24 replies to this topic

[goku]

I apologize if this is a redundant question, but I'm curious about why Modafinil is not a staple with more people, or anybody for that matter. I've been using regularly for about a week and it's by far the most powerful (at least subjectively) aid to my focus and mental alacrity.

Is modafinil contraindicated with certain noops that I'm not aware of?

What are other people's experience with Modafinil?

[wannafulfill]

I think people are leery to use it because it's illegal, and a stimulant. Also, people report that side effects and cognitive problems arise during/after long-term use. Also, it doesn't meet the popular definition of a nootropic.

Edited by wannafulfill, 05 November 2005 - 02:59 AM.

[jackinbox]

I have ADHD and I just began Modafinil 2 days ago(100mg, 2x a day). It keeps me awake but I don't see any improvement for focus. Witch dosage do you take?

[goku]

I take 100 mg and I tell you the result is very powerful. I believe it to be the single most potent part of my stack, and I take quite a few noops now. I know it's not technically a noop, but when Scientific American did a huge expose on the latest mind enhancing substances in the world, they talked ALOT about Modafinil and didn't even mention any of the other noops that we all take like the racetams and vasodilators and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. So I dunno.

[goku]

where'd you get liquid Modafinil from? And please keep us posted as to your results with that product. I'm very interested.

I've heard people rave about liquid hydergine I think it was. What's with the liquid versions? What's the dif?

[worldeater]

goku, what brand are you using? I hear Sun Pharma is more effective than Cipla.

[goku]

sun pharma is Modalert -- a generic -- cheap but I dunno about potency, although generics are supposed to be exactly the same as regs. I use Alertec -- the Canadian version of Modafinil

[vastman]

A few thoughts on this topic....

wanna....Modafinil is neither illegal nor does it cause the problems you cite. Maybe in some extreem or rare cases, but generally it is well tolerated and extreemly effective at what it does... promote a wake state. Many people with depression, apnea, add, and other problems find this medication improves their lives. Personally, I take about 200 mg. a day, four or five times a week, to stabilize my wake state which is disrupted by sleep apneas. It is great for this.

da...Modafinil is still not available generically as the patents haven't expired....anything but the real deal has to be considered suspect... I haven't heard anything about a liquid formulation...be careful

goku... it is highly effective at what it does but as to significantly improving cognitive functions, there is little evidence of this. Then again, if you are suffering from an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea as I was, you will find an amazing improvement in your congnitive competativeness.... however, it doesn't solve the sleep deprevation problems which I mostly rely on a CPAP machine to do...

At 55 years old, and after having experimented with more psycochems than most due to a close affiliation with biochemists in the field of psycobiochemistry, I have to say that while I find Modifinil incredibly effective, it is very subtle and doesn't really have a lot of "enhancement attributes" beyond the wake state/clarity effect. Actually it has been shown to improve chronic fatigue syndroms and reduce painful body aches a bit. While I have my share of these at my age, it is hard for me to comment on this as it is hard to separate M's effect from improvements due to my supplement regimine.

[erics99]

I use Modafinil tablets made by Sun Pharmaceutical. Each tab is 200 mg and I take usually two a day only on my work days, which comes out to about 10 days per month (24 hour shifts). It seems to be very effective in keeping me alert and making me a bit more motivated. I got a great deal on these tabs last time I ordered. 2 x Provigil generic (modafinil) 200mg x 50 pills () = $130.00.

Does anybody else have experiences with this make of Modafinil? Each tab seems to be effective for about 12 hours.

[wannafulfill]

wanna....Modafinil is neither illegal nor does it cause the problems you cite. 

Let's not let misinformation harm people. Modafinil is a Schedule IV stimulant in the United States. This means it is illegal to sell without a DEA license and illegal to buy or possess without a license or prescription. If you have a script and use it for sleep apnea, that is great. It is one of the best treatments available.

