13
3.68
11
Executives, students and entrepreneurs seeking the gold standard smart drug for increased motivation, wakefulness and focus will eventually find themselves researching Modafinil and Adderall.
Both drugs are used to treat patients diagnosed with narcolepsy and both produce a sense of wakefulness in the user.
Both are also used in the treatment of ADHD and other cognitive impairments, though only Adderall has been approved by the FDA for this purpose while Modafinil is prescribed off-label by psychiatrists. Although these two drugs have some similar attributes and effects, there are distinctive differences between them.
In this article, we will compare Modafinil vs Adderall to help understand their key differences. In addition to comparing the beneficial effects of each of these drugs, potential side effects and addiction risks will also be compared.
Alertness
Mental Acuity
Focus- Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
- Promotes mental acuity & processing
- Enhances focus, motivation & energy
The History of Modafinil and Adderall
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: Modafinil is a eugeroic (wakefulness promoting) compound that was first discovered in 1976. The discovery of this compound came about due to testing on another related compound, Adrafinil.
Adrafinil was first developed by scientists at the French pharmaceutical company Lafon Laboratories in 1974. It was one of a series of benzhydryl sulfinyl compounds developed by neurophysiologist and experimental medicine professor Michel Jouvet.
During testing to determine Adrafinil’s mechanism of action, Modafinil was discovered. Adrafinil is broken down in the liver into the inactive modafinilic acid and the active Modafinil. Modafinil was determined to be the primary active compound in Adrafinil.
Modafinil was first tested in animal trials and seen to promote locomotor activity and wakefulness. Because of these results, as well as previous human tests done with Adrafinil, Modafinil was first tested in humans as a treatment for the sleep disorder narcolepsy.
Modafinil was approved as a drug to treat narcolepsy in France in 1994, and in the United States in 1998. It was later approved by the FDA in the US in 2003 as a treatment for shift-work sleep disorder, and an adjunct treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.
Modafinil is categorized as a Schedule IV prescription drug in the United States, and is a prescription-only medication in many other countries around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 2001, Lafon was bought by Cephalon Inc. Then in 2011, Cephalon was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. To this day, working as a subsidiary of Teva, Cephalon still makes the original most popular brand name version of Modafinil, Provigil.
Adderall: Adderall is a drug that contains a combination of amphetamine salts and two amphetamine enantiomers (mirror image copies of the same compound), levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine.
Amphetamine was first discovered by Romanian scientist Lazar Edeleanu in 1887. It was first synthesized and studied for its pharmaceutical uses in the US in 1927. In 1929, researcher Gordon Alles injected himself with amphetamine to document the drug’s physical and psychological effects.
Alles took his findings to the pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline, and French, and in 1934, an amphetamine based drug used as a nasal decongestant called Benzedrine was first introduced. Later in 1937, they started producing Dexedrine, which is made from only the more potent D-enantiomer of amphetamine.
Various formulations of amphetamine and its derivatives have been used as stimulants and cognitive enhancers ever since. During WWII, amphetamine (Benzedrine), and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) were given to soldiers and pilots to boost alertness and mood.
When first introduced in the 1930s, studies on the effects of these drugs on the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children showed the positive effects these drugs had. Various formulations of amphetamines have been used as ADD and ADHD medications ever since.
In the 1970s, the pharmaceutical company Rexar reformulated their weight loss drug Obertol by replacing the two methamphetamine components of the drug with dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. It was sold for a number of years.
In 1994, Richwood Pharmaceuticals bought Rexar and they repurposed this drug as a treatment for ADD/ADHD, now marketed as Adderall, which was a contraction of the phrase ” ADD for All.” Legal complications and manufacturing violations with the FDA led to a couple years of disputes, but in 1996, Richwood was allowed the name change, and Adderall had its status as an approved drug product granted.
The rights to the drug have changed hands a number of times due to company acquisitions and mergers. In 2008 Teva Pharmacuticals bought Barr Pharmacueticals who owned the rights to Adderall at the time, and to this day, Teva makes the name brand version Adderall.
Modafinil vs. Adderall Effects
Comparisons of Adderall vs. Modafinil have not been conducted in clinical research studies. Therefore, we can only make indirect conclusions about the differences between how these two medications work.
For both Modafinil (Provigil) and Adderall, the exact mechanisms of action remain unknown. However, there are some pretty clear indications as to what brain processes these drugs affect and the resulting effect they have on the user.
It is important to remember that many nootropic drugs can affect individuals differently, depending on a variety of different physiological factors.
Modafinil: Modafinil (Provigil, Modalert, Alertec, Modapro, Modiodal) works on multiple brain processes at the same time in order to generate the desired stimulation. Scientists have hypothesized that it affects the GABA, Glutamate, Histamine, and Noradrenaline neurotransmitters as well as the neuropeptide Orexin (Hypocretin).
The result is a natural sense of being awake and alert. Other beneficial effects include increased motivation which leads to increased productivity, slight mood elevation and an overall enhanced ability to focus for long periods of time.
Adderall: Adderall works on the Dopamine, Norepinephrine and Serotonin neurotransmitters to produce a state of psychostimulation.
For those with ADD/ADHD, Adderall can produce a mental state of calmness which allows the user to focus on tasks. For those who do not have ADD/ADHD, it tends to have a stimulant type effect both mentally and physically.
Adderall is formulated from a combination of four amphetamine and dextroamphetamine mixed salts: aspartate monohydrate, aspartate sulfate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and dextroamphetamine saccharate.
It contains 25% levoamphetamine salts (referring to the levorotary or left-handed enantiomer) and 75% dextroamphetamine salts (dextrorotary or right-handed enatiomer) per dose.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Modafinil vs. Adderall Benefits
Modafinil (Provigil): Modafinil works as a eugeroic stimulant but not in the traditional way that medications like Adderall works. This medication is commonly prescribed to individuals with sleep disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness to help them stay awake and alert.
Narcolepsy is a sleep condition in which the patient loses muscle tone and appears to fall asleep, caused by insufficient orexin/hypocretin in the brain. Provigil has been shown to induce wakefullness in mice with a lack of this neuropeptide.
It increases the user’s attention span and helps to increase energy by naturally promoting mental and physical alertness. In those suffering from ADD/ADHD, it improves the ability to focus and concentrate.
In one study on children and adolescents with different ADHD subtype diagnoses, a dose of 170 to 425 mg once daily for 7 to 9 weeks resulted in improved symptoms and behaviors for patients with inattentive and combined subtypes of ADHD. [1]
When taken at the right dosage, user reviews have stated that Modafinil heightened all senses but not enough to cause over stimulation.
Other users who have experimented with both Modafinil and Adderall report they consider Modafinil to be a “Adderall-lite”, inferring the overall fatigue reducing, stimulation or wakefulness enhancement effect is somewhat low when compared to that of Adderall.
Modafinil is still widely prescribed for ADD, shift work sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness. However, this nootropic smart drug has been replaced by Nuvigil (Armodafinil, Waklert) for the treatment of some medical conditions.
The difference between Provigil vs. Nuvigil is that Nuvigil contains a single-enantiomer form of Provigil. Nuvigil or Armodafinil is so-named because it only contains the R-enantiomer of Modafinil. While many of the pharmacological properties are similar, Nuvigil has a longer half-life and may interact with fewer medications compared to racemic Modafinil.
Is Modafinil a Stimulant?: Modafinil is a eugeroic compound that increases wakefulness and promotes alertness. It has been observed to have stimulant-like effects in both animals and humans. However, it has different mechanisms of action than most stimulants which work by stimulating adrenergic receptors in the body.
The exact mechanism of action of Modafinil is still unknown. It has been observed to interact with a number of neurotransmitters in the brain and central nervous system, including Serotonin, Norepinephrine, Dopamine, Orexin (Hypocretin, and Histamine.
Modafinil has been seen to act as a Dopamine transport inhibitor and reuptake inhibitor. This allows for greater circulating levels of Dopamine.
Most of the wakefulness effects of Modafinil are thought to be due to its effects on Orexin and Histamine. Both the neuropeptide Orexin and the neurotransmitter Histamine are involved in the regulation of wakefulness, arousal, and appetite.
Modafinil activates Orexin neurons and Orexin-stimulating neurons. This increase in Orexin in turn stimulates the release of Histamine.
Adderall: Adderall (or the generic Ampheta S/Combo) gives the user a highly stimulative effect by working on neurotransmitters which increase activity in both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
Taking Adderall for ADD, ADHD and narcolepsy counteracts symptoms by triggering the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline). This increases the flow of blood to the brain (especially the prefrontal cortex), muscles and the heart.
It also stimulates the release of the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine, resulting in greater activation of dopaminergic receptors in the CNS (Central Nervous System).
As a result, some users experience feelings of euphoria, energy and invigoration. Most users report improvements in attentional control, focus and concentration, as well as a reduction in daytime sleepiness.
Research studies have also shown improvements in cognitive function across measures such as spatial reasoning and planning ability.
Modafinil vs. Adderall for Studying
Students often use smart drugs like Adderall, Ritalin and Modafinil (Provigil) to help them study for exams or improve productivity when working on academic assignments.
According to a recent report, 7.5% of high school seniors and up to 33% of undergraduate students report taking Adderall without a prescription.
Such uses are considered off-label and constitute abuse of these drugs. The FDA has not approved any smart drugs as study aids and there is limited research available into these uses in healthy adults.
Students often say that taking Modafinil or Adderall helps them to stay focused and study for longer periods of time without getting distracted.
However, this short-term boost in attention span may be followed by an “energy crash”, increased stress levels or disrupted sleep.
Some students prefer using Modafinil, Armodafinil and Adrafinil for studying instead of Adderall due to the lower frequency of side effects.
In research studies, Modafinil has been shown to improve memory, learning, and decision-making as well as reduce errors on specific tasks. For these reasons, it continues to be widely used on University and College campuses as a recreational study drug.
However, there have been no comparative research studies conducted to determine whether Modafinil is better than Adderall for students.
Side Effects and Addictive Potential
Side effects are a risk associated with most drugs, Adderall and Modafinil are no different.
In considering the risk of adverse events, health officials rank side effects as mild, moderate or serious.
Addiction potential is taken into consideration by regulating authorities when deciding whether a drug will be controlled, prescribed and/or scheduled.
Modafinil: Modafinil is considered generally well tolerated when taken at doctor recommended dosages. Some mild side effects have been reported. Common side effects include headache, nausea, anxiety/nervousness, rhinitis, back pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and insomnia. More serious, though rare, side effects include allergic reactions, trembling or shaking, and uncontrolled movements of the face, mouth, or tongue which may require hospitalization.
One of the most common complaints of Modafinil is that is causes insomnia. In most cases, this is not a true adverse reaction to the drug, but rather caused by poor timing of dosages.
The half-life of Modafinil is quite long (average of 13 hours), and causes effects long after it is ingested. It is recommended that dosages be taken early in the morning, before noon, to avoid sleep disturbances at night.
Though rare, there is the possibility of developing one of series of skin and mucous membrane conditions when taking Modafinil, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), or drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
It is thought that some people have a genetic predisposition to developing these conditions when they take some medications, including Modafinil. If you develop a fever and a rash that spreads and blisters, then stop taking Modafinil and speak to your doctor immediately.
Modafinil is considered to have no addiction potential as a wakefulness promoting agent. This smart drug is considered by some to be safer than traditional psychostimulants drugs as there are minimal withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation.
Adderall: Side effects which may occur with Adderall include nervousness, restlessness, dizziness, headache, fear, anxiety. More serious side effects include chest pain, seizure, hallucinations and motor tics. Amphetamines like Adderall can increase blood pressure and heart rate and can cause palpitations of the heart.
If taken with Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), this drug can cause a hypertensive crisis wherein the blood pressure is increased to a dangerous level. Use of drugs that affect monoamines (like certain anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications) is contraindicated with Adderall.
Adderall is considered habit forming and continuous use can produce dependence on the drug as well as withdrawal symptoms. There is also the concern that Ritalin and Adderall may increase the likelihood of other types of substance abuse since it is a form of amphetamine.
This is a primary reason why many with ADHD seek out alternatives to taking Adderall.
Some argue that when comparing the side effects of Provigil vs. Adderall, there is a higher frequency of more serious side effects in individuals using Adderall.
Modafinil vs. Adderall Summary
Both Adderall and Modafinil are prescription drugs used to treat narcolepsy and both have been shown to be helpful to those diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
They are viewed as powerful cognitive enhancers and there is a significant amount of off-label usage of these drugs among individuals who want to increase their intellectual capacity and boost their productivity.
Most doctors want their patients with ADHD to try Adderall XR and other amphetamines like Ritalin (Methylphenidate) before they will prescribe or try Modafinil. Some users who have experimented with both drugs report Modafinil as being like a potent cup of coffee while Adderall is more stimulating and focus-producing.
However, it is common for users to feel burned out and on edge after the effects of Adderall wear off.
Modafinil, on the other hand, can be used on consecutive days without causing the same degree of neurological burnout or experience an energy or emotional crash.
When comparing Adderall vs. Modafinil, bear in mind that both have potential side effects and should be taken under the supervision of a medical professional.
If you cannot buy generic Modafinil online or the brand-name Provigil drug in your region, Adrafinil is a non-prescription drug alternative with many of the same effects.
While you cannot buy Provigil online without a prescription, Adrafinil is not a scheduled controlled substance in the United States, meaning that it can be purchased over the counter.
When comparing Modafinil vs. Adrafinil, the primary difference is in the dose required to achieve the stimulant effect. Adrafinil is metabolized in the liver by the Cytochrome p-450 enzyme, where it is converted into active Modafinil.
As such, Adrafinil is typically taken at a dose 50% greater than the equivalent amount of Modafinil.
<
Free shipping
- Biederman J1, Pliszka SR. Modafinil improves symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder across subtypes in children and adolescents. J Pediatr. 2008 Mar;152(3):394-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.07.052. Epub 2007 Oct 24.
- Generali JA, Cada DJ. Modafinil: Parkinson disease-related somnolence. Hosp Pharm. 2014
- Estrada A, Kelley AM, Webb CM, Athy JR, Crowley JS. Modafinil as a replacement for dextroamphetamine for sustaining alertness in military helicopter pilots. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2012
- Carrillo-Larco RM. [Modafinil, Internet and social networks: its use in health surveillance]. Rev Med Chil. 2012
- Kalechstein AD, De La Garza R 2nd, Newton TF. Modafinil administration improves working memory in methamphetamine-dependent individuals who demonstrate baseline impairment. Am J Addict. 2010
- Andersen ML, Kessler E, Murnane KS, McClung JC, Tufik S, Howell LL. Dopamine transporter-related effects of modafinil in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2010
- Philip P, Chaufton C, Taillard J, Capelli A, Coste O, Léger D, Moore N, Sagaspe P. Modafinil improves real driving performance in patients with hypersomnia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial. Sleep. 2014
- 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
- Rabkin JG, McElhiney MC, Rabkin R, McGrath PJ. Modafinil treatment for fatigue in HIV/AIDS: a randomized placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010
- 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
- Farah MJ, Haimm C, Sankoorikal G, Smith ME, Chatterjee A. When we enhance cognition with Adderall, do we sacrifice creativity? A preliminary study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009
- Owley T, Owley S, Leventhal B, Cook EH Jr. Case series: Adderall augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in childhood-onset obsessive compulsive disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2002
- Greenfield B, Hechman L. Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. Expert Rev Neurother. 2005
- Faraone SV, Pliszka SR, Olvera RL, Skolnik R, Biederman J. Efficacy of Adderall and methylphenidate in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a reanalysis using drug-placebo and drug-drug response curve methodology. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2001
- Faraone SV, Short EJ, Biederman J, Findling RL, Roe C, Manos MJ. Efficacy of Adderall and methylphenidate in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a drug-placebo and drug-drug response curve analysis of a naturalistic study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2002
- Auiler JF, Liu K, Lynch JM, Gelotte CK. Effect of food on early drug exposure from extended-release stimulants: results from the Concerta, Adderall XR Food Evaluation (CAFE) Study. Curr Med Res Opin. 2002
- Hanson CL, Burton SH, Giraud-Carrier C, West JH, Barnes MD, Hansen B. Tweaking and tweeting: exploring Twitter for nonmedical use of a psychostimulant drug (Adderall) among college students. J Med Internet Res. 2013
Article last updated on: April 11th, 2018 by Nootriment
13 Comments
Your article says adderall is a type of methamphetamine, which i think is incorrect. I have never found this in any of my research, and ive been takng aderall for many years and in that time i have taken drug tests that distinguish between the two drugs, and a false positive has never occurred. Aee you sure yku dont mean that aderall, like methamphetamine, is a a type (or actually several types) of amphetamines?
