Generic Name: Provigil (modafinil)
Provigil Reviews
For Depression "This is a WONDER DRUG in the use of depression. I have suffered for years with depression and never with any relief from the mainstream anti-depressants. Either the side effects were intolerable, or the medicine just didn't work. Within 3 days of taking Provigil, I was the happiest, most productive I had been in a year. The first 2 days I was still really sleepy, and the 3rd day, a little hyper, but after that day I have felt EXCELLENT. I don't have anxiety attacks anymore and I get a full night of 'good' sleep and wake up feeling extremely refreshed and I am happy again. I was on my couch for a straight 6 months sleeping and crying until I started this medicine. It literally saved my life."
For Narcolepsy "Provigil has changed my life! I have been taking it for 6 months. I was prescribed 200mg. I usually take half a pill, and I’m good to go for the entire workday. Before Provigil, I was in danger of losing my job. I could not get out of bed. On weekends, I would literally go to bed Friday night and not get dressed again until I forced myself out the door for work on Monday. After just a few days, I felt like a new person! I don’t suffer any terrible side effects. The only thing is I have to make sure I am not talking excessively (as it tends to speed up my speech). I now even go to the gym after work! Never ever would have dreamed of doing that previously! I am down 30 pounds (working hard at it) and I am enjoying my life! It gave me my life back!"
For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "This medication is AMAZING! After 20 years of excessive sleepiness, I can finally make it through the day at work without falling asleep. No more nodding off at the wheel, and I can enjoy the evening with my family without falling asleep. I've been in a great mood and have the energy I had when I was a kid. I just wish I found out about this many years ago. I take 100mg early morning and 100mg early afternoon. I have had no side effects at all to date."
For ADHD "I've been on Provigil for 2 years now for ADD-like symptoms caused by a brain injury. After 14 years of not being able to keep my thoughts together enough to hold a job, I can now connect the dots and have been working full-time for a year and a half. I do not take Provigil to make me smarter or give me an edge. I just want to be able to balance my checkbook and hold a job. I no longer have insurance to help with the cost, so I have been trying to make what I have left last as long as possible. Lately, I've been having trouble organizing my thoughts and being able to finish the simplest of chores. Looking back, it is amazing how much this drug helps me to live a normal life."
For Narcolepsy "I have narcolepsy with cataplexy. Adderall, Ritalin, etc. did nothing for me. I’ve only been taking this for a short amount of time but unlike Adderall or Ritalin, this not only physically keeps me awake but I don’t feel the horrible fatigue I usually do. It keeps me awake and feeling good while also easing any nervousness I have. I feel very calm while also being energized. :)"
For Fatigue "Provigil (Modafinil) was an absolute miracle for me to help me control my Multiple Sclerosis related fatigue. I have taken it for nearly 14 years with no side effects whatsoever (200mg two times a day). I liked that it never made me feel edgy, jumpy or nervous, and I especially liked that I could still sleep with a 200 mg dose on board as well so it didn't absolutely control my sleep patterns. Helpful. Effective. Cost-prohibitive if unable to get insurance coverage for it. I have only recently stopped taking Modafinil due to my insurance (which I have had the same company for the last 10 years) company not covering Modafinil for off-label uses (crazily, MS Fatigue being one of them?). So far, I am not at all impressed by any of the 'substitutes'."
For Narcolepsy "I am 2 months shy of having used Provigil for 10 years. I have no physical side effects from it, which is pretty good since I am in my late 60s. It was more effective at keeping me awake when I first started using it, but it also made me a little nervous. These days it is usually effective, but sometimes not, but the good news is that I am much calmer than I have been in years. If this medicine seems to lose its effectiveness, don't give up. Stop taking it for a little while (a week or two) and it will work again just fine. All in all this medicine has given me back my life, except for driving me to the poor house."
For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Before taking Provigil, I could barely get out of bed. I had no idea what was wrong with me. Finally, a doctor did a blood test and said I had been exposed to mono, which can cause chronic fatigue syndrome. Now that I am on Provigil, I have gone back to work, can clean my house again, and can actually play with my grandkids. Since being on this medicine, I have not experienced any side effects, or they were so mild I didn't notice. Provigil has changed my existence into living again."
For Narcolepsy "Provigil is different for everyone. Personally, I can begin to feel it working about 30 to 45 minutes. I take it as soon as I get out of bed so it's on an empty stomach. I eat after I get dressed, so by the time I'm making breakfast, I feel like I received a caffeine boost that will last about 8-10 hours. If I'm having a hard time waking up, I have been known to take the medication and take a 15-minute nap. I set my alarm for 15-20 minutes. When I wake up again, my head is clear, I feel refreshed, and ready to burst out of bed."
