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Trying to decide which is the best brand of generic Modafinil to get? Modafinil is a smart drug that has proven immensely useful for improving focus, mood, mental abilities and treating sleep deprivation.
In the USA, it is sold under the brand name Provigil by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon. It is a stimulant originally developed to treat patients with narcolepsy, excessive fatigue due to obstructive sleep apnea, and also for shift workers whose odd hours have a disruptive effect on their wake/sleep cycle. But that is not all that generic Modafinil can do.
Alertness
Mental Acuity
Focus- Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
- Promotes mental acuity & processing
- Enhances focus, motivation & energy
Modafinil History and Uses
Related Topics
- What is Modafinil? (Provigil)
- How Does Provigil Work?
- Effects and Benefits
- User Reviews
- Typical Experiences
- Recommended Dosages
- How to Take
- Provigil Uses
- Use for ADHD
- Effects on Weight Loss
- Negative Side Effects
- Abuse Warnings & Dangers
- Comparison to Adrafinil
- Comparison to Armodafinil
- Comparison to Adderall
- Where to Buy
- Generic Modafinil Brands
- Is Modafinil Legal?
- How to Get Modafinil
- Review of Online Sources
Modafinil was first developed by Michel Jouvet in 1976 for the French pharmaceutical company Lafon Laboratories (since bought out by the current company that produces name-brand Modafinil Provigil, Cephalon Inc). The development of Modafinil came about from research on a related compound, Adrafinil.
Adrafinil is one of a series of benzhydryl sulfinyl compounds that was first developed in 1974 by Lafon Laboratories. This compound was found to be a eugeroic, or wakefulness promoting agent. It was approved for use in humans for the sleep disorder narcolepsy in 1986.
During research to determine the mechanism of action of Adrafinil, it was discovered that the primary active compound in it was Modafinil. The two compound have a very similar molecular structure, with the only difference being that Modafinil lacks a hydroxyl group that Adrafinil has.
In the body, Adrafinil is broken down into the active Modafinil, and the inactive modafinilic acid. Because it is not a perfect conversion, Adrafinil is less potent than Modafinil, and requires more to have the same effect. When Modafinil was able to be synthesized on its own, Adrafinil use declined and was replaced by this more powerful derivative.
Like Adrafinil before it, Modafinil was first studied and approved for use in humans for narcolepsy. This sleep disorder affects the ability to maintain wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness, and can even fall randomly and instantly asleep multiple times per day.
As a wakefulness promoting drug, Modafinil has been studied extensively, and many double-blind placebo-controlled studies have shown that Modafinil significantly improves wakefulness and decreases excessive sleepiness in people who have narcolepsy.
Modafinil has been found to be so successful a treatment for narcolepsy, that other new drugs that have been proposed as potential narcolepsy treatment (ex. sodium oxybate and pitolisant) have been tested for efficacy against Modafinil.
Modafinil is also used for other sleep disorders that involve excessive sleepiness, specifically obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome and shift-work sleep disorder. While the reason behind the excessive sleepiness is different, in both cases, Modafinil has been seen to improve this symptom in people with these conditions.
Other Uses of Modafinil
Since it was first developed for and approved for use as a drug for the treatment of certain sleep disorders, many off-label uses have been found for Modafinil. Modafinil is officially approved as a prescription drug to treat the sleep disorders discussed above.
Any other uses for this drug are considered off-label. Off-label prescriptions are entirely legal, and up to the personal discretion of individual doctors. Some doctors who are up-to-date on the research that has been done on Modafinil for off-label uses will in fact write prescriptions for their patients for these uses. It is estimated that as much as 90% of all prescriptions for Modafinil written in the United States are in fact for off-label purposes.
Some of the alternative uses of Modafinil in fact relate directly back to its intended purpose of improving wakefulness. Fatigue is a side effect or symptom of many different diseases, conditions, and treatments, including depression, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, cancer, and chemotherapy treatment.
There has been some research done using Modafinil as a drug to relieve disease related fatigue associated with various diseases and conditions. In studies done using Modafinil in patients with multiple sclerosis and depression, it has been seen that compared to a placebo, Modafinil significantly and rapidly improved symptoms of fatigue and reduced sleepiness in patients.
One of the most common off-label uses of Modafinil is for attention-deficit disorder (ADD), and typically more specifically for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Modafinil has stimulant-like effects, but is not associated with some of the more serious side effects (i.e. blood pressure and heart complications) associated with traditional amphetamine based ADHD medications.
Some doctors will consider writing their patients a prescription for Modafinil for ADHD, specifically in cases where conventional medications have had negative effects.
