35 replies to this topic

[exigentsky]

I am interested in trying Modafinil occasionally for days where I must work for a very long time. So I came across IAS and found 3 forms of Modafinil: Alertec, Mediodal and Provigil. The description is the same as it should still be the same drug. Thus, I wonder, is it worth getting the most expensive? (Provigil) Are there safety or efficacy issues surrounding the others?

[doug123]

Well -- to start -- Modafinil is a controlled schedule IV substance in the USA -- in the same class as Valium, Xanax, and Ativan. It's technically breaking the law importing it.

If your liver seems to be functioning well, (assuming you are in good health) -- you can try adrafinil first. Adrafinil was prescribed to elderly folks in France (where aging is treatable) starting way back since the early 1980s (see page 13 of the paper linked below) -- the folks lacking "vigilance" (45 years or older) seemed to tolerate it well -- so I think an otherwise healthy individual could handle it quite well -- assuming one is not taking a million other compounds. Adrafinil is not a controlled substance so importing it is not nearly as risky.

I would suggest starting out with 600mg on an empty stomach (if you weigh about 70kg) -- 15-20 minutes before eating

If you don't seem to be getting enough "kick" from 600mg in the morning, I guess you could increase the dose to 1200mg a day in two divided doses. In my experience, 300mg adrafinil is roughly equivalent to the effects of 100mg modafinil. And 200mg modafinil is a standard dose. The difference seems to be metabolized by your liver (hepatic system). Human trials have not (as far as I know) lasted longer than three months; so it's generally advisable to have your liver enzymes measured through a CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) -- to watch for changes in hepatic alkaline phosphatase, SGOT, SGPT, and GGPT.

If you like the effects, you might seriously consider visiting a psychiatrist and try to acquire a legitimate prescription for modafinil --- you can save money (if you are insured and your insurance covers it), time, and stress worrying about getting busted importing modafinil.

Here is a great paper on adrafinil (starting on page 13 from the page linked below -- are several short reviews of clinical trails in French middle aged folks -- 45 years old and older).

http://www.nevapress...ull/5/3/193.pdf

Edited by nootropikamil, 17 March 2007 - 03:53 AM.

[exigentsky]

Thank you, for the information about adrafinil. However, I am only interested to know which brand of modafinil is best. I understand that adrafinil is cheaper and not illegal, but it is also my impression that modafinil is "better." Perhaps, I'm wrong, I certainly haven't taken either. Maybe someone who has tried both can share their experiences?

[exigentsky]

I curiously found Alertec for only $60 at https://www.jandrugs...ex/NavCode/cart Now, I wonder, why would it be about half the price as other sources. What do you guys think of the reputability of this provider.

[dopamine]

The difference between brand-name Provigil and off-brands like Modalert and Alertec has to do, in part, with the particle size and formulation patent which Cephalon retains on the compound. Companies that manufacture the off-brands are probably using different granularities so as to side-step the Cephalon particle size patent, though the formulation patent for Modafinil was supposed to expire on March 30th, 2006, it has apparently been extended -

bizjournals.com
Cephalon gets six-month Provigil patent extension

Tuesday March 28, 11:06 am ET

The Food and Drug Administration granted Cephalon Inc. six months of pediatric exclusivity for its sleep-disorder medicine Provigil on Tuesday.

The extension extends the Frazer, Pa., biotechnology company's patent protection for its flagship product to April 6, 2015. But Cephalon does not intend to try and ward off generic competition until then.

Cephalon (NASDAQ:CEPH - News) previously announced settlements with four generic firms involved in patent-infringement litigation concerning Provigil. Under the terms of the settlements, Cephalon granted each of the four generic-drug companies a nonexclusive royalty-bearing right to market and sell a generic version of Provigil in the United States, that -- as a result of the FDA extension -- will now become effective in April 2012 instead of six months earlier.

A six-month patent extension known as pediatric exclusivity is commonly granted to companies that test drugs for possible use in children.

Cephalon was down slightly at $61.06 in early trading Tuesday. Cephalon has slipped from more than $80 a share in the past two weeks over concerns about an experimental drug in its pipeline called Sparlon that would be used for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel last week decided against recommending Sparlon for approval. The panel cited safety concerns, primarily the possibility of serious skin rashes.

The panel voted unanimously that Sparlon is an effective treatment for ADHD but said it needed more data to evaluate whether its use could cause a severe and sometimes fatal skin-rash condition known as Steven Johnson's Syndrome.

