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Before you buy Nuvigil, the supposed new intelligence boosting productivity drug, make sure you prepare yourself with the facts.
This prescription medication, also known by the generic name Armodafinil, is the latest iteration of a new class of smart drugs designed to boost wakefulness and mental clarity.
Featured alongside other similar products like Provigil and Modafinil, Nuvigil is a more potent variation, promising powerful cognitive enhancement.
Perhaps because of these claims, demand for Nuvigil has increased dramatically in the past few years, resulting in more than 1.5 million prescriptions written.
This demand has also been matched by the rise of grey market overseas pharmacies of dubious legality.
Before you purchase Nuvigil online from one of these sites, let’s examine the safety and financial risks you might be exposed to.
Energy
Cognition
Motivation- Wakefulness-boosting stimulant
- Enhances motivation and focus
- Shown to boost mental performance
Provigil Modafinil and Nuvigil Armodafinil
Related Topics
- What is Armodafinil?
- What is Nuvigil?
- Armodafinil vs. Modafinil
- User Review
- Typical Nuvigil Experiences
- How it Works
- Nuvigil for ADHD
- Effects on Depression & Anxiety
- Dosage Recommendations
- How to Take
- Reported Side Effects
- Withdrawal & Tolerance
- Prescription Information
- Buying Nuvigil
- Generic Nuvigil Brands
- Is Armodafinil Legal?
- Is Nuvigil Safe?
- Comparison to Adderall
Nuvigil is the newest development in a line of medications that have been being developed and refined since the 1970s. Armodafinil is a purer form of the compound known as Modafinil.
Modafinil was first discovered in 1976 at Lafon Laboratories in France. Testing on another related compound, Adrafinil, that was developed in 1974, led to the discovery of Modafinil.
During research to determine Adrafinil’s mechanism of action, Modafinil was found to be the primary active component in Adrafinil that causes its effects.
Once ingested, Adrafinil is transported to the liver where it is metabolized into its component parts, the inactive modafinilic acid, and the active Modafinil. This makes Adrafinil a direct prodrug of Modafinil, producing identical effects once it has been converted.
Once it was possible to produce Modafinil directly, the need for its less potent and slower-acting predecessor Adrafinil decreased, and Lafon eventually stopped production. Today it is produced again by other manufacturers.
Cephalon Inc bought Lafon Laboratories in 2001. In 2011, Cephalon was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. To this day, Cephalon as a subsidiary of Teva still produces the most popular brand name version of Modafinil, Provigil.
When Modafinil was first approved as an aid for narcolepsy and other serious sleep disorders, the company was granted a ten year patent for the drug. The drug proved successful for its initial purpose, and other companies became interested in creating their own versions.
So, at the end of the legal patent period, in order to maintain a strong presence in the pharmaceutical market, Cephalon innovated a new version of the chemical through the process of enantiometric reduction.
How Nuvigil Works
Modafinil is comprised of two identical, but mirrored, copies of the same molecular structure, known as enantiomers. These enantiomers, R-Modafinil and S-Modafinil, are a special kind of stereoisomers that are mirrored on one axis (similar to a left and a right hand being the same configuration, but flipped).
To create Armodafinil, scientists distilled the chemical down to a slightly purer form by eliminating one half of the identical mirror-image bonded isomer pairs. By only using the more pharmacologically active, more stable, and longer-acting R-enantiomer alone, the resulting drug becomes a more pure version of its previous formula.
This new form is called an enantiopure because it eliminates the portion of the Moafinil molecule that is not as active and only retains the part responsible for nearly all of this drug’s benefits. Nuvigil, or Armodafinil, is therefore simply a purified version of Modafinil. Nuvigil is thought to be stronger than Provigil at lower doses, while producing largely the same effects.
Adrafinil, Modafinil, and Armodafinil are all classified as eugeroics, or wakefulness promoting compounds. The precise mechanism of action of these compounds is still unknown, but Modafinil has been seen to have some effects on a variety of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and brain, including Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline), Epinephrine (Adrenaline), Orexin (Hypocretin), and Histamine.
Modafinil and Armodafinil have both been observed to act as Dopamine transport and reuptake inhibitors. By blocking the uptake of Dopamine at Dopamine transporter sites, it allows for greater levels of circulating Dopamine. Higher levels of Dopamine may be the cause of Modafinil’s motivation boosting effects.
