The Modafinil Experience – What Other Users are Saying

Modafinil is a nootropic drug that has grown to mythical popularity levels overnight.

After several high-profile entrepreneurs and financial industry multi-millionaires reported using this drug to make them more productive, the Modafinil Experience is being widely sought out by thousands of people worldwide.

Modafinil indeed has many benefits for users, but the two most often reported are helping people to stay awake and intense focus and attention. It is thought to work by modulating a number of different neurotransmitters including Dopamine, Glutamate, and GABA.

Modafinil works in ways that are quite different from other Nootropics, so it is also useful for stacking with other supplements like Piracetam, Aniracetam or Noopept.

Modafinil

Ergogenic Drug

Alertness

Mental Acuity

Focus

How It Works:

• Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
• Promotes mental acuity & processing
• Enhances focus, motivation & energy

Dosage:

Between 100 - 200 mg per day

Safety:

Some Reported Side Effects

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Modafinil Guide

However, before you start searching to buy Modafinil online, it is important to understand that this is a prescription drug in the U.S. and most other countries.

As such, you will have to go through your doctor in order to legally purchase and use Modafinil pills. There is good reason for this too – as one of the more powerful smart drugs out there, it does come with some risk of side effects and should only be used by healthy individuals.

Some people buy Adrafinil as a legal alternative to Modafinil, but you should check with your doctor before using this compound as well.

Another thing to think about before seeking out the Modafinil experience is that it is drug-like in terms of its stimulatory effects whereas other nootropics like Pramiracetam give you similar energy levels without being CNS stimulants.

Understanding the history and prescribed uses, reviewing popular off-label uses, and examining Modafinil reviews and experience logs can be helpful in making the decision about whether or not to investigate using this drug with your doctor.

The History of Modafinil

Modafinil was first discovered by a French scientist in 1976. The discovery of this compound came about because of the previous development of the compound in Adrafinil.

In 1974, Adrafinil and a series of other benzhydryl sulfinyl compounds was first developed at the Lafon Laboratories. This French pharmaceutical company was later bought out by the company Cephalon Inc, who to this day make the most popular name brand version of Modafinil, Provigil.

Testing to determine the mechanism of action of Adrafinil led to the discovery of Modafinil. It was found that after ingestion, Adrafinil is transported to the liver, where it is metabolized into its component parts of modfinilic acid and Modafinil. Modafinil was found to be the primary active compound in Adrafinil.

The exact mechanism of action of Modafinil is still unknown, however it is known that it has an effect on various neurotransmitters in the brain, including Dopamine, Serotonin, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Histamine, and Orexin (Hypocretin). It has been proposed that the bulk of Modafinil’s benefits are due to its effects on the latter two, Histamine and Orexin.

Histamine is a neurotransmitter that acts as a modulator of other neurotransmitters in the brain, and is also involved in the regulation of processes controlling wakefulness, learning, memory, anxiety, eating, and drinking. Orexins are neuropeptides that have been seen to have quite similar effects, and are responsible for regulating wakefulness, arousal, and appetite.

Modafinil and Adrafinil are classified as eugeroics, or wakefulness-promoting compounds, due to the effects they have in the body. Modafinil, and Adrafinil before it, was seen to have stimulant-like effects in animal studies, causing increased locomotor activity and alertness, as well as hyperactivity at higher dosages.

Due to the stimulating, wakefulness promoting effects seen in animal trials, Modafinil was first tested for human use as a treatment for the sleep disorder narcolepsy.

Modafinil and the Sleep Disorder Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that affects a person’s ability to stay awake during the day. Narcoleptics experience excessive sleepiness during the day, and often fall asleep randomly, in some cases multiple times per day. It is believed that one cause of narcolepsy may be a decrease in the amount of Orexin producing neurons in the brain.

In many different double-blind placebo-controlled studies, Modafinil has been seen to promote wakefulness and reduce excessive daytime sleepiness significantly better than a placebo.

One 6-week, three-period, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial gave patients a placebo for two weeks, Modafinil 200 mg for two weeks, and Modafinil 400 mg for two weeks in a randomized order. Evaluations using various scales was done at baseline and at the end of each two weeks.

