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Modafinil is an ever-present inclusion in lists of the ‘best nootropics’ for its ability to promote advanced focus and mental energy. This drug offers a lot of benefits and is seen as one of the strongest cognitive enhancers both in medical and off-label applications.
Some individuals use this drug daily to boost their productivity, increase concentration and maximize their cognitive capacities.
Before looking into getting a prescription for this pharmaceutical, it is important for individuals to understand how Modafinil affects the body and some of the possible side effects. While Modafinil is generally safe and has been used by millions of people worldwide, there are some risks inherent with using a compound as strong as this.
Modafinil should only be taken under the proper direction of a health professional and shouldn’t be bought online from an unregulated pharmacy.
Alertness
Mental Acuity
Focus- Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
- Promotes mental acuity & processing
- Enhances focus, motivation & energy
Is Modafinil Safe to Use
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
What are some of the common Modafinil side effects reported by user reviews? When looking at the potential side effects for any drug or nootropic, it is important to understand that each person will respond differently to these compounds.
While some individuals will not experience any side-effects another person might experience a whole range of negative results.
It is extremely difficult to determine as to what sort of reaction a particular individual will experience. As a result, it is important that individuals consult a health care professional before using this drug to determine if it is safe.
History and Approved Uses of Modafinil
Modafinil was first developed in 1976 by the neurophysiologist Michel Jouvet for the French pharmaceutical company, Lafon Laboratories. This company was later bought out by Cephalon, who still make one of the most popular name brands of Modafinil, Provigil.
In original tests on animals, it was found that Modafinil caused hyperactivity, increased locomotion, and vigilance. Modafinil is classified as a eugeroic, or a wakefulness-promoting agent/drug, that has stimulant-like effects, but is not related to traditional amphetamine stimulants. Modafinil is often regarded as the most potent wakefulness agent available.
Consequently, due to its wakefulness promoting properties seen in animal studies, the first human trials with Modafinil were using the drug to treat narcolepsy.
While today it is often taken for “off-label” benefits, this drug was originally tested as a treatment for people suffering from the sleep disorder narcolepsy. This disorder can leave individuals prone to falling asleep during the middle of the day and generally having irregular sleep cycles, resulting in never feeling fully rested, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Many double-blind placebo-controlled studies have been done using Modafinil for narcolepsy. It has been shown that Modafinil significantly improves excessive daytime sleepiness in people with narcolepsy compared to placebo.
In studies, significant improvement is seen in scores on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test and the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test using Modafinil over placebo. Additionally it has been seen that nighttime sleep is not negatively affected using Modafinil compared to placebo.
Over the years since its introduction, Modafinil has been seen to be so successful as a treatment for narcolepsy that some trials have tested new medications against Modafinil. Trials have been done comparing Modafinil to sodium oxybate, a drug that was first tested for the treatment of narcolepsy in the early 2000s.
Studies have seen that both active medications improve times on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test compared to placebo, and that the medications together even have an additive effect, further improving scores seen with each drug individually.
Since its original use for narcolepsy, Modafinil has also been used to cure excessive daytime sleepiness and to alleviate the symptoms of a number of other sleep disorders that can impair cognitive function, specifically shift-work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Many users actually report that it is almost impossible to sleep until the effects of Modafinil wear off.
Shift work sleep disorder is a circadian rhythm disorder that can occur in people who work very late or overnight shifts, or very extended shifts, such as health care providers in hospitals. This disorder often causes excessive sleepiness when trying to stay awake outside of normal sleep hours (i.e. awake during nighttime), and may cause insomnia when later trying to sleep outside of normal wake hours (i.e. sleeping during the day).
One double-blind placebo-controlled study gave patients with shift-work sleep disorder a dose of either Modafinil or a placebo an hour before they started a work shift. It was seen that the Modafinil patients had a lower frequency and duration of attention lapses during nighttime testing of their performance on the Psychomotor Vigilance Test than the placebo patients.
Another sleep disorder that Modafinil has been used for is obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. In this medical condition, the muscles of the mouth relax temporarily during sleep, which can allow the tongue and/or soft palate to either partially block the airway, causing shallow breathing (hypopnea), or completely blocking the airway, causing the temporary cessation of breathing (apnea).
People with the condition often have poor quality of sleep during to multiple cycles of poor or no breathing, and they typically experience excessive daytime sleepiness as a result.