Multiple double-blind placebo-controlled studies have been done on Modafinil alone, and Modafinil compared to conventional ADHD medications. The results of these studies have shown that compared to a placebo Modafinil is significantly better at improving scores on a variety of ADHD tests, including the DSM IV ADHD Behavior Checklist and the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement Scale.
When compared to the conventional ADHD medication dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), it was seen that compared to a placebo, both medications significantly improved various test scores. Modafinil was seen to compare well against the scores seen with the traditional drug, and the researchers suggested that Modafinil should be considered a viable alternative treatment for ADHD.
Generic Modafinil
Modafinil’s unique properties offer the user an alert, awake mind without any of the agitation or jitteriness usually experienced with psychostimulating drugs (like amphetamines).
Because of this, the drug has gained an ardent following among Wall Street traders, businessmen and women, students and others who are seeking that extra “edge”. This off-label use has gained the drug a reputation as a “lifestyle drug”.
These individuals often seek out generic forms of Modafinil online and may purchase it from countries where a prescription is not required.
But with so many generic formulations on the market, it can be hard to determine which ones are legitimate products and which are low-quality knockoffs.
Modafinil was under patent by the developer until 2007. Even then, the manufacturer (Cephalon) began litigation to prevent generic forms of the drug from being produced by others. This litigation effectively kept legal generics off the market until 2012.
Generic forms of Modafinil are currently available in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia at this time and are sold simply as “generic Modafinil”.
In addition, there are several generic versions (non-patented versions), most which are manufactured in India, which have been available and widely used for over a decade. This is due to India’s somewhat unique laws regarding patented medications.
Some of these non-patented versions have become well-known and established brands, while others have gained a reputation for being of poor or low quality, or sometimes made with unknown compounds.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Brands of Modafinil
The nomenclature for Modafinil is very complex. Modafinil’s alertness properties are often highlighted in the way it is named, often focusing around the idea of vigilance or alertness. It is sold in different regions of the world under a variety of brand names, some of which are listed below:
- In Canada and Ecuador it is sold as Alertec.
- In Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Uruguay it is sold as Carim.
- In India it is sold as Provake, Modalert, Modapro and Modafil.
- In Austria and Switzerland it is sold as Modasomil.
- In Australia and New Zealand it is sold as Modavigil.
- In France, Denmark, Greece, Cyprus, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, and Japan it is sold as Modiodal.
- In Belgium, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, and Israel it is sold as Provigil. This is likely the name you know it by.
- In Chile it is sold as Resotyl, Mentix, Alertex and Zalux.
- In Brazil it is sold as Stavigile.
- In Colombia is it also sold as Vigia.
- In Argentina it is sold as Vigicer.
- Finally, in Germany it is sold simply under the name Vigil.
What Are the Differences Between Brand Name and Generic?
Essentially, name brands of Modafinil are the patented Cephalon formula and all of them are manufactured and composed of the same ingredients, regardless of the country in which they are made.
The cost of brand name Modafinil is prohibitive for most users, typically ranging between $1000-$1500 for a thirty-day supply. The newly available “generic Modafinil” does provide a cost savings, though still averages between $600-$1000 for a one-month supply.
Thus, many smart drug users are left with sorting out the good from the bad among the brands offered on the international marketplace.
The differences, when dealing with the generic or knock-off brands, center mainly around their quality and effects. For this purpose, the most valuable tool one can access are the reviews of others who have ordered, tested and experimented with the products from the various providers.
In addition, a quick Google search will reveal at least one up-to-date list, based on user reports, designed to help you sort out legitimate sellers from potentially nefarious vendors.
Spending a bit of time reading the reviews of others will prove invaluable and potentially save you a lot of wasted effort, time and money over the long-run.
For example, the brand from India known as Modalert is not the patented Cephalon formula. But according to many current and former customers, Sun Pharmaceuticals (the seller) has established a good reputation over the years for providing a product with good quality and high effectiveness.
By the same token, several orders originating in China have had notable issues regarding both quality and effectiveness. Other reports on products from China suggest users have experienced unwanted and unexpected side effects causing the users to speculate the product may be more stimulant-based, rather than a eugeroic.
Modafinil Side Effects
While Modafinil is fairly well tolerated, there are some commonly reported side effects. The most common side effects that have been reported in studies and in user reviews are:
- headaches
- nausea
- anxiety
- nervousness
- back pain
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- indigestion
- heartburn
- muscle stiffness
- stuffy or runny nose
Many of these side effects are mild and often pass as the person gets used to the drug. Sometimes the side effects are due to too high of a dosage for some people’s personal sensitivities. A lower dosage should be tried to see if side effects become better or cease. It is important to speak with your doctor if you are experiencing side effects from your Modafinil prescription that they they can work to find a dosage that works for you.