At the end of the trial, it was seen that compared to the placebo, both Modafinil doses significantly increased the mean sleep latency on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test, decreased the number of daytime sleep episodes, and increased wakefulness, as measured by records in daily patient logs and scores on the patient-administered Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Many other research trials has seen similar results over the years. Consequently, Modafinil has been classified as a prescription drug for the treatment of narcolepsy in many different countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, and Italy.

The following are some user reviews detailing individual’s successful experiences using Modafinil for narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness:

Modafinil for Shift-Work Sleep Disorder

Since its approval for treating narcolepsy, Modafinil has been approved to treat other sleep disorders that involve excessive sleepiness, namely shift work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.

Shift-work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that can affect people who sleep during the daytime and are awake at night for overnight or late night shift work. In some people, their natural biological clock cannot be overridden, and they experience excessive sleepiness while awake at night, and sometimes insomnia when trying to sleep during the day.

Many studies have been done using Modafinil to increase wakefulness in people with shift-work sleep disorder. The use of Modafinil 30-60 minutes before the start of a nighttime work shift in various studies has been found to reduce excessive sleepiness as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, improve performance by reducing attention lapses as measured by the Psychomotor Vigilance Test, and improve patient functioning and quality of life as measured by the Functional Outcomes of Sleep questionnaire.

In some studies, the patients have reported still experiencing some residual sleepiness even when taking Modafinil. This has led researchers to conclude that even better treatments for this disorder need to be researched.

Below are some reviews of the Modafinil experience some people have had using this drug to treat shift-work sleep disorder:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypoponea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly start and stop while sleeping. Due to muscles in the mouth and throat relaxing, the upper airway is either partially blocked causing shallow breathing (hypopnea), or completely blocked causing breathing to temporarily stop (apnea).

People with OSAHS often experience excessive daytime sleepiness caused by repeated blood oxygen drops and arousal from sleep due to multiple breathing episodes per night. The most common treatment for OSAHS is wearing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine while sleeping to keep the airway open.

However, some people still experience residual sleepiness even with treatment, and Modafinil has been used in these cases as an adjunct treatment. Multiple similar studies have shown that compared to a placebo, Modafinil significantly reduces excessive daytime sleepiness in OSAHS patients, as measured by improved scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Here are some user reviews that recount people’s Modafinil experience when taking this drug as an adjunct treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea:

Modafinil for ADHD

Modafinil is technically only approved for use for the sleep disorders described above. These are the only official on-label uses recognized by the FDA and many other drug regulating bodies around the world. In some countries Modafinil is also officially approved for another sleep disorder, hypersomnia, which causes symptoms very similar to, but often not as severe as, narcolepsy.

Any other uses of Modafinil are therefore considered off-label. One of the most common off-label uses of Modafinil is to manage symptoms of attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

There have been many different studies done in all age groups (children, adolescents, and adults) showing that Modafinil is significantly better at improving scores on a variety of tests of ADHD symptoms than a placebo.

Modafinil has also been tested against conventional ADHD drugs. One randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-phase crossover study compared Modafinil and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) to each other and to a placebo. Patients were given one of the three treatments for two weeks, the second for two weeks, and the third for two weeks. Measurements were taken at baseline and during each treatment period.

It was seen that both Modafinil and dextroamphetamine significantly improved scores on the DSM IV ADHD Behavior Checklist for Adults compared to scores seen when taking the placebo. Both active medications were generally well tolerated.

Due to the improvement in scores and its tolerability compared to dextroamphetamine, the researchers suggested that Modafinil may be a viable alternative medication for the treatment of ADHD in adults.

The writing of off-label prescriptions is considered legal, but is up to the discretion of individual doctors. There are some doctors who are willing to write prescriptions for off-label Modafinil use for ADD/ADHD, especially in cases where treatment with traditional amphetamine-based drugs have not worked or worked well enough, or in the case of negative stimulant related effects.

