose H2 in order to test the premise that the higher dosage will be more effective with fewer adverse effects if preceded by several weeks of low dose H2. Outcomes measures will include online assessments of fatigue, physical function and stress. A salivary biomarker for oxidative stress, Uric Acid, will also be assessed.

Read the detailed description

Previous clinical studies (8-12 week intervention trials) have indicated that H2 enriched water reduces concentrations of markers of oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome, improves lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes, improves mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with mitochondrial myopathies, and reduces inflammatory processes in patients with polymyositis/ dermatomyositis (Mizuno et al., 2017). In addition to its potential therapeutic properties, H2 water is portable, easily administered and safe to ingest (Nagata et al., 2013). Owing to its potential therapeutic efficacy and lack of adverse effects, H2 may show promise for clinical use in ME/CFS. Two CFS studies conducted in the PI's laboratory (Friedberg and Choi, 2022; Friedberg and Choi, under review) yielded mixed findings. The initial randomized controlled trial showed no benefit for H2 water, but the second study, a randomized trial of H2 and heart rhythm biofeedback that was of longer duration (60 days) with a lower dosage of H2 water found significant improvements in fatigue and physical function. The new proposed randomized trial will extend treatment to 120 days and test a standard dosage of H2 water for all 120 days in group1 in comparison to standard dosage for the initial 60 days followed by increased dosage for the remaining 60 days (Group 2). Group 2 is may show a greater treatment effect once subjects are acclimated to the lower initial dose. Thus, we are testing different dosing schedules to determine which may be more effective in CFS.

03

Conditions studied

  • Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients aged 18-65 of both sexes; considered physically capable and willing to perform the study tasks.
  • Meeting validated phone-screen eligibility for ME/CFS criteria.
  • Patient has internet and computer.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Cases of fatigue clearly attributable to self-report medical conditions such as untreated hypothyroidism, unstable diabetes mellitus, organ failure, chronic infections, and chronic inflammatory diseases, or AIDS.

__ Exclusionary psychiatric disorders include any psychosis, or alcohol/ substance abuse within two years prior to illness onset and any time afterward, and current or past depression with melancholic or psychotic features within 5 years prior to onset of ME/CFS or anytime afterward

  • Pregnancy is an exclusion.
  • Patients with >35.
  • Patients at significant risk of suicide or in need of urgent psychiatric treatment. As much as possible, appropriate medical and psychiatric referrals to facilities local to subjects will be provided.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Investigator)
Enrollment
50 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    H2 Standard Dose

    This condition will schedule 1-5 glasses of hydrogen water a day for 16 weeks.

    Dietary Supplement: Hydrogen water

  • Active comparator
    H2 Standard Dose followed by Higher Dose H2

    This condition will schedule 1-5 glasses of hydrogen water a day for 8 weeks followed by 4-5 glasses of hydrogen water for 8 weeks.

    Dietary Supplement: Hydrogen water

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementHydrogen water

    Daily consumption of hydrogen water for 16 weeks.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Fatigue Severity Scale

    Self-report measure of effect of fatigue on functioning.

    Time frame: 16 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. SF-36 PF

    Self-report physical function measure

    Time frame: 16 weeks

  2. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale

    Self-report measure of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms

    Time frame: 16 weeks

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Fred Friedberg
    Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Dec 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2024, 11 months after the start.

Of 73 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 43. This study's planned 11 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 78 studies reached it within 23 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 43.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 17, 2024
First posted
Jan 26, 2024
StartActual
Dec 1, 2023
Primary completionEst.
Nov 1, 2024
CompletionEst.
Nov 30, 2024
Last update
Jan 26, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 26, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06227273
Collaborators
Natural Wellness Now Health Products
Responsible party
Fred Friedberg (Principal Investigator, Stony Brook University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 26, 2024
Start date
Dec 1, 2023
Primary completion
Nov 1, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 30, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 26, 2024

Study contacts

Fred Friedberg, PhD
Contact
fred.friedberg@stonybrookmedicine.edu
631-638-1931

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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