There have been reports of some more serious but rare conditions that have occurred when people were taking Modafinil. While it has not been definitively shown that the Modafinil was the cause of these conditions, it is smart to be aware of them.
The most common serious adverse reactions that have been noted are primarily skin and mucous membrane conditions, specifically Stevens-Johnson syndrome, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
Symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome include fever; flu-like symptoms (headache, fatigue, sore mouth and throat, fatigue); a red, painful rash that spreads; and blisters on the skin and mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and genitals. If you have any of these symptoms, it is important that you stop taking Modafinil and either speak with your doctor immediately or go to an emergency room.
While these conditions are very serious, they are also quite rare. In research studies there have been no confirmed cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome in adult patients; there was one case seen in a pediatric patient, however the doctor later retracted their diagnosis.
There has been strong evidence showing that certain people have a genetic susceptibility to developing these conditions when they take certain medications, including antibiotics, anaesthetics, NSAIDs, and Modafinil.
Generic Modafinil Summary
Generic or off-brand Modafinil is readily available in the international marketplace. Knowing what you are purchasing, and from whom, is the key to a positive experience, but this isn’t always easy to discern.
Spending time researching and reading other user’s experiences can assist greatly in assuring a positive outcome for finding the best brand of Generic Modafinil.
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- Fernandes HA, Zanin KA, Patti Cde L, Lopes-Silva LB, Bizerra CS, Bittencourt LR, Tufik S, Frussa-Filho R. Effects of post-training modafinil administration in a discriminative avoidance task in mice. Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2015
- Parnell H, Quirke G, Farmer S, Adeyemo S, Varney V. The successful treatment of hypercapnic respiratory failure with oral modafinil. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014
- Cera N, Tartaro A, Sensi SL. Modafinil alters intrinsic functional connectivity of the right posterior insula: a pharmacological resting state fMRI study. PLoS One. 2014
- Morgan PT, Pace-Schott E, Pittman B, Stickgold R, Malison RT. Normalizing effects of modafinil on sleep in chronic cocaine users. Am J Psychiatry. 2010
- Brandt MD, Ellwardt E, Storch A. Short- and long-term treatment with modafinil differentially affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Neuroscience. 2014
- Saraf G, Viswanath B, Narayanaswamy JC, Holla B, Math SB. Modafinil for the treatment of antipsychotic-induced excessive daytime sedation: does it exacerbate tics? J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2013
- Boele FW, Douw L, de Groot M, van Thuijl HF, Cleijne W, Heimans JJ, Taphoorn MJ, Reijneveld JC, Klein M. The effect of modafinil on fatigue, cognitive functioning, and mood in primary brain tumor patients: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Neuro Oncol. 2013
Article last updated on: April 11th, 2018 by Nootriment
9 Comments
What was the point of what I just read? You told me nothing about which the better generic brands were with the exception of feeling me to maybe stay away from anything made in China. Really? Tell me something I don’t know
I received Cephalon’s Provigal (~2006), until I moved about 1 1/2 year later to a new podunk town, due to the fact a very kind Dr. kept me supplied as my insurance was not good enough to acquire it on my own.
I am being treated for both chronic depression and sleep apnea. I use the CPAP religiously in order to avoid the debilitating morning headaches and to partially alleviate the fatigue. The original Dr. acquired it via the drug reps every month. Cephalon’s version was an awesome god-send. I had energy (where before I had none), alertness, and along with an SSRI it greatly helped to relieve my depression, not to mention social phobia.
After moving to my new rural locale, they immediately d/c’d the Provigil over my strong argument. My new insurance would spring only for Adderral (very inconsistent) which has far to much of a ‘body load’ for me. I stopped it after several months.
Lately, I journeyed back to another Dr. in Saint Louis to reacquire Cephelon’s modafinil because Dr’s simply laugh at you here when you mention it. The Saint Louis Dr had no problem prescribing to me due to the sleep apnea and chronic depression He actually prescribed Cephalon’s NuVigil with Modafinil as a substitude in case my insurance would not allow NuVigil. After I got home I filled the script of Modafinil, no luck with Nuvigil, manufactured by a company called Ingen (according to the bottle’s label).
After a few brief days I know that it is nothing like Cephalon’s version. It just does not work the same at all. Quite frankly, I am pissed and still suffer from detriments from the apnea and no alleviation of the depression.
Does anyone know of a generic modafinil made by a non-Cephalon company that is at least comparable to Cephalon’s version.
IMHO: An inefficient and mostly useless generic has little use.
Thank you!
Sorry, to have overlooked your pricing of generic modafinil. The fact that you do not include the mg’s is odd and to not mention if it is purchased via the DarkWeb really throws a big hitch in the economics.
