Anyone take Provigil (modoafinil)?
 

Hey -- newby here. I'm currently on 40 mg of Adderall 2x/ day, and it works great but I worry about long-term effect/ potential addiction. I've read somewhere that modafinil (Provigil) is used for narcolespy/adhd, just like Adderall, but that it's supposed to be a "cleaner" drug. My question is, has any one tried it? IF so, does it work?
For what it's worth, I'm ADD, not ADHD, if that matters....

I just talked with a lady who started it & loves it. She had a big problem with being sleepy and is also not hyper. It is a newer drug so not as well studied & I'm not sure but I think maybe more risk to your liver perhaps requiring periodic testing. Yes, as I understand it has less of the euphoric effect, simply keeps you alert. But it is also a controlled substance with potential for abuse I think. If insomnia is a problem, you probably won't like it because of it's very long lasting wakeful effects.

thanks!
 

Yes, sleepiness is a HUGE problem with me -- it's almost to the point where I wonder if I have narcolepsy. I'm not sure I get a euphoric sensation with adderall, though I might notice the lack one if I go off it. Any info on how Provigil helps (or not) with concentration and compulsiveness (my two biggies).

Provigil has been used in tests by the US Military in keeping pilots awake and alert during 40 hour flights with excellent success. Just a little bit of trivia.

Crazyj,

I was diagnosed in June with add at age 37. I started on adderall and take 30mgxr daily. For me I break down my add into two problems, one is that I am so tired all the time, secondly I can't concentrate and procrastinate. I found that the adderall helped only a bit with the concentration but it made it so I could function through the day (most of the time). I was at the dr's the other day for something else and mentioned that although I am not complaining about adderall because it is much better for me then being unmedicated, but I was wondering if maybe there was something else that would keep me awake AND more organized and focused. He mentioned provigil and said that maybe if I was not as tired I would be more alert, so he wrote me a script. I only filled it for 5 pills of the prescription of 30 because it is close to 7 bucks per pill and my insurance doesn't cover meds. I took one both yesterday and today, I am much more awake but I don't feel the least bit "drugged" just normal. No side effects at all, no euphoria, no rapidly beating heart, I am not clenching my jaw like I do with adderall and my neck isn't as tight. I was just awake and normal. But i can't really afford over 200 dollars a month for the stuff so I decided that I would take it one week a month and give myself a drug holdiay from the adderall and then take adderall the rest of the time. If I had insurance that covered it I would definetly take the provigil instead. I also had no problems falling asleep last night.

Feel free to ask any questions and I will let you know how I am doing on it.

Debs

I have been prescribed Provigil. Although I did not combine it at the time, it was completely useless to me. Yes. Some military flyers liked it. However, there is also an article which indicated allegedly, that it was a bit of boondoggle (overhyped) for some in military. But as they say. "Everyone is different" and it may do well for you.

Natural Remedies???
 

Hey... just wondering... do any suggest natural remedies to AD/HD? Be well... SRA

just started taking it
it seems okay but i still get narcoleptic problems, need to find the right dose

one thing
do not ever mix it with dextromethoraphin cough medicine
it is unnerving like coming off of acid feeling for hours,
dm has a long half life so it takes for ever to go away.

but i think that provigil can work for me
otherwise i may try dex.
or stratera.

okay started last friday
took it on its own 100 mg
felt okay but still no energy

next day took it and had a cough so i took DM
DM had bizaare sideeffects felt like coming off acid all weird an off.

next day took 200mg had a narcaleptic episode
fell asleep for 20 minutes then was tired all day

tried just one again the next day the same as the first day
felt good but still not enough energy

read up on it it does not mess with adderall but adderall delays it's onset by one hour
so i waited 1 hour after taking 1/2, 50 mg and then took 6mg of adderall time relase
and the other half of the provigil 6-8 hours later, with a little more adderal instant release if needed.

felt great and had lots of energy and focus,

i still have some trouble directing my focus
in that i can get onto something that is not a priority
but now i have the energy to change

so we will see how it goes.


oh i do sometimes get headeaches but a couple of advil get rid of them.

and

I started last week on it, I took it for 3 days while on a drug holiday from Adderall. I took 100 mgs and was awake but I guess not as blown away with it as I expected. I went back to adderall and then today took 150mg's and found myself having what I would expect a "normal" day would be like for other people. I felt great, not tired, but not hyper or shaky. I was really happy with it today, I do think I will try 200mgs tomorrow just to get an idea if that is the magic number. I also decided if it does work well, I may just bite the bullet and pay for it each month. I have no problem spending $5.00 a day for a latte (decaf because I can't handle caffeine) so if 7 bucks a day is going to give me the energy I need to get through the day and be productive it is definetly worth it!!

