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If you recently found a Nuvigil coupon in your inbox and are curious about whether it comes from a legitimate vendor, you are not alone.
There are some legitimate Nuvigil coupon codes and discounts available that can be a valuable tool for saving on the cost of your prescription drugs. To take advantage of these savings, you will have to have a prescription for this drug.
Many of the deals marketed online come from international online pharmacy sites that are selling Nuvigil without a prescription, and should be avoided.
Buying your Nuvigil pills from an overseas online pharmacy can seem like an incredible savings since you could be spending between $1 – $3 per pill compared to the average $10 to $20 per pill if you order it from a US-based pharmacy or stores like Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, or Costco.
But the problem is that limited quality control means that many of these products are not as pure as those sold in American drug stores. Plus, you may never actually receive your order when it is imported into the US.
Instead, there are some Nuvigil coupons available online from established sources that can help you save money on your prescription drug purchase at a regular pharmacy. As well, there are Nuvigil alternatives available for people to try if they are unable to get a prescription for this drug.
Energy
Cognition
Motivation- Wakefulness-boosting stimulant
- Enhances motivation and focus
- Shown to boost mental performance
Why Nuvigil Is So Popular
Related Topics
- What is Armodafinil?
- What is Nuvigil?
- Armodafinil vs. Modafinil
- User Review
- Typical Nuvigil Experiences
- How it Works
- Nuvigil for ADHD
- Effects on Depression & Anxiety
- Dosage Recommendations
- How to Take
- Reported Side Effects
- Withdrawal & Tolerance
- Prescription Information
- Buying Nuvigil
- Generic Nuvigil Brands
- Is Armodafinil Legal?
- Is Nuvigil Safe?
- Comparison to Adderall
Unheard of just a few years ago, Nuvigil is a eugeroic drug (wakefulness promoting drug) that was first approved for prescription use in the United States by the FDA in 2007.
Now, more than a million prescriptions later, Nuvigil is widely used to treat a variety of serious sleep issues.
Most people, however, are interested in its off-label uses as a cognitive enhancer or smart drug. Users report that it acts as a dramatic aid to mental clarity, concentration, motivation, and memory.
It is sought after by individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety, memory loss, and more to improve their brain capacity.
Getting a prescription for this drug for nootropic purposes is nearly impossible. Therefore many people who cannot get a prescription are tempted to buy without a prescription from some online pharmacies. Are the famous benefits worth the potential cost?
Here’s what we know so far about why the drug is so popular, how coupons for Nuvigil can cut the price for people with prescriptions, the safety of buying from international online pharmacies, and other great deals on nootropics that produce similar effects.
History of Nuvigil
Nuvigil is the latest in a line of eugeroic compounds originally developed by the French pharmaceutical company Lafon Laboratories in the 1970s. Adrafinil is the first in this group of compounds, and was discovered in 1974.
Testing to determine how Adrafinil causes effects in the body led to the discovery of the compound Modafinil. It was found that when Adrafinil was metabolized in the liver, it was broken down into its component parts, modafinilic acid and Modafinil. Modafinil was determined to be the compound that causes Adrafinil’s effects.
Adrafinil and Modafinil were both eugeroic compounds with wakefulness and alertness promoting effects. They have stimulant-like effects, but are not related to traditional amphetamine based stimulants and have different mechanisms of action.
Lafon was bought by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon Inc in 2001. Cephalon produces the most popular name brand version of Modafinil, Provigil. When the patent on Provigil was due to expire in a few years time, research was conducted to make a new compound that could help the company maintain their share of the market.
Modafinil is composed of two enantiomers, which are mirror image copies of the same molecular structure. These are R-Modafinil and S-Modafinil. Testing has determined that the R-enantiomer is the stronger of the two; it is more pharmacologically active, it is longer lasting, and it is more potent.
Armodafinil was made by simply using the R-enantiomer of Modafinil without the S-enantiomer – hence the name Armodafinil, from R-Modafinil. The name brand version of Armodafinil made by Cephalon is called Nuvigil.
Therefore, Nuvigil differs from Provigil because it is a more concentrated “enantiopure” version of the compound. It has been isomer distilled in order to create greater strength in the same dosage. Its effects – and its popularity – are the same as that of Provigil.
In 2011, Cephalon was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. To this day, Cephalon, acting as a subsidiary of their parent company Teva, produces the name brand version of Modafinil and Armodafinil, Provigil and Nuvigil.