Modafinil has also been observed to strongly activate Orexin neurons and Orexin-secreting neurons. This neuropeptide in turn stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter Histamine. Both of these chemicals regulate wakefulness, appetite, and arousal responses in the brain.
It has been hypothesized the Armodafinil has similar effects on Orexin and Histamine that Modafinil has, and this could be the source of some of its stimulating and wakefulness promoting effects.
Prescribed Uses of Nuvigil
Like Provigil before it, Nuvigil has been approved in the United States by the FDA as a Schedule IV prescription drug. It is legal to buy and own this drug, provided you have a doctor’s prescription for it. Nuvigil is similarly categorized as a prescription medication in many other countries around the world.
The approved prescribed on-label uses of Nuvigil are the same as Provigil: narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. While the cause is different with each sleep disorder, they all have one common symptoms, excessive sleepiness. In the case of narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea it is excessive daytime sleepiness, while in people with shift-work sleep disorder it is excessive sleepiness while awake at night during a work shift.
As seen with Provigil before it in countless double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials, Nuvigil has been observed to improve wakefulness and reduce sleepiness significantly compared to placebo in a number of research studies.
In one study using Nuvigil for narcolepsy, mean sleep latency time was significantly increased from baseline on the Maintenance of Wakefulness test, compared to a decrease from baseline with placebo. Scores were all significantly improved on the Clinical Global Impression of Change scale, and on the patient-administered Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
In a study on patients with shift-work sleep disorder, Nuvigil or a placebo was given 30-60 minutes before the start of a nighttime work shift. Sleep latency as measured by the Multiple Sleep Latency test improved in the Nuvigil group significantly over the placebo group.
Based on patient kept sleep diaries, sleepiness while working at night, during laboratory shifts at night, and while commuting home was significantly reduced while using Nuvigil.
One study measured the effects of Nuvigil on reducing sleepiness in people with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome who has been using nCPAP (nasal continuous positive airway pressure) as a treatment for their condition but were still experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness.
Sleep latency as measured by the Maintenance of Wakefulness test increased significantly from baseline in the Armodafinil group, while it decreased from baseline in the placebo group. Armodafinil was seen to reduce the impact fatigue and sleepiness has on patients’ daily activities.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Nootropic Effects of Nuvigil
Most people who want to buy Nuvigil are interested in its nootropic qualities. Some people use Modafinil and Armodafinil as cognitive enhancers because these eugeroics provide some of the benefits of amphetamine stimulants, such as heightened clarity, deeper concentration, and sharp, fast thoughts.
But unlike amphetamines such as Adderall, eugeroics like Nuvigil do not spike hormone levels system-wide in the central nervous system. This blanket spiking of neurochemicals like Dopamine and Norepinephrine can create a blunt sense of alertness, and also comes with significant addiction risks.
Eugeroics, on the other hand, have stimulating effects and affect similar neurotransmitter, but do not cause these large chemical spikes. Nuvigil’s positive effects include a natural, bright feeling of wakefulness and alertness that lasts for hours, but with a lower risk of serious side effects associated with amphetamine stimulants.
Users say that when taken at appropriate dosages, Nuvigil does not generate jitters, anxiety, or nervousness, as amphetamines do. Tasks become dramatically easier to focus upon, and activities like reading, working with numbers, and design become engrossing and easy to pursue for hours on end without distraction.
Nuvigil users claim to feel smarter and more interested in learning –as if their brains have been “super-charged.”
Research on using Nuvigil directly for nootropic purposes is limited, however there have been some studies focused on Armodafinil’s sleepiness reducing effects that have also examined the drugs cognitive enhancing benefits.
One study using Nuvigil for narcolepsy found statistically significant improvements in attention, memory, and fatigue as measured by the Cognitive Drug Research battery of tests. A study on shift-work sleep disorder also used the Cognitive Drug Research battery of tests and found improved performance on standardized tests of memory and attention compared to placebo patient scores.
Is It Legal To Buy Nuvigil Online Without a Prescription?
Like its predecessor Modafinil, Armodafinil is categorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the United States Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule IV prescription drug in the United States.
