18
4.14
5
Is Armodafinil better than Modafinil for users interested in cognitive enhancement? Studies show that the effective dosage of Armodafinil (Nuvigil) is approximately half that of Modafinil (Provigil), but does that mean users can expect a significantly different effects as a result?
Does the increased potency translate to a correlated improvement in energy, productivity and mental performance? These are question which many nootropic users may be deliberating in their search for the ideal smart drug.
Users will find that the answer is less clear than a simple yes or no. There is great variance in how different individuals respond to these compounds.
And many of the subtleties of the Modafinil or Armodafinil experience are difficult to capture in reading summaries of research studies.
Experiential data from user reviews is often the best source of guidance for how these smart drugs may affect individuals.
For this reason, we are very pleased to share with the following guest post by Leo Sharp of the MySharpLife.com website. Leo discusses his personal experiences with these cognitive enhancers to help individuals decide which one is right for them.
Alertness
Mental Acuity
Focus- Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
- Promotes mental acuity & processing
- Enhances focus, motivation & energy
User Comparison of Modafinil and Armodafinil by Leo Sharp
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
“In this day and age, keeping sharp, alert and focused are fundamental requirements to get ahead in almost any circumstance.
Unfortunately for humanity, the advancement in technology has not only allowed for a more connected and productive world; but has also created an environment where the brain cannot rest as it once did.
Feel stressed? So does the rest of the global population. Our brains have not yet evolved to easily cope with the ever growing day to day requirements.
If you’re smart enough to investigate and research the various pharmaceuticals available (which is probably why you are visiting Nootriment.com) to boost your cognitive abilities, you are on the right path to gaining a razor-sharp competitive edge over your peers.
The problem is that there are so many various compounds available. I have taken A LOT of them and unfortunately most do not hold up to their claims.
If there is one message that you should take away from all of your research before you take the plunge is: there is no such thing as a ‘miracle pill’ that transforms you into an instant genius.
There are however; certain compounds that allows one to perform at peak levels for extended periods of time. If you stick with your experimenting and researching, you will eventually build what I like to call a Brain-Change Arsenal.
This array of pharmaceutical delicacies and exercises to improve how your brain works will assist you in becoming the best person you can in personal, business and education contexts.
I wish I could write about every single product that I have trailed and give an honest review from the user perspective, however I fear there isn’t enough time in the world to achieve this feat.
Instead I will explain to you what one can expect when taking two of the most effective nootropics known to man: modafinil and armodafinil.”
The Difference Between Modafinil and Armodafinil
“I’m sure you’ve all heard about modafinil. Whilst it’s still relatively unknown to most of the world, its popularity has been steadily on the rise among business professionals, endurance athletes and students alike.
I would bet that you probably stumbled across Nootriment.com whilst investigating modafinil! Armodafinil on the other hand, is the lesser known ‘hot cousin’ of modafinil.
Modafinil Enantiomers: Very similar but not the same.
So what the difference? To put is as simply as I can: Modafinil on its own contains two enantiomers.
These are basically non-identical, mirror images of a particular molecule (think of your left and right hands as an example) which each have a different reaction once ingested.
With modafinil specifically, only one of the enantiomers (known as the r-enantiomer) is important for cognitive stimulation whilst the other half (known as the s-enantiomer) is thought to be useless. Armodafinil is appealing as the compound consists only of the r-enantiomer (the one we love).
Now that you know what the differences between these wonder-drugs are, you are probably thinking that Armodafinil is the way to go as it contains only the good stuff.
Well, you’re somewhat right, but the drugs can and do in fact react differently to each other depending on the individual taking them.
That’s the scary thing about most of these ‘smart drugs‘. Even the pharmaceutical developers themselves don’t really understand how these drugs work. All we have to go on is theory, experience and continued research.”
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Armodafinil vs. Modafinil: Which is Better?
“So, which one is better for you then? This question is near impossible to answer as everyone is truly different, however I will share my experience with both drugs which may help you decide.
A quick but important note: before I go on I would like to disclose that I do not work for any pharmaceutical company or any drug reseller. I don’t have any ties to these industries.
Secondly, I have a legal prescription for modafinil which I obtained from my local general practitioner. I am not a doctor, I do not know your medical history and I do not know your genetic makeup, therefore this article is not intended as any form of medical advice whatsoever.
I insist that you speak with a knowledgeable, licensed medical practitioner before taking modafinil or armodafinil.