Modafinil has been successfully used as an adjunct treatment for improving the fatigue and daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea. Multiple studies have shown that Modafinil improves wakefulness better than placebo in people with this condition.
In the United States, Modafinil has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Schedule IV prescription drug to treat narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. It is similarly classified as a prescription drug in the majority of countries around the world.
Common Off-Label Uses of Modafinil
The other primary benefit of Modafinil is acting as a focus enhancer. Students, entrepreneurs and individuals working in various industries find themselves as being more productive and better motivated as well. Modafinil has been tested for attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as for improving cognition in healthy individuals.
Due to its stimulating effects, Modafinil has been studied as an alternative to conventional stimulant drugs for ADHD. Multiple studies have seen that compared to placebo, Modafinil significantly improves scores on a variety of tests (DSM IV ADHD Behavior Checklist, Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale-IV, and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale).
In a study that compared Modafinil to a conventional ADHD drug, dextroamphetamine, it was seen that both active medications significantly improved scores on the DSM IV ADHD Behavior Checklist for Adults over placebo. The researchers concluded that Modafinil should be considered a viable alternative treatment for ADHD.
Some doctors who are aware of all the research done on Modafinil for ADHD will prescribe the drug to their patients, especially for those who have had negative effects from traditional amphetamine stimulants, such as Ritalin or Adderall. These prescriptions are considered off-label, and while it is completely legal for a doctor to write off-label prescriptions, it is entirely up to the discretion of individual doctors if they choose to.
Another common off-label use for Modafinil is as a nootropic drug for cognitive enhancement. Various people from entrepreneurs to elite university students to Wall Street bankers to Silicon Valley execs use Modafinil to improve their memory, learning, concentration, and attention span.
While research is limited in this area, there have been some studies that have shown Modafinil may have effects on various areas of cognition, including working and episodic memory, and executing complex higher function tasks.
One randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects study compared the results that participants had while on a placebo to on Modafinil. It was found that performance on tests of digit span, visual pattern recognition memory, spatial planning and stop-signal reaction time was significantly improved on Modafinil compared to placebo.
It was also seen that response time was increased in three measures: delayed matching to sample, a decision-making task and the spatial planning task. The researchers concluded that this delay related to reduced impulsive responding, and that therefore in addition to cognitive enhancement effects for healthy individuals, Modafinil may be a good treatment for people with ADHD.
Common Modafinil Side Effects
In general, Modafinil is viewed as safe but there is the potential for side effects to develop. Side effects experienced would depend on a case to case basis. While some people may see minimal negative events others may have very different reactions.
There is no such thing as a typical experience which is why it is recommended to seek out advice from a doctor before taking this drug.
Most of the less serious side effects which result from Modafinil are fairly typical of many Nootropics.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Agitation
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Back pain
- Decrease in appetite
- Rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes)
- Insomnia
- Dry Mouth
Some people will experience only one of these while others might experience all or none of them. How long they last and how intense they are can vary tremendously person to person. Most side effects are often dose related, and many people find that a smaller dose can reduce their negative side effects, especially the most common side effect, headaches.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Dangers of Taking Modafinil
There are some more serious but rare side effects of Modafinil that individuals need to be aware of. Most of these occurrences are only seen in a very small profile of Modafinil users but if experienced, it is recommended that individuals stop using the drug and seek immediate medical attention.
Potentially serious symptoms to look out for:
- Fever like symptoms (Sore throat, rash, etc)
- Bruising and bleeding more easily
- White patches and/or sores inside mouth or on lips
- Chest pain
- Irregular heart beat
In the most extreme cases, Modafinil can cause rare and possibly life-threatening skin and mucous membrane conditions including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), or Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). This conditions are usually a sign of some other sort of physiological issue and typically only form after a long period of consistent use of Modafinil.
There is also the small possibility that Modafinil may negatively affect mental health. This includes hallucinations and unusual thoughts or behaviors. Depression, anxiety, and aggression could also all fit into this category. Speak with your doctor immediately if you begin to experience changes in your mental state when taking Modafinil.
Modafinil Tolerance
The question of tolerance is also something that has been hotly debated in the community of Modafinil users. There are those who say that this supplement is safe for use on an everyday basis (with or without modifications such as cycling and stacking).
On the other hand there are also users who insist that this is a supplement which can cause or lead to tolerance very quickly. In this situation, the body becomes less responsive to the effects of the drug and it may disrupt some of the natural production of certain wakefulness hormones or neurotransmitters.
Why does this tolerance only seem to form in some users while others can take the drug consistently for years without seeing benefits diminish? As mentioned with side effects, Modafinil tolerance might be something that needs to be assessed on a case to case basis.
The only way an individual will know for sure is by actually trying the supplement and carefully observing its effects.
Modafinil Usage Recommendations
Many Modafinil users cycle this supplement. This simply means having periods of use followed by periods of non-use.
Individuals may also want to reserve this drug only to take on days when required and not rely on it for everyday use. The only downside is that there will be a number of days without experiencing the benefits.
Some reviews have stated that stacking Modafinil with Piracetam can also reduce tolerance, though no research has been conducted to prove this.
Another method of use is to cycle it with other nootropics that work on different pathways. Modafinil may be used periodically such as a day or two of intensive work followed by switching back to Pramiracetam, Noopept or Aniracetam as a regular nootropic and cognitive enhancement supplement during regular days.
Buy Modafinil
In the U.S. and in most other Western countries, Modafinil is regulated as a prescription drug and cannot be purchased without approval from a doctor. The most prominent brand name of Modafinil is Provigil but another option called Modalert is sometimes purchased from online pharmacies.
This can be a potentially unsafe avenue as there will be no quality control to ensure that you are getting a real product. Unfortunately, the legal status of Modafinil has made it a target for fake pills sold through low-quality vendors.
For individuals who are able to attain a prescription, one thing to keep in mind is that this drug does have quite a significant price tag that can reach into the hundreds or thousands of dollars a month depending on the recommended dosage.
As a result of the high costs, a lot of individuals use Adrafinil as an alternative to Modafinil as it is much cheaper. Adrafinil is legal for purchase without a prescription in the U.S. and costs as little as $0.25 per dose.
Adrafinil works by converting into Modafinil in the liver which is what makes it suitable as a replacement. Before purchasing Adrafinil, individuals should carry out their research on the side effects associated with this drug.
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- Louvet P, Schweizer D, Gourdel ME, Riguet E, Yue C, Marcy VR, Lin YG, Gruner J, Lesur B, Bacon ER, Chatterjee S. Wake-promoting agents: search for next generation modafinil: part IV. Eur J Med Chem. 2012
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
5 Comments
I have started using modalert for long distance road cycling 80-120 miles and I must say that it’s a massive help….You feel stronger have better & longer endurance & don’t need to eat during the cycling! Drink plenty tho is my advise & you don’t need to take more than 100mg which is 1/2 a tablet…..Good Luck, modafinil works, take 1 hr before you go out cycling!!!
Hii Chris,.. can you contact me through this e-mail [email protected] ,. I really need information about modafinil,. thanks in advance.. :)
Hey Chris, really interested in using this, can we please get in touch about this? [email protected] is where you can get me. Thanks a lot.
Taken Modafinil nearly 20yrs@ 600mg, causes in short term hot flushes, excessive sweating, dizzyness and mind feels “envigorated”. Can be like a “caffine overload” and mind jumps from one thing to another. Long term has caused skin problems, problems regulating temperature of body(have to change clothes x2 a day). Depression, anxiety and panic attacks to name but a few of them. Have lethagy and “severe short term memory loss”(Very Worrying), mood swings are vast and feel mentally exhausted.
Listen PILOTS and MILITARY were given regular 100mg doses to help keep alert and energy in operations during Iraq and Afghanistan. Since many became addicted and suffered mental problems, skin and heart problems. So many in fact they began to sue significantly Governments Defense Departments, who know its effects. When I began using it, “there were little side effects”(so I ws told), 6 years later when I was suffering side effects, they were ignored, but said had to expect some “health issues”. Then after not drinking alcohol or caffine for years was told the damage the tablets were doing long term, probabily would make no difference to drinking again !?. I have tried different tablets and do not help my condition, so I`m stuck with them, I would say DO NOT use. The small gains you might claim now do not out weigh the price you will pay.
RICO
Ugh, I’ve just starting using to try to find help and not use adderall after being on that for 17years, I’ve been off Adderall for 5 months and have good and bad days. After taking Modalert I was afraid it felt to “Adderall-like” ! But kind of like Adderall it is difficult to find bad info on it. Thanks for your honesty.