It is similarly considered a prescription only drug in most other countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
As a Schedule IV drug, you may not buy Nuvigil without having a medical prescription signed by a doctor in the USA. These prescriptions are typically only given to patients with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder.
There may be some off-label use, but doctors are generally unwilling to prescribe it for such purposes as misuse or side effects could open them up to malpractice liability.
Some doctors may prescribe Provigil or Nuvigil for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but these doctors can be difficult to find.
If you simply want to try Armodafinil for its nootropic effects to help with studying or work, you will almost definitely be out of luck and will not get a prescription to purchase it legally in the U.S.
You can find Nuvigil for sale on international pharmacy websites which don’t require prescriptions, however these purchases entail serious risks which consumers are advised to avoid. While technically such purchases are legal in other countries such as India, Mexico or China, they become illegal once pills are shipped to the U.S.
Risks of Importing from Off-Shore Pharmacies
You may get lucky and receive the pills once they pass through Customs, but it is just as likely that border agents will confiscate the order entirely, placing the recipient on DEA watch lists. This is an unfortunate outcome, especially for users who are simply interested in expanding cognitive abilities by working safely with the brain’s natural chemistry.
Purity and efficacy of these pills is also difficult to determine. Offshore manufacturers may not be held to the same manufacturing standards for quality of ingredients. In some instances, pills have been found not to contain the active compound or to contain potentially harmful constituents.
Overall, there are many different risks if you buy Armodafinil online from an overseas online pharmacy, and many people do not want to take that risk. There are some non-prescription alternatives that you can purchase legally, and they are discussed later in this article.
Side Effects of Nuvigil
In research studies and from user reviews online, Nuvigil is considered to be generally well tolerated when taken by adults at recommended dosages. Some minor side effects have been reported and include: headaches, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, anxiety, diarrhea, dry mouth, depression, indigestion, heart palpitations, rash, and upper abdominal pain.
As with many strong prescription medications, for many people there is an adjustment time when first taking Nuvigil. The body needs to adjust to this drug and its effects, and some minor side effects are quite common for the first few weeks when taking this medication, or each time after increasing your dosage. These types of side effects typically subside in a few weeks.
If your negative effects persist after the initial adjustment period, then it is possible that the dosage is too high for your personal physiology. Speak with your doctor about lowering your dosage to see if that helps. If your side effects cease but you are not getting the benefits of Nuvigil, then ask about slowing increasing your dosage.
After a while on the lower dosage with no side effects, your doctor may have you increase your dosage gradually over a week or longer back up to the originally recommended amount. Hopefully side effects will not return. If they do at the higher dosage, then it is possible that this drug is not appropriate for your personal physiology, and your doctor may need to recommend a different treatment.
Insomnia is a common side effect that in most cases is not a true negative effect caused by a bad reaction to the drug. Rather, sleep disturbance issues are typically related to the time of dosage.
Nuvigil has a long half-life of approximately 13 hours. This means that its stimulating effects can still be felt long after it is taken. Therefore it is recommended that for most uses Nuvigil is taken as soon in the morning as possible, well before noon to try and avoid any sleep disturbance issues when attempting to sleep at night.
There is a small possibility of contracting one of a group of rare, but very serious and potentially life-threatening skin and mucous membrane disorders, namely Stevens-Johnson syndrome, drug reaction with eosinophilia with systemic symptoms (DRESS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
There is evidence that people that have certain human leukocyte antigens have a genetic susceptibility to develop these severe cutaneous adverse reactions when they are exposed to certain medications, most commonly antibiotics, analgesics, some cough and cold medication, NSAIDS, as well as Provigil or Nuvigil.
Speak with your doctor or go to an emergency room immediately if you develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, and sore throat, as well as a red and/or purple rash that spreads and blisters.
Legal Non-Prescription Nuvigil Alternatives
Because it is difficult to get a prescription to buy Nuvigil safely from the pharmacy, and many people do not want to risk buying product from an international online pharmacy that does not require a prescription, some people have instead turned to using alternative nootropics such as Adrafinil or one of the Racetams.
Of all of the eugeroic options a consumer has, the best bet by far is to purchase legal Adrafinil. As described previously, Adrafinil is the prodrug of Modafinil. It breaks down in the liver into the active Modafinil, and creates many of the same effects found in Provigil or Nuvigil pills. Adrafinil reviews demonstrate that it is an effective booster to concentration and mental acuity.