Prescribed Nuvigil Uses
Like its parent compound Provigil before it, Nuvigil is classified as a Schedule IV prescription only drug by the FDA in the USA, and is approved to treat narcolepsy and shift-work sleep disorder, and as an adjunct treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.
Nuvigil has been studied in many different double-blind placebo-controlled studies researching its use for serious sleep disorders. It has been shown to significantly decrease excessive sleepiness and increase wakefulness in patients with these disorders.
In a study on narcolepsy, Nuvigil was seen to increase the mean sleep latency time from baseline as measured by the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test, compared to a decrease in time with placebo. This means that patients were able maintain a wakeful state for longer when taking the Nuvigil than before taking it, and times increased significantly compared to a decrease in time with placebo.
One study using Nuvigil to treat patients with shift-work sleep disorder found that compared to placebo patients, patients given Nuvigil had significantly improved mean sleep latency times as measured by the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Patient sleep diaries also revealed that scores improved on the patient-administered Epworth Sleepiness Scale in the Nuvigil group.
Even with traditional treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome – nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) machine worn at night – some people with this condition still experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Studies have shown that compared to placebo, patients given Nuvigil have significantly improved sleep latency times and overall clinical condition.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Nuvigil as a Nootropic
As described previously, Nuvigil’s generic form, Armodafinil, is the latest incarnation of Modafinil, which in turn is the generic form of Provigil. All of these compounds basically deliver the same powerful effects of enhanced wakefulness and intense mental focus.
Provigil first became well-known for this use through a series of news reports in the 2000’s touting its abilities as an intelligence boosting smart drug. Later, the drug was fictionalized in the popular film, “Limitless,” wherein a pill which looked suspiciously like the one you’d find in a Nuvigil coupon granted its user super intelligence. Of course, interest in the drugs skyrocketed in the public.
As discussed, the intended benefits of Nuvigil all relate to severe sleep disorders. However, Nuvigil’s off-label uses are of keen interest to the nootropic community.
By providing an intensely alert mental state without any of the hazards of amphetamine stimulation, Nuvigil makes the perfect tool for studying or any detail-oriented work. By selectively triggering neurotransmitters which govern the sensation of wakefulness, Nuvigil can help ease the mind’s perception of tiredness or distraction, just as Modafinil does.
It has been said that a Nuvigil tablet taken in the morning allows a user to read an entire several hundred page textbook without interruption over the course of the day. This level of excellent concentration can be applied to any task or activity – even physical exercise.
There has not been any real research using Nuvigil as a nootropic directly, however there has been some cognitive enhancement research done in studies that were focused on other purposes, namely sleep disorders.
In one study using Nuvigil for narcolepsy, it was seen that scores of attention and memory significantly improved on the Cognitive Drug Research battery of tests in the patients given Nuvigil versus placebo patients. Similar results were seen in a study on shift-work sleep disorder, where scores were significantly improved on standardized tests of memory and attention in Nuvigil patients versus placebo patients.
Though it is not known exactly how, Nuvigil has also been observed to assist in fat burning and weight loss. It decreases appetite and increases overall metabolism in addition to mental focus, making it popular in body building communities.
Nuvigil Coupon Values – Cost Per Dose
As mentioned earlier, Nuvigil is categorized as a Schedule IV prescription drug in the United States. It is similarly categorized as a prescription-only drug in many other countries of the world, including Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Therefore, to legally purchase and use Nuvigil in the US, you must have a valid prescription from your doctor. The large majority of prescriptions are only written for the serious sleep disorders described above.
In some rare cases, Nuvigil may be prescribed for an off-label condition such as ADHD or fatigue. It is rarely if ever prescribed directly as a nootropic drug. Off-label prescriptions are entirely legal, but it can be very hard to find a doctor who will write then.
Even if you are able to get an off-label prescription, it can be hard to actually buy this drug, as off-label uses of drugs are very rarely covered by insurance companies.
The Nuvigil price you find in your local pharmacy may vary, but on the whole, Nuvigil is a very costly drug to purchase without medical insurance. On average from pharmacies within the US, Nuvigil typically costs between $650-750 for 30 250 mg pills.
Even the occasional Nuvigil coupon often doesn’t offer that large of a deal on this brand name drug – typically, the price only drops a little bit.
As many Nuvigil dosing recommendations suggest taking one pill per day (though dosage varies based on clinical diagnosis), Nuvigil costs could run you thousands of dollars per year. And unfortunately, health insurance will only cover these costs if Nuvigil was prescribed for a sleep disorder.
