# modafinil



## wane (Jun 9, 2010)

i was wondering if anybody had tried modafinil alone or in combination with another medication particularly ssris. is modafinil similar to wellbutrin and reboxetine.

has it helped anybody


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Provigil is a mild wakefulness aid. I've tried samples of it & Nuvigil (the isomer of Provigil I believe -- what a drug maker comes out with when their patent expires).

If you're tired it will make you more awake. But then so will caffeine which is OTC and dirt cheap.

I would be totally unable to differentiate Wellbutrin from placebo, so they're not the same. Wellbutrin is supposed to be mildly stimulating, though I've never managed to feel anything from it. I may not be typical though. Over a decade ago when I first tried dextroamphetamine I took a capsule and then laid down and proceeded to sleep for three hours -- and this is a stimulant that's supposed to be as potent at methamphetamine. Sure doesn't keep me awake. Amphetamines produce a clam & happy state for me, but not at all energetic & clearly not wakeful.

I can see Provigil/Nuvigil having some possible use if you need to stay awake, but I'd say they're of pretty limited value. They're potent enough that I can feel an effect, but a 200 mg caffeine pill will produce at least as much impact for all of 3 cents.


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## Thorsten (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, I'm a bit different in that I find 200mg of provigil way too much, even 100mg, 50mg is overkill. 

25mg seems to be sweet for me as it means I can still get to sleep that night (yes it can cause insomnia in those who are susceptible). 

I don't take it at all now though because although it improved energy it gave me a stuttering problem which didn't go down well when I was trying to impress the ladies. 

25mg wasn't mood enhancing at all but at 100mg there is some form of mood enhancement/fear reduction qualities that go on.

It fused very nicely with an SSRI and was quite an impressive combination actually.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

There have been some stories in the news lately about this stuff. Lots of people are taking it apparently. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/provigil-narcolepsy-drug-modafinil_n_1682921.html




> Provigil, a wake-promoting drug used to treat certain sleep disorders like narcolepsy, is also being used by some _without_ the sleep disorder to keep them alert and attentive, according to an ABC News report.
> "People have used it to try to get an edge at studying at school. It's becoming like Ritalin where people are taking it that don't have anything. But they're using it to try to increase their alertness," Dr. Philip Gehrman, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania, told HuffPost.
> However, doctors told ABC News that it is not known if the drug is safe for use long term, as there has not been any research on this specifically.
> "It's very tempting, but I think long-term it's a bad idea," Dr. Martha Farah, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC News."We actually know very little about the long-term effects."
> ...


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

wane said:


> i was wondering if anybody had tried modafinil alone or in combination with another medication particularly ssris. *is modafinil similar to wellbutrin and reboxetine.
> *
> has it helped anybody


not really, it is much, much better. I took it today with prozac and made me feel great all the time. My mood was enhanced and I had no anxiety whatsoever, while wellbutrin does give you anxiety.
I'm afraid this time doctor of mind got it wrong, modafinil is far from being similar to stims, cocaine and ephedra, I think he should try it because he's very confused about this drug (which is not dangerous at all).


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## Iwillovercomeanxiety1 (Aug 23, 2010)

I take it for fatigue when needed. I wouldn't use it consistently because there is a possible tolerance that you can build to it. It helps me to be more alert than usual and it keeps me awake and not as tired. It also may improve your mood slightly. I don't think it has anxiolytic effects though. I take 50 mg Nuvigil.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

Would really like to try modafinil but don't know if I could get my hands on it
I have tried drinking coffee before but no matter how much I drink it's just not stimulating.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

blakeyz said:


> Would really like to try modafinil but don't know if I could get my hands on it.


Same, but it seems to cost about $90 a month unless you have narcolepsy, which sucks.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Am I the only one who thinks this guy sounds like he's drugged out of his mind on something? I'm just not sure what.

He might also seem more authoritative if he didn't wear sunglasses inside & lost the white sport coat that looks like it may have been bought at Don Johnson's yard sale 20 years ago.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

blakeyz said:


> Would really like to try modafinil but don't know if I could get my hands on it
> *I have tried drinking coffee before but no matter how much I drink it's just not stimulating*.