As it is fully legal to buy in the U.S. without a prescription, consumers won’t have to deal with the risks they face when they try to buy Nuvigil without a prescription. While not as strong or fast-acting as Modafinil or Armodafinil, Adrafinil is a legal way to experience the same effects as these drugs without needing a prescription.
It is hypothesized that due to how it is metabolized in the liver, that prolonged use of Adrafinil could lead to a buildup of hepatotoxic enzymes, similar to prolonged use of NSAIDs and other liver-metabolized compounds. Due to this risk, it is often recommended that Adrafinil only be used on an as needed basis, or occasional times when you need a mental boost for a large work project, or preparing for an exam at school.
Another nootropic option that some people like as a Nuvigil substitute is using one of the Racetam family of compounds. This group are all based off of the parent compound Piracetam that was developed in the 1960s.
In research studies, Piracetam has been seen to increase levels and activity of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine in the brain and central nervous system, which has been seen to have positive effects on memory and general cognition.
The derivatives of Piracetam – Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Pramiracetam, Phenylpiracetam – are all more potent compounds that typically have benefits in additional to those on the cholinergic system.
For example, Phenylpiracetam is considered the strongest Racetam, at about 50-60 times as potent as Piracetam. In addition to boosting concentration and memory like Piracetam does, this phenylated analog of Piracetam has been seen to have stimulant-like effects similar to Nuvigil, as well as providing increased mental stamina and resistance to stress.
Adrafinil and the Racetams are classified as unscheduled, unregulated compounds in the United States and many other countries. Due to FDA laws on the sale of compounds like this, they are are not available for sale at regular supplement stores. However, they are entirely legal to buy and use, and can be found from a variety of specialized online nootropic stores.
If you are interested in trying Nuvigil to experience its nootropic effects, but cannot get a prescription for this drug, then consider trying Adrafinil or one of the Racetams as a legal non-prescription alternative.
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- Darwish M, Bond M, Hellriegel ET, Youakim JM, Yang R, Robertson P Jr. Investigation of a possible interaction between quetiapine and armodafinil in patients with schizophrenia: an open-label, multiple-dose study. J Clin Pharmacol. 2012
- McCarty DE. Ready for takeoff? A critical review of armodafinil and modafinil for the treatment of sleepiness associated with jet lag. Nat Sci Sleep. 2010
- Conrado DJ, Bewernitz M, Ding M, Cibula J, Seubert C, Sy SK, Eisenschenk S, Derendorf H. Electroencephalogram effects of armodafinil: comparison with behavioral alertness. J Clin Pharmacol. 2013
- Carlton R, Lunacsek O, Regan T, Carroll CA. Healthcare costs among patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, or narcolepsy. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2014
- Wittkampf LC, Arends J, Timmerman L, Lancel M. A review of modafinil and armodafinil as add-on therapy in antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012
- Spencer TJ, Madras BK, Bonab AA, Dougherty DD, Clarke A, Mirto T, Martin J, Fischman AJ. A positron emission tomography study examining the dopaminergic activity of armodafinil in adults using [¹¹C]altropane and [¹¹C]raclopride. Biol Psychiatry. 2010
- Roth T, White D, Schmidt-Nowara W, Wesnes KA, Niebler G, Arora S, Black J. Effects of armodafinil in the treatment of residual excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome: a 12-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in nCPAP-adherent adults. Clin Ther. 2006
Article last updated on: April 12th, 2018 by Nootriment
3 Comments
Analogs are just as illegal as controlled substances. You are either lying about your product (most likely) or you are selling a scheduled substance over the internet without a prescription.
I suggest you change this article to remove the misinformation (i.e: Dopamine is not a hormone, it’s a neurotransmitter) and the lies about your product being and analog to modafinil.
Hi Maria,
Thank you for your comment.
1) We do not sell any products on Nootriment, and we particularly do not sell scheduled substances over the internet.
2) Adrafinil is the pro-drug for Modafinil and is not scheduled as a controlled substance in the USA.
3) Dopamine acts as both a neurotransmitter and an hormone (neurohormone).
Maria:
Adrafinil is an “unscheduled drug” in the USA and is thus legal to buy in the USA.
Here is a link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrafinil