# provigil



## angelgail13 (Mar 8, 2009)

I was prescribed provigil by my family doc. for fatigue. Does anyone know if it takes a while to start working? I go see my new pdoc. in a few days. What should I ask for as far as stimulants go? I have extremly bad fatigue. I am also on Zoloft and klonopin. Any suggestions? Does provigil even work?



Thanks,
Angel


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

It works brilliantly for some, not at all for others. It doesn't take a while to work.

If you're just trying to deal with fatigue it is a good choice of drugs. I don't recommend trying actual stimulants because they don't really address ALL the cognitive problems associated with fatigue, and the inevitable crash is just going to make you feel absolutely TERRIBLE.

My advice: get a sleep study done. Daytime fatigue is very commonly caused by sleep apnea. Getting it treated makes an unbelievable difference, and addressing the cause cause lets you feel refreshed, can lessen anxiety, and allows you to be 100% mentally there, whereas stims aren't exactly _refreshing_, will likely contribute to anxiety, and although people subjected to fatigue using stims almost always report that they THINK they are 100% cognitively functional, tests show that in fact they still have enormous deficits in certain areas.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Provigil does work, its pretty mild tough, it should start working right away.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

crayzyMed said:


> Provigil does work, its pretty mild tough, it should start working right away.


That would be my view too. I'd add that it's way too expensive for what little it does.



> What should I ask for as far as stimulants go?


If Provigil isn't strong enough, I'd suspect Ritalin would be the most likely next step. And then you get to play the oh so fun C-II med game (yes, that's sarcasm).


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## karoloydi (Feb 18, 2010)

Provigil works by elevating the levels of histamine in your body. Low histamine is asociated with lots of mental problems like anxiety, OCD, depression and schizophrenia.



> People with low histamine have been found with typical symptoms of under-achievement, more severe thought disorder and hallucinations, paranoid thoughts with less pronounced obsessions, suicidal depression, cyclic or suicidal depression, and anxiety. (Jackson et al, 1998; Edelman, 1996; Jaffe & Kruesi, 1992; Walsh, PTC - Ref. B).


So, theres a good chance that it will work for SAD. I would suspect more so for the people that also have inatentive type of ADHD.
But wouldnt the increase in hystamine also result in more allergies? Or would the cortisol levels also raise to counteract this?
Has anyone here tried it?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

karoloydi said:


> But wouldnt the increase in hystamine also result in more allergies?


I had no idea how Provigil worked. I didn't notice any allergy issues when trying it the other year. I just found it to be a mild stimulant. Not bad in any way, just not real potent.

If cost doesn't matter and you're only looking for mild stimulation I suppose it could fit the bill.

Being a C-IV it's easy to get compared to real stimulants that are C-IIs and getting them is a trip through hell.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

It definitely doesn't increase allergic symptoms. I get histamine releases all over my skin very easily and feel like I'm itchy all over, but I didn't have any issue with Provigil. I imagine that it is specific towards histamine receptors in the brain (or something, I don't really know, that's just a guess.)

Actually it's funny because I had that same concern when I was started on MAOIs. My body is literally not breaking histamine down, and so the levels are no doubt increased by a lot, but people on MAOIs don't end up like walking allergies... so there seems to be more to it than just that


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## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

bump.


curious if anyone else has had a good experience with this. Amphetamines arent really doing the trick for me. This might be my next option.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Provigil is thought to act cheifly as an Orexin agonist, orexin can sort of be thought of as the master 'wake' switch in the brain, as it appears to control the tonic regulation of many of the neurotransmitters in the brain involved in wakefulness including; norepinephrine, dopamine, histamine, acetylcholine and glutamate.

As for those asking "wouldn't the histamine increase cause more allergies?" The simple answer is no, because the histamine increase is restricted only to certain areas of the brain and not the peripheral nervous system.


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## mykidsmomx4 (Nov 19, 2010)

I just found this forum/thread when searching for information about provigil and how it affects cortisol levels.

I've been on provigil for over a year for ADD. I didn't think that it was really doing much and at one point, instead of taking me off of it, my dr increased the dose. Recently, however, I ran out of my provigil while waiting for a mail order script, and for about a week was either half-dosing or not taking it at all. My anxiety level shot through the roof, even though I was continuing to take my anti-anxiety med (neurontin) and my anti-depressant (zoloft). When the provigil got here, within a couple hours of taking it I felt relief. I did some research and found that in some people it has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant qualities. Seems strange since it's a stimulant. Coffee, another stimulant, increases my anxiety noticeably. 

Does anyone have a link between provigil and cortisol levels? It seems that it, like coffee, would increase the levels, but perhaps not, at least in some people.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

mykidsmomx4 said:


> I just found this forum/thread when searching for information about provigil and how it affects cortisol levels.
> 
> I've been on provigil for over a year for ADD. I didn't think that it was really doing much and at one point, instead of taking me off of it, my dr increased the dose. Recently, however, I ran out of my provigil while waiting for a mail order script, and for about a week was either half-dosing or not taking it at all. My anxiety level shot through the roof, even though I was continuing to take my anti-anxiety med (neurontin) and my anti-depressant (zoloft). When the provigil got here, within a couple hours of taking it I felt relief. I did some research and found that in some people it has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant qualities. Seems strange since it's a stimulant. Coffee, another stimulant, increases my anxiety noticeably.
> 
> Does anyone have a link between provigil and cortisol levels? It seems that it, like coffee, would increase the levels, but perhaps not, at least in some people.