If you truly want to test the effect of caffeine don't bother with coffee. Unless you have a lab to test your coffee, you really don't know how much caffeine is actually in it. Some is brewed vastly stronger than others.

You can pick up a bottle of caffeine pills at any pharmacy. They're each 200 mg so you truly know exactly what you're getting. At Walmart they cost all of 4 cents each.

Also useful for folks like me who absolutely hate coffee.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

swim said:


> he's very confused about this drug (which is not dangerous at all).


 This drug is far too new to know about the dangers - especially that of long term use. It has been approved in the US only since 1998.

Here are some of the known possible side effects:


Back pain
Headache
Nausea
Feeling nervous
Stuffy nose
Diarrhea
Feeling anxious
Dizziness
Upset stomach
Trouble sleeping
Serious side effects include:

Serious rash
Serious allergic reaction involving the liver or blood cells
Hives
Mouth sores
Blistering or peeling skin
Swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, legs, or throat
Trouble swallowing or breathing
Fever
Shortness of breath
Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
Dark urine


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

UltraShy said:


> Am I the only one who thinks this guy sounds like he's drugged out of his mind on something? I'm just not sure what.


at a rough guess he's on some opiate.


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

scarpia said:


> This drug is far too new to know about the dangers - especially that of long term use. It has been approved in the US only since 1998.
> 
> Here are some of the known possible side effects:
> 
> ...


troble sleeping is the only side effect I noticed. also it seems to mix well with amisulpride like it boosts its dopaminergic effects.


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## iamwhoiam (May 14, 2012)

I've used armodafinil (Nuvigil) which as UltraShy said is the isomer of Provigil. First time I used it (50mg) I was massivly energetic and productive. After that it just made me awake and alert. I used it a couple times a month for a year or so. Works fine, but my problem was that when it wore off about 10 hours later it would crank my anxiety way up. I would have an impending sense of doom for the rest of the evening. Sucked so I stopped taking it. Never used Wellbutrin or any other SSRI, so couldn't say how it would work with those.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I fully agree that neither this nor any other drug should be used as a substitute for sleep. When one needs sleep they should sleep. But it seems to me that this is going overboard in presenting the risks.

I've tried it and while not all that impressed, I didn't experience any side effects either. Below you have a list of 10 trivial side effects -- stuffy nose is really something we should be concerned about? Trouble sleeping -- yeah, that's pretty much expected as a possible effect of any stimulant.

As for the serious side effects, they're things that *can* happen but which are not at all likely. They include serious allergic reaction, a risk that seems to be listed for every drug that exists, seeing how it seems possible to be allergic to anything. Keep in mind that for some people being chased by somebody who has their hands covered in peanut butter could amount to attempted murder, though when I see a jar of peanut butter I don't think of it as a deadly weapon.

While not a really old drug, 14 years of use in the US isn't exactly brand new to the market either. That makes me wonder how long it's been in use period, such that perhaps we have a longer data set from other nations.



scarpia said:


> This drug is far too new to know about the dangers - especially that of long term use. It has been approved in the US only since 1998.
> 
> Here are some of the known possible side effects:
> 
> ...


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Seems its history began a bit before 1998, though admittedly still not a really old drug:



> Modafinil was originally developed in France by neurophysiologist and emeritus experimental medicine professor Michel Jouvet and Lafon Laboratories.[32] Modafinil originated with the late 1970s invention of a series of benzhydryl sulfinyl compounds, including adrafinil. Adrafinil was first offered as an experimental treatment for narcolepsy in France in 1986. Modafinil is the primary metabolite of adrafinil and has similar activity but is much more widely used. It has been prescribed in France since 1994 under the name Modiodal, and in the US since 1998 as Provigil.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

Yes - it's not that new - but some people use it every day. The side effects from that level of long term use have never been studied. Maybe people will end up with early onset dementia from it -or cancer.


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