Rob, is it ok to take with adderall, I was kind of thinking one or the other but hadn't thought about both at the same time?! Hmmm

Hi Debs and others,

There's another, older drug similar to Provigil called adrafinil, that is available in Europe, the UK, and Canada. It is VERY cheap. You can order it on the internet for about 50 cents to $1 a dose.

It is legal to import for personal use, but you should have a prescription on hand--that makes it completely legal. Your pdoc may be willing to prescribe it for you, you might then order it and keep the prescription in case any importation issues arise.

Adrafinil is a precusor to the active ingredient in Provigil, modafinil. Your liver changes one into the other. The only problem with adrafinil, is longterm use may elevate your liver enzymes. So, it is important to get a blood test, every few months if you and your doc choose this route.

I am not a physician, so discuss all medication options with your doctor.

Oh, and I've tried it and it works for my ADD symptoms, but is not as effective as stimulants for me.

Cheers,

Stan,
I assume both of these would be ill advised for someone with insomnia problems.

>paulbf
>Stan,
>I assume both of these would be ill advised for someone >with insomnia problems.

Paulbf,

Neither drug is considered a stimulant, like the amphetamines or Ritalin; they both promote wakefulness and focused attention, as you mentioned. After you get used to them you can sleep when tired, but come to alertness when stimulated. They are subtle drugs.

I have problems with insomnia, Adrafinil affected my sleep the first night I tried it, but after that night I had no problems. I wake up refreshed in the morning, as well, even with my occassional use of the drug.

Your milage may vary.

I didn't see much potential for abuse with Adrafinil (probably the same for Provigil, which I have not taken), and I am a recovering drug addict.

I found Ritalin to be better for my symptoms, but still have some Adrafinil to use when my Ritalin script runs out. I have minor/moderate liver disease (chronic active Hep C.-- no cirrhosis, yet!) and do not want to take either Adrafinil or Provigil on a daily, long term basis. Ritalin is easier on the liver.

Cheers,

Provigil has a very long action so I assume it would keep me up late even if I took it in the morning and it's too expensive (I don't have insurance). I just looked up adrafinil & it has a halflife of only an hour? I had no trouble with sleeping with ritalin or adderall.

Last time I posted I mentioned I was going to take 150mg of provigil well I took what I THOUGHT was 150mgs. I am pretty sure my dr wrote my prescription for 100 mgs because we talked about the possibility of going to 200mg but what I had filled was 200 so I ended up taking 300mgs (1 pill and a half). I wasn't tired but I found that I was dizzy a few times during the day, I didn't notice the dose until the next day when I was getting my meds, I glanced at the bottle and saw 200mgs. It was to much. I took adderall today and think I will switch back and forth every few weeks. I was against taking provigil because of the cost and not having insurance that covers it (5000 deductible per person) but then I realized that I have no problem going to starbucks and spending 4 bucks on a coffee so if Provigil is going to make me "more normal" and productive then I will continue to buy it. I am going to chat with the dr and see what he thinks is the best thing to do.

paulbf,

Adrafinil also has a long period of effect. It made me jittery and energetic the first two or three days I took it. It did, initially, affect my sleep (after two pills in the morning). But after the first night, I didn't have problems with sleep. After a couple of days, it didn't make me jitter anymore, and has not since.


I spent about $60 for my experiment, after telling my pdoc about it.


Again, each person is different.

The clinical trials being done on provigil for ADD have been very promising. There is a buzz in the pharmaceutical industry that this could be a blockbuster. The final results of phase 3 won't be available until 2005.

Cephalon Files Application for Marketing Approval of New Modafinil Formulation for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder



Accelerated Submission Date Based on Highly Significant Results From Three Studies of New Once-Daily DosesWEST CHESTER, Pa., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) today announced that it has filed a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting marketing approval of ATTENACE(TM) (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV], a new proprietary dosage form of modafinil for the treatment of attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents between the ages of six and 17.

In August 2004, Cephalon announced results from three multi-center clinical trials that showed that ATTENACE 340 mg and 425 mg tablets significantly improve symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents. Based upon the strength of the study results, the company accelerated the filing of its application with the FDA from the first quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2004. The company is targeting a launch of ATTENACE by early 2006.

"Physicians and parents continue to seek treatment for children and adolescents with ADHD that provides a balanced efficacy and tolerability profile. In our phase 3 trials, we were encouraged that ATTENACE improved the symptoms of many children and adolescents with ADHD to levels within the range considered normal for those without ADHD, as measured by the ADHD rating scales used in our studies. There was a low discontinuation rate due to adverse events in these studies as well," said Paul Blake, MB, FRCP, Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs.