The following are some reports that briefly detail a couple users’ Modafinil experience when taking this drug for ADHD:

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Modafinil—The New NZT-48?

Many users became attracted to Nootropics after watching the movie “Limitless.” In this movie, Bradley Cooper’s character comes by a supply of a new drug that actually makes him smarter, more aware, and capable of doing just about anything.

Following the release of this movie, many in the “brainhacking” scene online began saying that Modafinil was a real life version of the Limitless drug, able to give you super human intellectual powers.

The fact of the matter is that while Modafinil will not make you limitless, it does have some incredible benefits.

Using Modafinil as a Cognitive Enhancer

Similarly to how it is used for people with ADHD, Modafinil is commonly taken as a nootropic smart drug to enhance concentration, focus, productivity, and memory. While there is not as much research on this topic as for sleep disorders and even ADHD, there have been studies done using Modafinil for cognitive enhancement.

One double-blind, placebo controlled, fully within-subjects study compared the results of a battery of cognitive tests and subjective participant assessments from patients that were given a placebo or Modafinil. It was found that Modafinil improved reaction time, fatigue levels, vigilance, and motivation significantly compared to the placebo.

Another study used a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design to test the effects of Modafinil when completing a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests of memory and attention. It was found that compared to patients given the placebo, patients given Modafinil have significantly higher scores on a spatial planning task, a test of visual pattern recognition memory, a digit span test, and a stop-signal reaction time test.

As well, there was observed a slight delay in answering on a few tests, and this result was thought to allow for an enhanced ability to inhibit pre-potent answering (overcoming a habitual or natural response to respond in a way that achieves a certain goal). While this study was done with participants who were not diagnosed with any attention deficit disorders, the researchers suggested that this reduction in impulsive responding could show that Modafinil may help manage symptoms of ADHD.

Reviews of Modafinil’s Nootropic Effects

Most of the initial impressions regarding Modafinil from users who take this drug on an occasional basis have been very positive. Experiences reported include being able to work and/or study straight through the day (or night), without needing any breaks.

Many people have turned to this compound because they have difficulty staying awake or completing a full day of work or study without needing a nap. This fits with what the research tells us about Modafinil which is that in clinical trials it improves mental performance among individuals who are sleep deprived.

The U.S. military even has given this drug to its soldiers in the past to enhance cognitive abilities after 40+ hours of no sleep while on missions.

As previous discussed, Modafinil was originally created for the purpose of aiding individuals who suffer from narcolepsy; it helped achieve more normalized sleep patterns and stay awake during the day. As such, a major facet of the Modafinil nootropic experience centers on wakefulness and higher levels of alertness and awareness.

Users report having lots of energy and being much more productive as a result. In general, it may feel like mental tasks require a lot less effort and you experience less strain when working for several hours at a time.

Focus and concentration are also enhanced with regular Modafinil dosages. Individuals with attention deficit disorders or anyone who is easily distracted may find they are better able to stick to one task at a time and see it out until fully completed. Modafinil is also known to increase motivation and drive for all daily activities, making it easier to overcome procrastination.

Below are some user reviews detailing the positive experiences some people have had using Modafinil as a nootropic drug:

What about Tolerance?

One of the main on-going debates with Modafinil usage has to do with the idea of forming a tolerance with consistent use. You do not want to form a dependence to a drug like Modafinil (or any stimulant drug for that matter) so that you need it to function at a normal level.

If Modafinil tolerance is developed, this can lead to symptoms of withdrawal and cause down regulation of receptors in your brain. While there are some people who say that Modafinil is safe to take on an everyday basis, others feel that this compound can indeed lead to tolerance.

The evidence gleaned from examining user reports and experiences shows that both camps may be correct to one degree or another.

Some users seem to be able to take this compound for quite a while without showing any effects of tolerance or build-up in their system. On the other hand, other people do see a significant drop off in the effects after as little as a week or two.

To be on the safe side, every new Modafinil user should assume that tolerance build-up is real and develop methods and plans for ways to cycle this compound in and out of your routine. This will ensure that you continue to reap the benefits of the Modafinil experience well into the future.