Modafinil is quite a bit dopaminergic wich gives it potential in helping social anxiety disorder, altough it seems rather weak for most ppl, i did notice some anxiolytic effects from it.


> Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2010 Apr 13. [Epub ahead of print]
> Dopamine transporter-related effects of modafinil in rhesus monkeys.
> 
> Andersen ML, Kessler E, Murnane KS, McClung JC, Tufik S, Howell LL.
> ...





> Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2010 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]
> Psychostimulant-like discriminative stimulus and locomotor sensitization properties of the wake-promoting agent modafinil in rodents.
> 
> Paterson NE, Fedolak A, Olivier B, Hanania T, Ghavami A, Caldarone B.
> ...


Cortisol is your friend btw, its anxiolytic.


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## mykidsmomx4 (Nov 19, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> Modafinil is quite a bit dopaminergic wich gives it potential in helping social anxiety disorder, altough it seems rather weak for most ppl, i did notice some anxiolytic effects from it.
> 
> Cortisol is your friend btw, its anxiolytic.


I'm confuzzeled!  What's dopaminergic? My guess is that it has to do with dopamine, but my guesses are not always accurate.  And anxiolytic? I know that cortisol serves a useful function when in a fight or flight situation or in the mornings to give a person energy to wake up, but not sure how else it's useful, especially not when it makes me feel anxious and unsettled.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Dopaminergic means it increases dopamine, increasing dopamine is highly beneficial for social anxiety.

Cortisol is a hero, it increases dopamine too and if you try a low dose of a corticosteroid you will notice a definate anxiolytic effect, i remember some study's showing they are effective in social anxiety, i will try to find them again.

Its not as simple as saying cortisol -> stress, stress makes me feel like ****, NE plays a big role in the fight ot flight response too.


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

I use it. I receive it free through Prescription Assistance Program otherwise I could not and would not pay for it. It's a "clean" mild stimulant thats not phhysically addicting that is very safe and won't blow out your adrenals.It works good for me but some say just drink coffee. Which I also enjoy.


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## mykidsmomx4 (Nov 19, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> Dopaminergic means it increases dopamine, increasing dopamine is highly beneficial for social anxiety.
> 
> Cortisol is a hero, it increases dopamine too and if you try a low dose of a corticosteroid you will notice a definate anxiolytic effect, i remember some study's showing they are effective in social anxiety, i will try to find them again.
> 
> Its not as simple as saying cortisol -> stress, stress makes me feel like ****, NE plays a big role in the fight ot flight response too.


Very interesting!


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## donk (Aug 2, 2009)

metamorphosis said:


> I use it. I receive it free through Prescription Assistance Program otherwise I could not and would not pay for it. It's a "clean" mild stimulant thats not phhysically addicting that is very safe and won't blow out your adrenals.It works good for me but some say just drink coffee. Which I also enjoy.


When you say "blow out your adrenals" do you have experience with adrenal fatigue. I've been taking Ritalin the last ten years and overdosing a lot. Now if I take any form of stimulant I get a negative physical and mental reaction. I have just ordered adrafinil, hoping it will give me the attention I seek without the stimulant side effects.


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## peaceandlove09 (Aug 10, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> Modafinil is quite a bit dopaminergic wich gives it potential in helping social anxiety disorder, altough it seems rather weak for most ppl, i did notice some anxiolytic effects from it.
> 
> Cortisol is your friend btw, its anxiolytic.


I wonder if Modafinil can be used to treat depression as well since it is dopaminergic.

Cheers


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Eric69 said:


> I wonder if Modafinil can be used to treat depression as well since it is dopaminergic.
> 
> Cheers


I would gues it can help.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

It seems to control the 'wakefulness promoting region' of the brain, known as the TMN (tuberomammillary nucleus) possibly through orexin enhancement. When activated the TMN sends histamine projections all over the cortex. Histamine causes arousal, increased attention, etc. and also may activate secondary alerting neurotransmitters.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

I tried Provigil, 200mg at morning. 

I have mild social anxiety, with a strong avoidant personality disorder.
I never tried any stimulants before, it was my first experience, but I am convinced that stimulants are the way, because it is all a problem of dopamine.

It's very effective, I felt agitated all morning, but at the same time I never felt afraid, like I normally feel. I was quite capable of working.
In the afternoon the agitation stopped, but I continued to feel the positive effect, disinhibition, and the absence of fear.

Side effects: apart from the agitation, I had a lot of sweating during the day and trouble sleeping. I think I must try 150 mg, and maybe take something light to sleep well.


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## sharmaramesh (Mar 28, 2013)

hello everyone,
well i have heard about Human Chorionic Gnadotropin it sounds good. but if someone will recommend me for Provigil i will be totally disagree with it as my brother was using it regularly but its like wasting money. so try another one because i am now tired of this Provigil


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## boostinggtir (May 27, 2011)

hahahhaah


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## sadness (May 9, 2006)

feelalone said:


> I tried Provigil, 200mg at morning.
> 
> I have mild social anxiety, with a strong avoidant personality disorder.
> I never tried any stimulants before, it was my first experience, but I am convinced that stimulants are the way, because it is all a problem of dopamine.
> ...


Yes I felt the same way, except my agitation lasted till i took a nap 10 hours after consuming 50 mg this morning. It's a slight nervous agitation but in public i seem more aggressive and outgoing.


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