Modafinil

Description

Modafinil is a wakefulness enhancing drug that is frequently used for treating conditions like narcolepsy and extreme day time sleepiness associated with sleep apnea. Simply put, it helps you to keep awake battling the sleep promoting medical conditions. Nevertheless, it has also been used ‘off label’ as a potent cognition enhancer that improves focus and alertness.The chemical name for modafinil is 2-[(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl]acetamide and its mechanism of action was not previously understood. However, with advancing scientific knowledge the scientists have found that it increasesthe extracellular levels of ‘dopamine’ by occupying both the dopamine and noradrenaline receptorsin the brain. Sleep and awake cycles are governed by a complex interaction between neurotransmitters, including dopamine and drugs that increase levels of dopamine in thebrain also increase feelings of wakefulness as done by Modafinil.

Narcolepsy and extreme day time sleepiness can have a devastating effect on one's daily life as they result in uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. Large clinical studies have shown that modafinil effectively reduces feelings of sleepiness as measured by the ‘Epworth Sleepiness Scale’ maintaining a good focus and a wakefulness upto 8 hours, which is ideal for narcoleptics.

How To Take

As a psychotropicdrug, it is wise to follow the doctor's instructions becausemisusing Modafinil canresultin certain undesired effects.The recommended dosage of Modafinil for patients with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is 200 mg taken orally once a day as a single dose in the morning. However, depending on the severity of the condition, the good doctor can increase the dose upto a maximum of 400 mg per day. Special attention is required for geriatric patients with close monitoring.

If you miss a dose of Modafinil and do not remember it until later in the day, it is best to skip the missed dosage as taking it later on in the day may lead to restlessness at night and insomnia (lack of sleep at night).

Precautions

If you are allergic to any ingredient in modafinil or to armodafinilor have a history of developing a rash followed by taking modafinil or armodafinil it is crucial to avoid this medicine.As the drug is metabolized in the liver if you suffering from cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis the doctor may not prescribe Modafinil for you because the drug metabolites can accumulate in your body with nastyrepercussions. It's also notrecommended for patients with heart valve diseases like mitral valve prolapse.

Modafinil is a ‘class C’ category drug in pregnancy which means animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women, so it's better to avoid. Same goes for breastfeeding mothers too. Due to lack of appropriate studies, Modafinil is not usually given to individuals less than 17 years of age as safety and efficacy have not been clearly established.

So if you are having any above-mentionedconditions or any other medical condition no matter how irrelevant it may seem, it's better to inform the doctor before getting the prescription.

Side Effects

All drugs can cause some form of adverse effect. Common but less severe side effects of Modafinil include a headache,dizziness,upper respiratory tract infections,nausea,diarrhea,nervousness, and anxiety. However,there are a few severe side effects and it's wise to seek immediate medical care in such instances. Severe side effects of Modafinil are fever, chills, muscle or joint pain,severe or a persistent headache, suicidal thoughts or actions, symptoms of heart problems (eg, chest pain, fast or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath), symptoms of liver problems like dark urine, loss of appetite, pale stools and yellowing of skin.

Nevertheless, this is not a comprehensive list of all the adverse effects and in any doubt about side effects, contact your health care provider as soon as possible.

Using Modafinil To Treat Narcolepsy

The dreaded ‘Narcolepsy’ is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable bouts of extreme daytime sleepiness. This condition affects both men and women equally roughly 1 in 2,000 people. Here the normal boundary between awake and asleep is blurred and some attacks are complicated with hallucinations. It is caused by dysfunction of a group of sleep-suppressing peptides known as ‘Orexins’. Although there is no definitive cure for narcolepsy, Modafinil has shown to activate the defunct orexin peptides thereby inhibiting sleep and promoting focus/wakefulness. It is vital to mention that Modafinil does not ‘cure’ narcolepsy but inhibit its nasty outcomes like extreme sleepiness.

Using Modafinil To Treat Atypical Depression

This is actually a subtype of major depression and involves some specific symptoms, including increased appetite or weight gain, excessive sleep, marked fatigue or weakness. Although less commoner than the typical depression, this condition is more disastrous as there are very few effective treatments. A recent double-blind controlled study exhibited that Modafinil was well tolerated and was associated with significant weight loss compared with placebo, making it a good choice to battle the ‘atypical deprssion’.

Can You Order Modafinil Online?

Well...Modafinil is a prescription drug so it is technically illegal to buy it via the internet especially if you are from the USA. However,law enforcement rarely pursues someone who buys prescription drugs online. Of course, filling a Modafinil prescription at a drug store can be very expensive so recently more and more individuals are sticking to the cheaper option, online drugs. Nonetheless, these are psychotropic drugs that affect the chemical equilibrium of your brain so if you have never used Modafinil previously, it is wise to get a prescription from a doctor.