"The consistency of the effectiveness of ATTENACE to treat the full range of ADHD symptoms uniformly across the three studies allows us to present what we believe is a strong submission package to FDA," Dr. Blake added.

Frank Baldino Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, said, "We are enthusiastic about the data from our clinical trials and the potential for ATTENACE, once approved, to capture a substantial portion of the ADHD market. We expect that ATTENACE will provide another exceptional growth opportunity for Cephalon."

About the Clinical Trials

In three nine-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, more than 600 children and adolescents between the ages of six and 17 with ADHD were randomized to either placebo or ATTENACE. The primary endpoint in all studies was the teacher-completed school version of the ADHD Rating Scale IV. All of the ATTENACE-treated groups showed a highly statistically significant improvement on the ADHD rating scale compared to placebo (p<0.0001). ATTENACE was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with that observed in other studies of modafinil. The most common adverse events observed in the phase 3 trials with children and adolescents with ADHD included mild transient insomnia, headache and loss of appetite. The complete Phase 3 study data are expected to be presented at major medical meetings in 2005.

ATTENACE

Data from earlier clinical trials in children and adolescents with ADHD led to the development of ATTENACE as small, film-coated tablets in unique dosage strengths. The new tablets will be available in 85 mg, 170 mg, 255 mg, 340 mg, and 425 mg strengths and will allow for tailored dosing with a single tablet for children and adolescents with ADHD. The active ingredient in ATTENACE, modafinil, is currently available as PROVIGIL(R) (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV] in 100 mg and 200 mg strengths. PROVIGIL is indicated for the treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and shift work sleep disorder. The most frequently reported adverse events in clinical trials with PROVIGIL were headache, nausea, nervousness, stuffy nose, diarrhea, back pain, anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness and upset stomach.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among children, affecting three to five percent of American children. The most common ADHD behaviors fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A diagnosis of ADHD is generally made when these behaviors become excessive, long-term, and pervasive. Studies have shown that children with ADHD have higher medical costs than children without ADHD due to the risk of accidents and injury resulting from inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Debs,
I'm new to this forum but I have been trying like crazy to get our insurance to cover provigil for my son. I can't use this because we do have insurance but you can go to the Cephalon (drug company) website, click on Provigil and go to the patient reimbursement help section. They will help you get the Provigil if you don't have insurance.
I have been on Adderral and Provigil. Huge differance in how I feel.

Provigil and ADD
 

Various claims have been made for provigil and ADD and initially it appeared the drug would be approved for ADD. However the testing of the drug failed to establish its effectiveness for ADD. It was not approved for ADD (and the stock price of the drug company fell greatly).

It is a wonderful drug for sleep disorder in which people are unable to stay awake.

I use it to stay awake. Life is so much better when one can stay awake. For me, it has no effect on ADD.

Sorry, but you've been misinformed. Scroll up.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....6634&highlight=

More news.
 

• ATTENACE is Cephalon's proprietary dosage form of modafinil, which is awaiting U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Cephalon submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for ATTENACE to the FDA in December 2004 and anticipates a response on the PDUFA date of October 20, 2005.

View the complete article here: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=81709&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=751460&highlight=

I've had great success with Provigil to date. Not only helped with my "congnitive fog" but has helped with my exhaustion and ADD issues as well.

I have an appointment tomorrow with a new doctor. I am definitely going to ask about it. I am so sleepy and it is much worse when I drive. :eek:

modafinil and dexies
 

has anyone hear combined dexies with modafinil?
if so what are the results

Adrafinil has a half life of around 16 hours. I went and bought a box of the stuff from out of the country last year. It's only a schedule 4 drug, so it's not so hard to get. All it did was make my pee smell funny.

Adrafinil increases levels of liver enzymes. What is bad about that? Like, could it cause cirrhosis? Or hepatitis? And would you notice any symptoms until it's severe?

And can your liver recover from any damage? I'm still a teenager, and do not intend to take it long-term.

Also, do you feel the effects almost immediately? Or do you have to be on the dosage for a while to feel the effects? It seems like those on modafinil feel the effects almost immediately - as did the editors of Slate who wrote something about it.

Also, concerning modafinil - do you need to get a psychiatrist to prescribe it - or can you go through your regular doctor?

A regular doc. can prescribe it. I couldn't take it because it made my heart go crazy.

hey crazyj
 

i have tried most meds for depression or add...
its hard to find one drug for add that works right...i think you should stick with what works best...i don't think adderall is addictive...if it works great and your quality of life has improve...now, that can be addictive...