To make my comparison as accurate as possible, I implemented the following rules whilst ingesting these compounds. Firstly, I decided to use a manufacturer that supplies both modafinil and armodafinil.
I decided to use Sun Pharma, who are based in India and manufacture modafinil and armodafinil under the labels ‘Modalert‘ and ‘Waklert‘ respectively.
I acquired these from two different suppliers who are both located in India (I’ve written a review about one exceptional supplier here).
I also personally verified batch numbers, manufacturing dates and confirmed the compound via mass spectrometer to ensure that I was ingesting an authentic product.
Tolerance is also an issue with modafinil and armodafinil as they have a long 15 hour half-life.
To manage this I decided to cycle my doses of each: two days on / four days off, which gave my body sufficient time to metabolise the compound completely before switching compounds.
Finally, as armodafinil contains only the ‘active’ half of modafinil, the effective comparative dose is 0.50:1.00. I will generally take 300mg of modafinil to achieve an exceptionally focused and driven mind, so 150mg armodafinil was the comparative dose that I used.
Experience with Modafinil Effects
Comparison of packaging: Left: Waklert (armodafinil) Right: Modalert (modafinil)
“I think the best way to compare the two drugs is to firstly describe the effects of each individually. Firstly, I’ll describe modafinil. The effects of modafinil begin to take charge about 40 minutes after consuming the dose.
You will not experience a sudden rush (as you do with other drugs) but rather a realisation that your eyes are wide and your brain is ‘firing’.
I strongly suggest that you make a list of important things to do before taking modafinil (and armodafinil) as you will be able to control your focus more effectively.
It gets better. After two hours you will notice a mildly elevated mood and an intense drive to accomplish something great. You will feel pride as you smash through your designated task and feel satisfied that you are working towards something great.
At the four hour mark, your brain will still be firing strong and you will be immensely focused on your work.
If your line of work requires an extroverted personality (as mine does) you will feel very talkative, but only about work related topics (no slacker talking). You will become a man/woman on a mission and those around you will notice an increase in your productivity.
When the 6 hour mark rolls around, you will find yourself at a crossroads. You can either continue to push out an immense amount of work for the next 5 hours, or you can begin to relax and have an ordinary evening.
The morning after, you shouldn’t have any ‘hangover’ and you will experience similar effects for the next two days when dosage is repeated.
I do not recommend that you take this drug for more than 3 days in a row (and take 4 days off) as the effects will be dulled due to the quick tolerance build-up. Give your body time to flush the compound in your system so you can enjoy the full effects consistently.
Review of Armodafinil Effects
“Next up, let’s take a look at the effects of armodafinil. You’ll find that armodafinil will kick in a little quicker than modafinil, but the difference isn’t something worth writing about.
When you begin to notice the effects, it’s essentially the same as modafinil in that you notice an elevated level of general alertness.
You will be driven to complete tasks, however you will still have the freedom to break from work as you wish. If you want to achieve a certain task for the day, you will experience a desire to ‘check every box’ and complete that task with a high level of attention to detail.
If your line of work involves research or analysis, armodafinil will help you stay on track according to the pre-set constraints or rules involved with those processes.
I personally have not experienced mood elevation with armodafinil, which impacts the possibility of elevated levels of confidence and ‘gusto’.
Armodafinil lasts for about the same period as modafinil (with an equivalent comparable dose), however I feel that the ‘choice’ of unwinding isn’t something you are given.
Morning after effects are also the same. Generally speaking, the effects of armodafinil are highly comparable to that of modafinil because at the end of the day, they are more or less the same compound.
Conclusion
“As the two are so similar in effect, the smart thing to do would be to trial each to see which works best for you. If you experience highly similar benefits from both, it’s a matter of ‘best price wins’, which will always go to armodafinil on an effective mg for mg basis.
Personally speaking, whilst I do use both; I prefer modafinil over armodafinil as I feel that my focus and extroverted personality are magnified in a very, very positive way.
Before I leave you to ponder which path you wish to choose, I would like to say that if you don’t have your act together before taking the drug, modafinil or armodafinil are useless and can actually hinder personal development.
Do not expect that a magical pill will get your career on track. They may assist you, but you do sill have to work darn hard for success. Think of modafinil and armodafinil as one of the tools of a much larger cache of brain-change equipment.
My personal experiences with pharmaceuticals and other ‘brain-change tools’ can be found on my personal website MySharpLife.com.
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love my other content. Your brain is an amazing piece of equipment. It’s so amazing that you can use it to improve it.
Finally, a HUGE thank you to the team at Nootriment.com for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the best nootropics information hub on the web. You guys rock!
Be Smart. Stay Sharp.
Leo Sharp.”
Please note that anything posted in this blog is my opinion, which counts for nothing from a medical perspective. I am by no means a Doctor, Scientist, Pharmacist, Nutritionist, Life Coach, Psychologist, Medical Practitioner or Astronaut. Nothing on this site is advice or a recommendation/endorsement of any product or service. Always speak with the relevant medical practitioner prior to adjusting your diet, lifestyle or begin taking pharmaceuticals.
<
Free shipping
- Kim D. Practical use and risk of modafinil, a novel waking drug. Environ Health Toxicol. 2012
- Dhillon R, Wu X, Bastiampillai T, Tibrewal P. Could modafinil be a drug of dependence? Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2015
- Burgos H, Castillo A, Flores O, Puentes G, Morgan C, Gatica A, Cofré C, Hernández A, Laurido C, Constandil L. Effect of modafinil on learning performance and neocortical long-term potentiation in rats. Brain Res Bull. 2010
- Andrade C. Modafinil and armodafinil in schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2012
- Prasuna PL, Vijay Sagar KJ, Sudhakar TP, Rao GP. A Placebo Controlled Trial on Add-on Modafinil on the Anti-psychotic Treatment Emergent Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia. Indian J Psychol Med. 2014
- Cengiz Mete M, Şenormancı Ö, Saraçlı Ö, Atasoy N, Atik L. Compulsive modafinil use in a patient with a history of alcohol use disorder. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2015
- Liira J, Verbeek JH, Costa G, Driscoll TR, Sallinen M, Isotalo LK, Ruotsalainen JH. Pharmacological interventions for sleepiness and sleep disturbances caused by shift work. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014
- 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
- Krystal AD, Harsh JR, Yang R, Rippon GA, Lankford DA. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of armodafinil for excessive sleepiness in patients with treated obstructive sleep apnea and comorbid depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010
- Greve DN, Duntley SP, Larson-Prior L, Krystal AD, Diaz MT, Drummond SP, Thein SG, Kushida CA, Yang R, Thomas RJ. Effect of armodafinil on cortical activity and working memory in patients with residual excessive sleepiness associated with CPAP-Treated OSA: a multicenter fMRI study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014
- Harsh J, Yang R, Hull SG. The impact of shift duration on the efficacy and tolerability of armodafinil in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder. Curr Med Res Opin. 2014
- 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
- Baradhi KM, Gohh R. A diagnostic conundrum: acute interstitial nephritis due to armodafinil versus acute cellular rejection in a renal transplant recipient--a case report. Transplant Proc. 2013
Article last updated on: April 29th, 2018 by Nootriment
18 Comments
Thanks for the review. Would have been nice to compare adranifil to these two as well.
Hi Robert,
Glad you enjoyed my comparison!
Adrafinil is actually metabolized into modafinil and from my experience, has the same effects as described above. The only difference that I experienced was that adrafinil takes longer to take effect.
There is quite the debate going on about the long term effects on the liver as adrafinil needs to be broken down in the liver in order to change into modafinil. At recommended doses, general findings have been that adrafinil is safe, however we all know that most users to not take the recommended dose ;)…
Personally, I take modafinil as don’t like putting additional strain on my liver and I have access to modafinil. If you decided to take adrafinil, I strongly suggest that you keep an eye on bodily signals that indicate liver health. Keep an eye (and a nose) on urine, eye & skin color, abdominal pains, among others. Also, always drink plenty of water throughout the day (especially when taking supplements of any nature).
Be Smart. Stay Sharp.
Leo Sharp.
The problem is, I have had blood work done and Modafinil is metabolized by the liver. My liver enzymes were up and actually my white blood cell count was down. Both of which are listed under Modafinil and Armodafinil side effects as severe.
Make no mistake these are not extremely safe drugs as everyone makes out. You are extremely prone to lots of things, cancer, flu, infections, etc being some as the immune system is suppressed. It is NOT a well known (study wise) drug. They are unsure and still are guessing how it works. So all these articles saying they are so much safer than stimulants is really a load of BS.