Off-label nootropic uses for the drug are never paid for by health insurance. So, anyone who is simply curious to try the effects of the famous intelligence pill will have to pay retail prices out of pocket.
One way to decrease your costs is to buy generic Armodafinil instead of the more expensive brand name Nuvigil. The effects of the drug will be the same, and the average cost is typically much less when coupons are applied.
Some websites such as GoodRX.com offer free coupons for generic Armodafinil that can be used at a variety of pharmacies in the US, including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Safeway, Walmart, and Kroger Pharmacy. For example, a 30 day supply of 250 mg Armodafinil pills typically costs about $600 from CVS but with a coupon the cost drops significantly to $80.
Another option is to use a legitimate international pharmacy. While limited, there are some online pharmacies that require a prescription to buy their medications.
These pharmacies are accredited by the pharmacy board in place in that country and are regulated like any physical pharmacy. However, they do not have the overhead of a physical location and often sell their product at a much reduced price over regular pharmacies.
Always do your research on any online pharmacy you are considering. Make sure they can provide proper paperwork on the manufacturing of the product, and Certificates of Analysis for every batch they sell.
Do not confuse legal online pharmacies with the large number of gray market international online pharmacies that sell Nuvigil without a prescription.
Is Nuvigil from Overseas Pharmacies Safe?
If you have received a Nuvigil coupon via email for an international pharmacy website, proceed with caution. While the coupon may advertise that no prescription is necessary, technically these purchases are still de facto illegal when shipped into the U.S.
Pills without prescription paperwork are frequently confiscated by U.S. Customs with no financial recourse available to consumers.
Furthermore, quality and efficacy of pills is not regulated by the countries which sell these pills without prescription, such as India and Mexico. Personal safety is not guaranteed when consuming these medications. So, whatever price savings were had via the coupon could be negated many times over.
While it may be tempting to buy Nuvigil from one of these pharmacies because you are unable to get a legal prescription, the risks are not worth the potential reward. Instead, consider using a Nuvigil alternative.
Non-Prescription Nuvigil Alternatives
If you can’t get a Nuvigil prescription, the best bet is to try a similar nootropic compound which achieves the same effects legally and safely. Adrafinil, the direct chemical pre-cursor to Modafinil, can be freely purchased from legitimate nootropic websites.
Once Adrafinil is converted into Modafinil in the liver, users report experiencing the same wakeful, concentration-boosting effects from Adrafinil as they would with Provigil or Nuvigil, with none of the legal hassles or questions about safety.
Another non-prescription nootropic alternative to Nuvigil is any of the Racetam class of compounds. This family of compounds are all based off of the first nootropic ever developed, Piracetam.
These compounds have effects on learning ability, concentration, and memory in a different way than Nuvigil does, by positively affecting the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.
There are a number of more potent compounds that have been derived from Piracetam since its development in the 1960s. These derivatives include Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Pramiracetam, and Phenylpiracetam.
Pramiracetam, one of the stronger derivatives, at about 40-50 times the strength of Piracetam, has been seen to have strong mental alertness effects that last up to 8 hours. This makes Pramiracetam an ideal substitute for the mentally stimulating effects of Nuvigil.
The next time you receive a Nuvigil coupon, consider all of the other non-prescription options like Adrafinil and the Racetams, and make the safe, legal choice.
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- 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
- 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
- Gasior M, Freeman J, Zammit G, Donnelly P, Gao J, Ferreira-Cornwell MC, Roth T. Maintenance of wakefulness with lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, compared with placebo and armodafinil in healthy adult males undergoing acute sleep loss. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014
- Calabrese JR, Frye MA, Yang R, Ketter TA; Armodafinil Treatment Trial Study Network. Efficacy and safety of adjunctive armodafinil in adults with major depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014
- Kane JM, D'Souza DC, Patkar AA, Youakim JM, Tiller JM, Yang R, Keefe RS. Armodafinil as adjunctive therapy in adults with cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia: a 4-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010
- Varanese S, Perfetti B, Gilbert-Wolf R, Thomas A, Onofrj M, Di Rocco A. Modafinil and armodafinil improve attention and global mental status in Lewy bodies disorders: preliminary evidence. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013
- 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
- Wittkampf LC, Arends J, Timmerman L, Lancel M. A review of modafinil and armodafinil as add-on therapy in antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012
Article last updated on: April 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
2 Comments
I started Nuvigal 3 months age. Love it. Works better than Provigil I took 2 times a day. But I am getting bad night sweats. Only got them once in awhile before.
Could this be from the Nuvigal?
Does Nuvigal cause night sweats?