Sparlon contains the same active ingredient, modafinil, as Provigil. Provigil is a lower-dose formulation.

Cephalon is seeking to market Sparlon to children and adolescents ages 6 through 17.

Source url: http://biz.yahoo.com...65072.html?.v=1

[doug123]

Edit (4/24/06): click here for the legal implications and a list of International sources that sell modafinil.

Take care.

Edited by nootropikamil, 25 April 2007 - 04:35 AM.

[doug123]

Dopamine is a sharp fellow -- he always notices stuff other folks never think of.

Hey Dopamine: I personally think that the Indian companies use the same molecule in both drugs, but use a different process.

And pretty soon India will raise their prices too.

Man, I got to get out of here and do my HW. But I saw dopamine, so I had to say what's up/

[exigentsky]

Yes, Modalert is even cheaper! However, I am not so sure about its safety or efficacy. Some people on the net claim that it is nothing like Provigil and may actually be Ritalin or a weak stimulant. Others say t that it is really just the same thing. What do you guys think?

Also, is pharma-orders.com a reputable company? They currently have the best price.

Edited by exigentsky, 13 May 2006 - 08:56 PM.

[exigentsky]

Well, hopefully, Modalert is really modafinil. Is there any truth in claims to the contrary?

[dopamine]

dopamine
I'm not sure that particle size has to do much if anything with it. But it could be a R to S isomer ratio that's different.

Particle size is part of the patent, as well as the ratio of isomers -

Patent URL

The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising modafinil in the form of particles, wherein greater than 5% to about 50% of the cumulative total of the modafinil particles in the composition have a particle size greater than about 200 microns.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,855 describes the levorotatory isomer of benzhydrylsulfinylacetamide and its use as an antidepressant and a stimulant in the treatment of hypersomnia and Alzheimer's Disease.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,845 describes a pharmaceutical composition comprising substantially homogeneous mixture of modafinil particles wherein at least about 95% of the cumulative total of modafinil particles in the composition have a diameter of less than about 200 microns.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising modafinil in the form of particles, wherein greater than 5% to about 50% of the cumulative total of the modafinil particles in the composition have a particle size greater than about 200 microns as determined by a U.S. Sieve No. 75, and less than about 8% of the cumulative total of the modafinil particles in the composition have a particle size greater than about 250 microns as determined by a U.S. Sieve No. 60.

Interestingly, the patent adds

The present inventors have unexpectedly determined that the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention exhibit comparable stability, dissolution and bioavailability as compared to Provigil.RTM., which is a commercially available modafinil composition in the form of a tablet containing 200 mg of modafinil, lactose, corn starch, magnesium silicate, croscarmellose sodium, povidone, magnesium stearate and talc.

[exigentsky]

That's all great, but what about the efficacy of Modalert?

[dopamine]

That's all great, but what about the efficacy of Modalert?

The only way to find out with any certainty would be to get the product analyzed for modafinil content. My guess would be that most of the off-brand products probably do contain modafinil, but whether or not it is in the stated dose and/or whether there are other chemical constituents is where the problem lies. Many foreign manufacturers of drugs are not subject to strict federal regulation and oversight - one pitfall of the free market phenomenon in India and elsewhere.

[exigentsky]

Get the product analyzed? Do you think I'm the FDA or a bank? Paying for that would probably cover buying the real thing!

[patch]

Non-US generic drug makers don't sidestep US patents, they ignore them. The patents on particle size etc. would hold for a US-market generic modafinil but they would have no effect on Canadian and Indian drugs.
Alertec is made by Shire, which has $1.4 billion in sales. Modalert is made by Sun Pharmaceuticals, which has $250 million in sales. Does anyone really think they’re selling fake pills? If you order a 55-gallon drum of bulk modafinil from China then you should be suspicious, but if what you get is genuine Modalert by Sun then you can be confident that it is what they say it is.

[dangerousdave]

I've only tried Modalert so far. Got some (damned expensive) Alertec from QHI and some Provigil (I think) from Airsealed on the way though to try.

I've taken quite a lot of this Modalert stuff now and my experience does not tally at all with what other people have reported with other brands, though having not tried them I cant say for sure.