I’d highly advise you if you are thinking of taking these drugs for legit reasons (as prescribed) you get your blood work done on a regular basis as I’ve told doctors about this, done blood work and they have been severely concerned about this drug. Not many know much about it apart from they have heard of it.
I myself will trial if my liver enzymes go back down (they did when I took a break) but the concerning thing is my white blood cell count has NOT gone back up. This could be because I’m still recovering from a 2 month virus (something that coincidentally started when I did my first trial of Modafinil and it weakened my immune system) but me and the doctor think it is the Modafinil and currently going to do another test.
Ultimately if this happens Armodafinil will be exactly the same if the active ingredient is causing this.
“When the 6 hour mark rolls around, you will find yourself at a crossroads. You can either continue to push out an immense amount of work for the next 5 hours, or you can begin to relax and have an ordinary evening. Did you take 200mg or 100mg at first and how much do you take if want to go all day long
Hi, this was a great report of both meds. I have one trusted supplier which I use , based in India. Can I ask of which supplier you use for your requirements.
Thanks
Hi Ian,
Thanks for your feedback! Because Modafinil and Armodafinil are controlled substances here, we cannot share the names of suppliers that sell it without a prescription.
I Agree 100% Armodafinil not as good as they make it out to be! I got sucked in by all the hype about how Armodafinil a step up from Modafinil! I think armodafinil sucks compared to modafinil! to me it’s obvious your brain needs both enantiomer’s!!
Just thought I should mention something. I have used Modafinil for about 6 months. Excellent results (yes, i took your advice and cycled 3 days on 3 off). 2 years ago I did an angiogram with plaque of main heart arteries at about 20%. 2 months ago I did another angiogram and got 3 stents placed. Any correlation? I did not get a chance to discuss my use with the Cardiologist and I hope he dosen’t nix the product. What are your thoughts on this
It is possible. Any stimulants are possible of having a negative affect on the cardiovascular system. Modafinil & Armodafinil have not been studied well at all. But other stimulants are known to cause heart issues. Even simple caffeine.
Re: Cardiovascular changes / Stimulant effects of Modafinil
I did some research on this subject before I started my prescription. Modafinil /Armodafinil are not amphetamine based stimulants, and so don’t react with the cardiovascular system in the ways typical stimulants of that type do.
However – because Modafinil WILL increase your focus and drive – you may decide to work longer and at a higher level than normal, especially running, working out, etc. that your blood pressure can go spiking because you’re pushing yourself harder.
Here’s the link to the study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10096265
As for me armodafinil is more impact. Beginners need to use Modafinil, more experienced Armodafinil, more you can see here ************
Hi Leo!
That’s a great review.
Inputs on side effects missing.
Both of them cost the same in India. Personally, I found modafinil leads to constipation and general itchiness, armodafinil doesn’t.
Modafinil is more mood elevating.
Hey KK,
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Much appreciated.
Products that you showed and reviewed we’re not from a doctor those are from India. I know your doctor’s prescription doesn’t come in blister packs from India.
I also see no reason why your doctor would prescribe you both medications??
Let me get to the point you bought it offline without a prescription and all your “I have a prescription” stuff is to cover your own behind
we don’t even know if your tablets are real. They’re counterfeited so often in India. And I don’t think you flew there or live there to know if it’s a reputable Pharmacy.
Although wake alert and artvigil,still new(HAB PHARAMA armodafinil) as well as modafinil,
Are fine products they’re counterfeited so often you never know what you’re going to when you order from India cuz those are prescription bottles you show they’re showing strips from a foreign country. Not pharmaceutical bottles.
If you choose to order offline make sure you have a good trustworthy vendor.
Funny you should say that about the counterfeited modafinil because I recently wrote a article on reddit about this and Yes I believe that all modafinil now sold online is counterfeit.
Hi Leo,
I need your help.I just received my Modalert 200 batch no EST 0190
I have tried a few days from half a pill and full pill.It has no effects whatsoever.
I don’t know whether I receive a bad batch or something else
Please help me to solve this and educate me on what should I do.
Any suggestions will be respectfully appreciated.
Thank you.
hey Ah vee,
I got the same batch aswell, it doesnt work for me either. it is a bad batch
I was given 2 modafinal tablets and took 1 in the morning and the other 1 about noon. I experienced all of the expected effects.
But there was one not expected. I wear glasses. And experience a little blurry vision when trying to read far away things. I still needed my glasses, but i could see things perfectly at a distance. When on the drug. Blew my mind.