As of 12/2014, the current going rate for 30 days of crappy generic modafinil is $250 @ 100 mg tabs. However if you are assuming a month supply of 200 mg tablets then you are closer but still overpriced in legitimate i.e. legal markets since that total would only be $500 or less.
Lest you care not for spending money, especially since generic modafinil or modalert is simple not very good, then the $600-$1000 price is ludicrous and should be avoided until a reasonable facsimile to the original Cephalon tablets can be produced.
JustMyOpinionMan
No offense but Just FYI.
san sandals, I just finished 30 days of Apotex generic modafinil and it too is nothing like brand name Provigil. I will try another manufacturer this month, and if it’s crap as well, I’ll get my doc to prescribe brand name only and try my luck with my insurance company. Have you found any other generic manufacturers? What was the manufacturer of your generic?
I tried the Apotex modafinil after my Nuvigil copay increased 120% after the first of the year…ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I asked the pharmacist why the generic is like a sugar pill…it did nothing other than make me nauseated. Someone said to look into Nuvigil coupons – which apparently are for those without insurance or at poverty level income.
Are there higher rated companies producing generics? And do you have to call all the local pharmacies to determine which one t hey use? The pharmacist was explaining that generics can have different inactive ingredients…What site can I research that lists the chemical make-up and ingredients of modafinil?
Both manufacturers of Provigil and Nuvigil have increased their price by at least 5 fold as it became popular. How many billions do they have to net to cover their research and development???????
Try Qualitest. Looks a lot like the brand and works. Too bad my pharmacy switched me to Apotex claiming that what my insurance paid wasn’t enough to cover the Qualitest modafinil, leaving them to foot the bill. It only works if I take more than prescribed.
I was getting generic Modafinil by Teva or Cephalon. Teva now owns Cephalon. I have been on it for a long time and it had become not very effective. I thought that I had probably built up a tolerance and that was the reason.
Late last year my pharmacy was out of the brand they usually carry and they asked me if I minded if they filled it with Qualitest brand and I said that was fine. It turned out to be more than fine and my medicine was working again.
Last time they filled it with their usual brand which is generic Modifinil by Cephalon. It is pretty confusing, because the sealed bottle says Modafinil 200 mg and the pill says Provigil. At any rate whatever they filled it with is very ineffective and they don’t have any other brand so now I am going to look for a pharmacy that carries Modafinil by Qualitest. I know that Cephalon makes the name brand, but apparently they also make a generic, since it says Modafinil on the sealed bottle. All I know is that this current stuff that I have by Cephalon or Teva is practically not worth taking, in fact sometime it actually seems to make me more sleepy.
After two years of fighting with various doctors just to get a prescription for modafinil, then having to go through the pre-authorization hassle with insurance only to have it denied, then going through the appeal hassle, and finally getting it approved in December I was not going to settle for a cheap generic (but expensive for me), that I know doesn’t work. I worked and fought too hard.
The pharmacy said that my insurance would not pay for any other generic. You better believe I started calling pharmacies to see what brand they carried, and if I had a prescription transferred could I get it filled that day and pick it up. I found a place, got it filled and picked it up just as fast as I could. This insurance has decided to drop modafinil from its formulary so I’m going to have to go through this all over again with my new plan in January. Being on Medicare makes it even worse, first to find a doctor, then to get certain medications. We are exempt from every kind of coupon and our Rx insurance plans not want to pay for our medications.
I have had this medication before and my experience is that the generic that says “Provigil” on it does work well. Qualitest, Teva, and Watson also work well. Mylan, which I have now works exceptionally well. Orchid does not work at all. That brand does not work for me and does not work for a friend of mine either. If that is the only one available to you I would advise that you try one before you buy them. I am sick and tired of generics that don’t work. They may be the same but the way they are made is not the same and for some the body does not metabolize them so that they work.
Compre Modafinil con la esperanza de vencer la fatiga y la desconcentracion. Adquirí 14 tabletas bajo la marca VIGIA 200mg. Tome una píldora a las 8;00 am y alas 10:00 am estaba tirado en la cama durmiendo como un bebé. Al medio día me levanto con un leve dolor de cabeza. Muy cansado. No hay ninguna reacción positiva esperada. (Me temo que estamos ante la venta de humo. Venta de un placebo). Al día siguiente me tome otra tableta y el mismo efecto. Mucho sueño y fatiga. Dolor de cabeza y un poco de náuseas. Creo que las dejare como pastillas para el sueño jajajaja. Seguiré en la búsqueda de un médicamente que me ayude a vencer la fatiga y la procastinacion. Alguien sabe de Adderall ??