In terms of operating under sleep deprivation, best I can describe is its like you are about ready to go to bed in the next hour or so, feeling quite tired... except that feeling lasts for 40 odd hours (with 1200mg taken in divided doses - supposedly a stupidly high dose, which is another reason I'm dubious about Modalert). Dont feel fully awake and alert, wouldnt want to fly a jet-plane (like US navy pilots supposedly doing), but can get the work done if you need to.

[doug123]

I've taken boatload of modafinil, and I can tell you that the Modalert/Modafil I get from pharma-orders.com is just as strong as US Provigil -- or Mexican Modiodal. Well established pharmaceutical companies likeSun Pharma don't have an incentive to deviate from delivering a legitimate finished product.

Peace.

[doug123]

http://www.sunpharma...bulk_active.htm

47 Modafinil CNS Stimulant PN* [68693-11-8]

They sell bulk modafinil. Crap, it's a patented controlled substance.

[doug123]

It's a legal dope market. Different countries have different laws. In the USA, it's illegal to import controlled substances; no matter whether you buy from an Indian pharmaceutical company, a Chinese chemical "factory," or a subsidiary of an Italian pharmaceutical company in the USA.

I imagine there is another law for importing patented controlled substances in the USA. I am not sure.

[Centurion]

What about the UK, how do things stand for us regarding modafinil? QHI are uk based and ive never seen a customs slip on anything I get from them

[theone999]

they don't send things out from the UK, the stuff is sent out from Prague Czechoslovakia, and on the envelope you get, there will be a customs notice signed.

But i wouldn't buy from there, they missed half my shipment off and the postage fee is ridiculous. I bought generic Modalert 200 50 tabs from www.inhousepharmacy.co.uk. Even though they're based on a Pacific Island in Vanuatu, i got mine sent out on the day i paid and received it under a week.

[Centurion]

What was the modalert like? Did you get all the benefits claimed for modafinil?

[perlman55]

[FONT=Courier][SIZE=7]

I have received an indian version called of Provigil - Modafil, made by Sun Pharmacies.
I would love to know what this contains.
It affects me like a cheap speed. I don't like it.
Of all the modafinil copies I've received only Provigil seems to work for me, and not
always.
Modaler, Vigicer, and now this Modafil.
Are we being flooded with cheap copies whose chemistry we really don't know?
Any suggestions on how to be careful?

perlman 55

[perlman55]

they don't send things out from the UK, the stuff is sent out from Prague Czechoslovakia, and on the envelope you get, there will be a customs notice signed.

But i wouldn't buy from there, they missed half my shipment off and the postage fee is ridiculous. I bought generic Modalert 200 50 tabs from www.inhousepharmacy.co.uk. Even though they're based on a Pacific Island in Vanuatu, i got mine sent out on the day i paid and received it under a week.

How good were they?
Perlman55[B]

[patch]

When I first got modafinil (Alertec brand) I loved it but the effect got less and less dramatic. Even after laying off it for a few weeks I tried it again and it still wasn't as good as before. If I took some right now it probably wouldn't do much for me at all, not even in terms of sleep-reduction. I've heard similar stories from others. Like certain other things in life, it'll never be as good as the first time.
I think this effect explains the varying results people have been reporting from different brands. They take one brand, then run out and order a different brand and it feels different. If you want to settle the issue once and for all, get some Provigil and try it out again.

[impulsive]

http://www.freedom-p...2CProvigil)&T=m

http://www.pharma-or...8b96b1e0cf61b03

http://www.biogenesi...dafinil&x=0&y=0

http://shop.airsealed.com/pd_india.cfm

http://shop.airseale...afinil_20gr.cfm

those are the current top places to purchase?

so, please everyone give your opinions...

[psy333che]

I have a prescription in the states and My insurance pays for it
I am not sure about any of these places but I am sure someone here will
Sorry

[lostfan9999]

Is it still illegal if I get a prescription from my docotor for Modafinil - and then I import a genenric version of Modafinil? I don't see how that could be illegal since I have a prescription for it...

[doug123]

Is it still illegal if I get a prescription from my docotor for Modafinil - and then I import a genenric version of Modafinil? I don't see how that could be illegal since I have a prescription for it...

If you're not a DEA registered importer, it seems it's illegal.



In addition, after seeing this, this, and this, I think it's pretty clear that if you're in the USA, it's probably best to get it filled at the local pharmacy and avoid the unnecessary risk.

That's why I originally suggested folks try Adrafinil first. Read my first post in this topic to see why I suggested one might want to try that route first.

Take care.