For use as an aid to healthy mental functions, I think it's very different. Nearly everyone who has posted their experience with everyday use has reported down-regulation as a result after a few months. This is one of a few reasons why modafinil is not a nootropic, because it is not intended for long-term use as a drug for nootropic purposes. For example, one study showed initial success with fatigue, for example, but after 6 weeks "...the differences between modafinil and placebo at week 6 were not statistically significant." If anyone has other personal experiences, it'd be great if you posted them here.

Edited by wannafulfill, 08 November 2005 - 05:29 AM.

[velocidex]

^ Other studies have found a sustained effect.

[goku]

haven't been using for long-term, so we'll have to see - and while moda is considered a stimulant, it's a bit moot right now b/c apparently they don't really know how it works. I've heard it's not all that much like a stimulant.

In terms of cognitive enhancement, attention is quintessential to mental functioning. Better attention and focus, the better you perform. I remember reading in a scientific american that one neurologist felt attention level was the primary indicator of intelligence...

[nuance]

I've been taking Cephalon's name-brand Modafinil ("Provigil") at 200-300 mg pretty much daily for several years now and can share my experiences with it. I have it prescribed to me for a mild form of narcolepsy.

It was only this year that I noticed any signs of downregulation, and even then only somewhat diminished effectiveness. A couple days off seems to greatly restore its effectiveness.

It definitely increases alertness, makes you feel wide awake when you would otherwise not be. It is not a substitute for sleep though, and much of the cognitive decline that accompanies sleep deprivation is still present if modafinil is used in place of sleep.

Reading in other posts, people cite anecdotal reports of language deficits after continued use-- I have noticed no decline at all in my language skills, and wonder if perhaps the language deficit is moreso an effect of sleep deprivation if modafinil is being used to somewhat mask its symptoms.

I don't notice any appreciable increase in physical energy beyond what I would normally have when fully awake. Additionally, if I am truly in need of sleep, I can even sleep on modafinil (have been able to do this even right after I began my regimen years ago).

[goku]

yeah for me, I'm not physically really much better, but definately mentally. And it's remarkable how long you can stay awake with this stuff and how effectviely you can think even when you've had very very little sleep for a long time. Anybody know exactly how modafinil works? I heard it's moot.

[nuance]

Yeah, still here just not on the internet a whole lot lately with classes and such. I've been taking 200mg (sometimes 300) daily since 2001. I sometimes don't bother to take it on the weekends if I can afford to revert to my non-medicated state. I suffer from hypersomnia and even after a full night's restful sleep, I tend to fall asleep throughout the day at inappropriate times and places. Caffeine doesn't help, and I prefer to stay away from ritalin or the amphetamines. I wish I had been diagnosed sooner, but I guess my condition isn't very common, relatively speaking.

[rfarris]

Have you ruled out sleep apnea? That was my problem. After 10 years of assuming I had narcolepsy...

[nuance]

Yeah, I went to the hospital's sleep center and they wired me up for a couple nights and monitored brain waves, respriation, etc. There were no signs of apnea and it appeared that I got a full, restful sleep. When I awoke in the morning, they gave me a hypo-allergenic breakfast and then a while later had me go back and lay down in bed in a dark room for 15 minutes, then get up and stay awake for 1/2 hour, then repeat. They did this seven or eight times and each time I lay down I would soon enter REM sleep.

It's not classic, full-blown narcolepsy (ie. I don't fall asleep suddenly in mid-sentence). Rather, most of my unmedicated days consist of being either excessively sleepy or sleeping.

GHB was a godsend when it was legal-- after its effects would wear off, I would feel truly awake. I guess they have it available as a prescription for people with narcolepsy, but I don't think my neurologist would prescribe it to me as my condition isn't extreme, relative to some other people's.

[jolly]

If you get too depressed, or too "logical" after modafinil, I'd stop....I took it for a few months, (under prescription), and it had serious affects on my personality.

[johnmk]

Such as?

[jolly]

Take a look at my earlier posts I wrote when I first pulled myself off it...if you have any other questions, let me know and I'll answer them as best as I can

http://www.imminst.o...=169&t=5661&hl=