I just returned from my MD after a 5 day battle with Strattera (I detail its failure in another thread.) And he prescribes Provigil (Modafinil) as my next possible treatment.

I just get the feeling he's totally against any of the stimulant meds that are recommended for ADD.

Question: Does anyone have any experience with this medication? I have looked it up and its actually a med for narcolepsy and daytime drowsiness.

Could it work? Any information would be helpful.

I'll keep you posted.

A year or two before I considered the possibility I was ADD, I got interested in modafinil. ***contents removed by moderator, no posts involving illegal use of medications allowed***

I was quite pleased with the results, I had a little more drive and was quite a bit more alert than normal. There wasn't a huge change in my level of focus but there was some. The feeling of being on a drug was very mild. Despite having a number of years with some significant recreational drug use I was and am hesitant to use a drug for my own wellness without at least talking to a doctor. So despite the good results I used it rarely, maybe once every three or four weeks.

In my conversations with my psychiatrist during my ADD evaluation, all in the last couple of months, he has mentioned that it is one of the drugs he frequently prescribes for his ADD patients and that in his opinion it should be listed as one of the main medications for ADD.

Buying it in the US is costly. You can only get the brand, Provigil. However compromising and getting the generic from an international source is not so great either. ***legally and with a perscription*** Several people who have taken both have commented that the gap between brand and generic is larger with Modafinil than the majority of pharmaceuticals. My psychiatrist gave me some 200 mg samples of Provigil so I can try the 'real thing'. I have found it to be helpful, although I would certainly like more of an effect on my focus. It is also more subtle than Modalert; it has very little 'feel' to it. When I compare days when I took Provigil/Modalert to days where I didn't, in terms of productivity, well, there is no comparison.

All that said, your doctor sounds lame. Personally I have read too many horror stories about Strattera to ever consider it. But the real issue is why he is not talking to you about stimulants. I would go ahead and bring it up. Even though that seems like it could be counter productive by heightening his own reluctance, I would be inclined to find out if he ever prescribes them and if not I would evaluate whether I wanted to continue to see him.

Good luck.

WOW!

I took half a 200mg tablet of Provigil at work around 11 AM. By 2 PM I was cranking out tons of work.

I had a meeting at 2:30 PM and I have to say that I was in rare form. I was making critical thinking seem easy. One of my coworkers even stated, "Man, you're full of great ideas today, what are you on...I want some." Everyone laughed but I was on something. ;)

After that meeting I met with my manager and another high level manager. Stuff was coming out of my brain like I had rehearsed the entire conversation. More acknowlegements of, " wow, great idea!"

For the first time in forever, I actually wanted to stay a little later to hash out some of my projects because I felt on top of my game. But coming home to cook for my 3 kids took priority.

The real test is reading, which I haven't got around to doing yet but it's on my list for tonight.

Pros: See above.

Cons: A little hint of a bad taste in my mouth and a slight head ache. AND from what I have read so far nobody knows how this drug actually works. :confused: That is something I'm going to investigate.

But from what I can tell so far its working wonders for me. But like any new thing only time will tell. A good couple of weeks should give me an idea if it's a viable option.

Day one update...

A year or two before I considered the possibility I was ADD, I got interested in modafinil. After finding out how easy it is to buy from an international pharmacy without a prescription I went ahead and got some Modalert which is the generic form manufactured in India.

I was quite pleased with the results, I had a little more drive and was quite a bit more alert than normal. There wasn't a huge change in my level of focus but there was some. The feeling of being on a drug was very mild. Despite having a number of years with some significant recreational drug use I was and am hesitant to use a drug for my own wellness without at least talking to a doctor. So despite the good results I used it rarely, maybe once every three or four weeks.

In my conversations with my psychiatrist during my ADD evaluation, all in the last couple of months, he has mentioned that it is one of the drugs he frequently prescribes for his ADD patients and that in his opinion it should be listed as one of the main medications for ADD.

Buying it in the US is costly. You can only get the brand, Provigil. However compromising and getting the generic from an international source is not so great either. Several people who have taken both have commented that the gap between brand and generic is larger with Modafinil than the majority of pharmaceuticals. My psychiatrist gave me some 200 mg samples of Provigil so I can try the 'real thing'. I have found it to be helpful, although I would certainly like more of an effect on my focus. It is also more subtle than Modalert; it has very little 'feel' to it. When I compare days when I took Provigil/Modalert to days where I didn't, in terms of productivity, well, there is no comparison.