Side Effects and Negative Modafinil Experiences

As seen in many scientific trials and from countless user reviews online, Modafinil is generally well tolerated. Most people who take appropriate doctor prescribed dosages report that they experience no or some mild side effects.

The most commonly reported side effects are headaches and nausea. These effects have been reported in up to 34% of patients in studies. Typically the effects are fairly mild, and transient, often passing after a few hours after taking a dosage.

Some other mild side effects that have been reported include: anxiety, nervousness, indigestion, heartburn, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, back pain, and rhinitis (stuffy/runny nose).

Sometimes side effects are related to dosage. Reducing your dosage for a while may help to reduce or eliminate side effects. The dosage can then slowly be increased back to a normal amount as your body permits.

One other side effect that has been reported is insomnia. While there are some cases where the drug doesn’t react well with an individual’s physiology and causes a non-normal effect, this side effect is most typically due to taking the drug too late in the day.

Due to Modafinil’s long half-life of between 12-15 hours, taking the drug in the afternoon or later can cause sleep disturbances when trying to sleep at a normal time. For most people, making sure to take the drug in the morning or at the latest around noon often reduces insomnia and related sleep issues.

While rare, there are some serious dermatological reactions that may occur when using Modafinil, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Cases of these conditions have been seen in people who have taken Modafinil, and although the drug being the sole cause has not been definitively proven, it is important to be aware of these risks.

If you experience fever, flu-like symptoms, and a rash that spreads and blisters, than contact your doctor immediately and stop taking Modafinil.

Every person’s personal physiology is different, and drugs can affect us all differently. While Modafinil is generally well tolerated, there are reviews online of negative Modafinil experiences from past users. Sometimes the drug simply didn’t work for them, and sometimes it caused negative side effects. The following details some negative reviews that people have reported online:

Non-prescription Nootropic Alternatives

One of the clues to the effectiveness of Modafinil might be the fact that this is not something you can find at your local GNC or Walmart. In fact, it is difficult to find at many U.S. drugstores unless you have a prescription from your physician.

Many people do buy this drug online from pharmacies overseas without a prescription. However, you have to remember that you may be breaking a law in your country if you pursue this route. There is also the chance that the product you are receiving is not legitimate, or if it is authentic it may be seized at the border by your local customs agent.

What is interesting is that Adrafinil (which turns into Modafinil when metabolized by the liver) is an unregulated, unscheduled compound in the U.S. and can legally be purchased online without a prescription. Before purchasing Adrafinil it is important to do your due diligence in order to make sure you are protected when buying and using this alternative.

As the pro-drug of Modafinil. Adrafinil works in nearly the same way, however it is much less potent and takes longer to cause effects. Essentially, a larger dosage of Adrafinil needs to be taken to get the same results as a smaller dosage of Modafinil, and due to the metabolization process it will take a little while longer before effects are felt.

Another Modafinil alternative that some people use are the Racetam family of compounds. Piracetam, first developed in the 1960s, is considered the first nootropic. Its creator, Corneliu Giurgea, coined the term nootropic (derived from Greek, meaning “to turn the mind”) to describe his newly developed compound.

The Racetams’ nootropic effects are believed to be due to its effects on the cholinergic neurotransmission system. These compounds increase the activity of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. This is believed to lead to increased general cognition and enhanced memory formation and recall.

It has also been seen that the Racetams increase oxygen and glucose uptake into the brain, which is thought to enhance mental fluidity and alertness. Additionally, the Racetams increase cell membrane permeability.

Since the development of Piracetam, more potent derivatives have been created. Some of the most popular Racetams today include Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Pramiracetam, and Phenylpiracetam. While still having cognition and memory effects, some of these derivatives also have been seen to have specialized effects. Aniracetam for instance has been observed to have an anxiolytic effect in various studies.

If you are unable to get a prescription for Modafinil, then consider Adrafinil or one of the Racetams as an alternative nootropic. While the effects may not be identical to Modafinil, these legal alternatives can add peace of mind to your nootropic experience, instead of having to turn to the gray market to buy Modafinil that is potentially suspect or may be seized at customs.

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