Here is a list of Amphetamines:
Dextroamphetamine – a medication used in the treatment of ADHD that is also sometimes used to treat narcolepsy.
Levoamphetamine – a psychostimulant known to increase wakefulness and focs
Lisdexamfetamine – used in treatment of ADHD
Adderall
Adderall XR
Dexedrine
ProCentra
Dextrostat
Ritalin
Concerta – I have tried this and it did nothing but give me migraines.
Vyvanse
Focalin
Strattera
Strattera is not an Amphetamine
I know this is very old, but you have named numerous non amphetamines.
focalin- dextrorotatory isomer of methylphenidate, which is a synthetic central nervous system stimulant, is more in the same league as cocaine. NOT amphetamine, nowhere near it.
Ritalin, concerta- methylphenidate, explained above.
strattera- not even a central nervous stimulant.
Please do some research before you just start listing things incorrectly, redundently, and mindlessly. You have the internet at your fingertips, I hope you’ve started really using it for more than copying and pasting lists.
Adderall is a 25:25:25:25 mixture of amphetamine salts. Amphetamine is a drug class and a drug itself, similarly to cathinone.
Modafinil is much better for shift work, packs less punch and doesnt make you feel spun out…most of the time. Also, i’ve never heard of provigil causing psychosis.
IME/IMO: Adderall>Provigil
Adderall is NOT a type of Methamphetamine. Adderall is an Amphetamine and so is Methamphetamine, but they’re quite different. They’re both stimulating in a similar manner, but Methamphetamine is significantly more potent and euphoric.
This is not unlike Ritalin and Cocaine. Ritalin and Cocaine are very similar chemically and produce a similar stimulation, however Cocaine is also very Euphoric.
Não fale besteira, o efeito da Ritalina não tem nada a ver com cocaína a não ser que ela seja quebrada e cheirada.
Matt, it is an Amphetamine. Not a Methamphetamine. The generic for Adderall is Dextroamphetamine.
No, Adderall and Dextroamphetamine (brand name: Dexedrine) are not the same. I’ve taken them both, together, for years. That said, Adderall is made up of part amphetamine/part dextroamphetamine; the latter being nearly twice as potent.
I have tried both drugs, prescribed to me to treat my daytime sleepiness. I must say this review is spot on. Good job.
As to what I prefer, I’d say the Modafinil (Provigil) due to the fact there is no crash afterward.
eh possivel conseguir modafinil sem receita?
methamphetamine is double methylated, while adderall is single methylated. Hence it is a stronger cousin of each other. Dex alpha methy phenyl + amine versus
methyl alpha methyl pheny ethyl + amine
Oh geez. So much misinformation here. Methylated psychoactive drugs generally are better tolerated than ones that aren’t. Methamphetamine has fewer side effects overall versus other amphetamine compounds, but because of this, users can take much higher doses.
Adderall is a mixture of levo and dextro isomers of amphetamine. Levo isomers, for psychoactive compounds, tend to have more side effects. For example, Provigil has both levo and dextro isomers, whereas Nuvigil is just the dextro isomer.
One can argue that Adderall was created specifically to prevent people from taking too much of it. Levoamphetamine at high doses has tons of side effects, most particularly much more severe anxiety. That said, at smaller doses, this anxiety promoting effect works better than dextroamphetamine for focus.
For many people, dextroamphetamine has mild focus improving effects and feels little more like coffee. It is preferred drug for the military for this reason.
Modafinil (NeoModafinil brand) is much better than adderall. I think it is a godsend. My life would consist of nothing but sleep without it. It does not give you energy as some people are led to believe, it gives you a choice, a choice whether you want to sleep all day or stay awake. That came from my Dr when I told him it didn’t give me any energy. He has narcolepsy as well, and cataplexy