Re: Anyone take Provigil (modoafinil)?
 

I also have trouble sleeping at night so if I didn't take my provigil before 7am then I was hard to go to sleep at night. But (for me anyways), I think you build up a tolerance to it and it's not so effective over time.

You can always take 1/2 a tab. and work up from there. I like it b/c it doesn't make me jittery or feel weird. It just makes me feel "normal" like how everyone else can stay awake in class.

Provigil (NORD) does have a patient assistant program, however it has temp. stopped for some reason.:eek:

Re: Anyone take Provigil (modoafinil)?
 

I hear at a certain point with provigil people just hit a wall and it stops being effective which scares me slightly because that means somethings changed in your neurochemistry and its not simply tolerance.

Re: Anyone take Provigil (modoafinil)?
 

Hi
I have Adult ADD along with Bi-Polar Manic Depression. I suffer from both as well as severe sleep apnea and narcolepsy. I have been on Provigil for almost a year now. I am familiar with Adderall as well as self medicated in the past using Meth. Having a full tolerance to both to the point I don't Jones even for meth anymore. I am probably about as qualified as I can think of to answer this question. They have tried me on a lot of the non stimulant medications and most of them just made me feel like I had a really bad hangover. Provigil is the first non stimulant medication that has done a good job for me. It seems to improved both concentration as well as focus. Not only that it has given me a definite marked improvement in coordination and right brain activity. I cant say enough to tell you what a great medication I think it is. It is being tested in Australia as a medication to get people who are hooked on meth off meth. I personally have had two meth relapses which I simply went back to using my Provigil afterwards and had very little withdrawal symptoms from the meth. So its even a great medication for getting off Adderall with minimal side effects. I have had to request a bump up on my medication because I was starting to encounter the narcolepsy in the afternoon about 1 to 3 PM. My doctor is having me increase my doses to include 1/2 a tab at 1PM. My regular dose full tab is 200MG once in the morning. I would not recomend taking it before bed time. My doctor has also cosubscribed 10MG Stratera for aiding with my social agsiety disorder when its needed which works a whole lot better under Provigil. He has also cosubscribed 25MG Seroquel when needed because of my Bi-Polar to get to sleep when I encounter excesive dopamine eppesodes.

Summery: Provigil is the best medication for Adult ADD that I have ever used and I would hate to ever be without it. I hope this information helps. :rolleyes:

Re: Anyone take Provigil (modoafinil)?
 

Hey everyone,
I used modafinil for something like one year, but just for short periods (exams and all).
First, the effect is amazing, I was focused, awake, I could work 10h a day without even taking a break, but I encountered a major problem: the half life is very long (12h), so even when going to bed I still had the effects!!
First, I work from 9am to 8pm with a one hour lunch break. But even after that, I still can't stop thinking! I usually go to bed around 10:30pm, and fall asleep within 30mn, but with modafinil it's around 1,5 hour, really trying to!! And at night, I feel like I'm totally not sleeping! Every few hours I wake up THINKING about maths problems, doing calculation etc...

The result is : after a few days fatigue starts to build up. I recently used it in a prolonged period : 4mounths with 2 two-week break, and even though it helped me work, I had been more tired THAN EVER!
I'm never sick (maybe once very two years...), and I've been sick half the time ! I get a cold for the first time in my life! I also got my first flu...
I used to do much sport but I was so tired I cut to half my sport sessions, and my performances dropped a lot...
I also bigan to experience hair loss, not much but contrasting with the fact that it never happened before (i'm 20 so it's not age related...).
I rapidly experienced linguistic fonction problems : couldn't find my words, begin to have some dyslexia...

So in the end I'm not really sure it was helping or not...

Anyway, that's just my experience, and Ive no proof the issues i've been experiencing where related to modafinil even though I'm 95% sure.
That seems to work quite well with lots of people, so I think it's something to try out anyway.

I think it's really interesting if you have real sleep disorder, by real I mean that you have narcolepsy or hypersomnia or else which is not a consequence of ADD/H. THis has been prescribed to me because I had memory loss, imposibility to focus, bad sleep quality, but I guess as it didn't really worked as planned, that is just because my sleep disorders are just a consequence of my ADDH.

I don't mean to scare you but I prefer to give my experience even if that's not a very good one, and I'm still interested in having other's experiences (that s why I'm on this thread!).

I really don't know why it only happens to a few people, and I think that's for the reason I just say : it only works if you have a real sleep disorder.

Anyway, this still is an amazing medication, if it didn't cause me sleep problem, I think I would qualify it of the best medication I could think of... !

See you.
That is just my point of view but i