All that said, your doctor sounds lame. Personally I have read too many horror stories about Strattera to ever consider it. But the real issue is why he is not talking to you about stimulants. I would go ahead and bring it up. Even though that seems like it could be counter productive by heightening his own reluctance, I would be inclined to find out if he ever prescribes them and if not I would evaluate whether I wanted to continue to see him.

Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback. I walked out of the Dr's office thinking, "this isn't going to work." <O:p

And you are correct, my Dr is a bonehead. Instead of treating the patient he's worrying about the legal ramifications of prescribing a stimulant... ESPECIALLY one with the name Amphetamine. (Oooh scary!) :mad: <O:p</O:p
<O:p

I'm glad you responded, I didn't think I'd find too many people who'd been given this since it's not actually for ADD.

Did you have any advice as to what not to do while taking this medication?

Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback...

Did you have any advice as to what not to do while taking this medication?

Not really. The only thing I would suggest is to make sure you are meeting your need for sleep. Perhaps you have come across mention that Modafinil is used by the military for keeping combat troops awake and alert for long periods in the field; I believe pilots and infantry primarily. This isn't an appropriate use for the rest of us, especially when we take it regularly instead of isolated ocassions. Personally I have noticed a diminished effect when I haven't gotten a full night's rest. However, it is so easy to use it to make up for insufficient sleep and get by that you can find yourself neglecting to get enough rest. I think making sure to maintain good sleep hygiene is the only caution to mention. Probably not something the narcoleptics need to hear...

You mentioned that no one understands the action of modafinil in the brain. This concerns me a bit too. Not enough to put it away though. In particular I wish that it had been around for a couple more decades so we could see if long term users had a disproportionate rate of whatever. Ah well...

Provigil alone wasn't much help, but with dexedrine it tends to work okay, I can say that provigil was like "Caffiene XR" and it helps with motivation better than dexedrine.

Provigil is used for ADHD off label but I don't know how it works personally. I know it's ment to maintain alertness in people w/ excessive sleep problems or narcolepsy. Best of luck...

Andy...

In Driven from Distraction the auther talks about using Provigil on his patients with a stimulant and he gets very good results with the combination. My Dr. told me that the FDA does not approve the use for it for ADD, and that it has been tested and found not to work on ADD. I think he's wrong, and I don't like my Dr. anyway.. I just had to throw that in for you guys..

This was day two on Provigil and I must admit it's working like a charm. I'm actually getting a weeks worth of work done in a day, not because I am all sped up, it's because I'm thinking very clearly for the first time in a long time. Actually I'm finding out I haven't been thinking clearly probably forever. :(

As far as the side effects I've only had a mild head ache and a slight taste in the mouth.

But with only two days as proof I'd say the jury is still out. If I'm feeling this good in a month that would be awesome. Do you realize how much I could get done in a month?!

Several sites list Provigil as an option for ADD treatment off label.

So far so good...

(Dosage half a 200 mg tablet.)

found not to work on ADD
I wouldn't want to rely on modafinil (ProVigil) alone (without methylphenidate or other stimulant), but I don't want to EVER go without it, either.

It made such an amazing difference for me. Methylphenidate helped with the "classic" ADD symptoms, but sometimes made me feel reeeeeally mellow at the very times I was hoping for a bit more alertness. With Modafinil, I suddenly no longer had to fight to stay awake. No longer did everything seem boring as h-e-double hockey sticks, in comparison to a nice nap.

It does NOT work to keep me awake. If I take it when tired, it just makes me incredibly keenly aware of exactly how tired I am, and I can fall asleep immediately.

The side effects were pretty horrible, and lasted ... about five months. I'm not a person who has much tolerance at all for side effects, and these were doozies. I didn't think the side effects would ever diminish, and I didn't think of going off. The stuff is THAT good.

What you SHOULD know is that modafinil can be hard on your liver. You should have blood tests every few weeks until you get an idea of how your liver is doing, and then every few months to keep an eye on it. I keep my liver values in line by drinking lots of extra water ... and working out makes a difference as well.

How long do the effects last? Do you have to take provigil on an empty stomach in order to have it work better?

I ask because adderall-xr pooped out on me just around the time I arrived home from work everyday. I'd have no energy to do anything other than sprawl on the couch, which isn't very functional!

Delivered from Distraction mentioned good results when combining Provigil with Strattera (I don't recall a discussion of provigil & stimulants together, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't there). Has anybody tried this?

I know with provigil I'm assuming it lasts all day so you don't have to take more than one pill since it is prescribed for narcolepsy. I would hate to have to wait to take a pill and then end up... zzz... I don't know how to take it but I do know that it's in 100mg and 200mg tablets. Provigil does have a website that helps to explain their dosing options...

http://www.provigil.com

Best of luck everyone...

Here's a little something I found from their website re: dosing of provigil...

How should I take PROVIGIL?
• Take PROVIGIL exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will prescribe the dose
of PROVIGIL that is right for you. Do not change your dose of PROVIGIL without talking
to your doctor. Do not take more PROVIGIL than prescribed.
• Your doctor will tell you the right time of day to take PROVIGIL. Patients with narcolepsy
or OSAHS usually take one dose of PROVIGIL every day in the morning. PROVIGIL may
help you stay awake during the day but it should not affect nighttime sleep. Patients with
SWSD usually take PROVIGIL about 1 hour before their work shift. Do not change the time
of day you take PROVIGIL unless you have talked to your doctor.
• You can take PROVIGIL with or without food.
• If you take more than your prescribed dose, or take PROVIGIL too late in your waking day,
you may find it harder to go to sleep. Call your doctor if you have any concerns.

I know with provigil I'm assuming it lasts all day so you don't have to take more than one pill since it is prescribed for narcolepsy. I would hate to have to wait to take a pill and then end up... zzz... I don't know how to take it but I do know that it's in 100mg and 200mg tablets. Provigil does have a website that helps to explain their dosing options...

http://www.provigil.com

Best of luck everyone...How long is "all day"?

1 adderall-xr is also supposed to last all day (10-12 hours), but most people find that it only works for 6-8 hours at most.

I'm thinking it should last about 12+ hours so that people with narcolepsy can avoid 2x a day dosing and only have to take it in the morning. This is my best guess...

Going back to the original post in this thread, you said you had a 5-day battle with Strattera. I have not read your other post, so do not know the travails, but Strattera takes a while to get up to effective levels in the bloodstream. Again, I haven't read the other post, but 5 days seems like a very short time to try Strattera. I tried Strattera for several weeks before having to give it up for unacceptable side effects. Anyway, 5 days seems like a short time to try it.

Also, I may be mistaken, but I thought Strattera was not a stimulant. But I may be wrong.

I tried several other meds that simply did not work for me (Adderall, Ritalin, some others I don't even remember now), and was getting a little down about it. I asked my psychiatrist about Provigil. My insurance company freaked, so I tried it for a while with samples. I initially thought it was working for me, but looking back I think some of it was just wishful thinking. In the end, it did not work. Also, the insurance company was going to make my doctor submit a report for a committee to review. A crock. But it wasn't working anyway.

I moved from Provigil to Dex, and find it much more effective for me. But it sounds like Provigil may work for you.

Also, I may be mistaken, but I thought Strattera was not a stimulant. But I may be wrong.You are right SuperSam. Strattera is not a stimulant. It is an SNRI. Serotonin + Neurepinephrne Reuptake Inhibitor...

Dateline just featured Provigil on a special they did about products that don't work as advertised. Didn't sound very good. They emphasized that Provigil is only FDA approved for Narcolepsy, but there is a lot of off-label use. In this case, it looks like the off-label use is pretty irresponsible too. Provigil's makers lobby very hard with doctors to get more off-label uses, even to the point of making unethical claims in literature they provide to docs (Provigil manufacturer denied this allegation).

Also, don't be too swayed by the military's supposed use of Provigil. The special had an Army research lab rep on it as well. The US Army tested Provigil in several ways in simulated combat situations and exercises and Provigil didn't even work as well as caffeine in keeping troops alert. They concluded it isn't useful and have gone back to giving combat troops caffeine pills instead.

Not to discount anyone who has had a good result with this stuff, but I think any doctor who hypes it to the point of considering it one of the "main" ADD drugs has been hypnotized by advertising, not real studies. Off-label uses should be the line of last resort.