For Narcolepsy "For the past few years, my friends all made fun of me for how many naps I took. Eventually, I was not able to leave very far from my house lest I get a sleep attack and need to lay down immediately. I've slept everywhere - from the bathroom floor at my work (before I was fired for leaving early so many times to sleep) to friends' cars during the middle of the day. After FINALLY getting a narcolepsy diagnosis (good luck getting insurance to pay without it - even the Patient Assist Program won't send you meds unless your diagnosis is documented), I am now experiencing how normal people must live. As long as I take the Provigil at the exact times I need to (100mg at 8am, noon, 4pm), I can work, making me feel like an asset to society again."
For ADHD "I am 42 years old and have suffered panic disorder since I was 17 years old. I have racing thoughts, and my mind won't slow down enough to accomplish a task. Since taking Provigil, I have moved forward and been able to complete and follow through on projects without getting frustrated and anxious. I have had no side effects, nor have I experienced a comedown effect. I've been stable all day long. It has not affected my sleep either."
For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "After months of absolutely debilitating fatigue and an awful quality of life, I finally found something that makes me feel like I am alive. I would experience such extreme tiredness during the day until it was affecting every aspect of my life. I work 8-5 Mon-Fri and would go to sleep at night and still wake up feeling awful. I actually felt like I had been through 10 rounds in a heavyweight fight every day! I would spend all day in an absolute fog, and by the time I would make it in from work, I would be yawning so much until tears would be pouring down my face. I was bone-weary tired! I have the good fortune to have an excellent family doctor who helped me feel alive again. 100 mg a day. I have my life back!"
For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "Originally prescribed Provigil for sleep apnea, or at least that is what my doctors said so that my insurance would pay for it, however, my sleep study was done a long time ago when I weighed more, and insurance has recently stopped paying. I actually take the medication due to 2 previous head injuries. I have been on the medication for about 4-5 years. During that time, I have returned to work and school to pursue a nursing degree. Off of the Provigil, I have to take a nap every day, begin to forget things, and fail my classes at school. I have had to make many lifestyle changes since my accidents, and taking Provigil really helps me. I am a single mom of 2 teenagers and just want as close to a normal life as possible."
For ADHD "Provigil works great for energy, as well as ADD. I also suffer from Major Panic Disorder and depression. This medicine gives me such a boost with no side effects, other than a little mood change late in the evening. I recently lost my health insurance due to my divorce and could not afford it for 6 months, and what a difference I felt, no energy, and I slept more than ever. I think this medication is overpriced by all means, especially for people that it really works for and helps them though. The insurance companies need to cover this medicine, especially when it helps people with ADD and depression, and gives them energy that helps motivate them."
For ADHD "I really love Provigil. I used it for ADD. Provigil helped me stay focused and motivated. The only side effect was if I took it too late in the day, I might have a little trouble getting to sleep. It makes sense because it is a stimulant. It is a great drug for ADD because it doesn't cause all those nasty side effects other ADD drugs have. Unfortunately, I have to stop using it because insurance won't cover Provigil since it has not been approved to be used as an ADD drug. Completely disappointing. It truly is an amazing drug for ADD."
For Shift Work Sleep Disorder "I was feeling extremely tired and unmotivated after a short time since beginning night shift (emergency worker) duty. My doctor prescribed Provigil. I had never even heard of it before. This is what I need. I am wide awake when I need to be, either day or night, and I can still catch a cat nap on duty, and I don't have trouble sleeping in the daytime anymore. I know many people on Provigil in emergency services. Almost all of us work nights or rotating shifts. I can't say I have heard of any ill side effects other than dehydration and headache. Drank more water and it all went away."
For Narcolepsy "I have taken Provigil years ago with no significant improvement. I went through the last 20 years being prescribed Xyrem, Cylert, Adderall, Ritalin, and recently Provigil along with Ritalin. None of these drugs provide wakefulness that lasts more than 3-4 hours. I can take the combination of Provigil and Ritalin at 9 am and fall back to sleep at 9:30 am. I take my medication on an empty stomach, but the wakefulness is almost nonexistent. I want to volunteer to be a case study because I believe I am a rare individual with narcolepsy. I want to find out if there is an underlying problem because I hear of people getting addicted to these drugs and they barely have an effect on me. I want to live a normal life and not be sleepy all day, every day."
For Narcolepsy "I am a former college football player who has had narcolepsy for years. I have been on Provigil for over a year now. I started with the lowest dose possible and after 3-6 months am now on the highest dose possible. The medicine has little side effects for me, which is great, except it curbs my appetite a bit. But I find my body has become immune to the medicine as the impact becomes less and less. I take 4 pills a day, and even though I am not falling asleep as much and wasting the day away, I still have no energy. When I am sitting there awake, I'm just useless. I don't want to go on an amphetamine, but this medicine just isn't working too well for me."
For Narcolepsy "I have taken Provigil for 5 years now (since I was 16) 400 mg a day, as the lower dosage was ineffective. It has been a godsend. I really struggled through school, and while it didn't help me get top grades, it did wonders for keeping me awake during lessons. I'm awake for around 15 hours a day, with a 2-hour nap in the afternoon and 7 hours sleep at night. The best part is being able to have a sleep pattern, something which beforehand, I could never experience. Without this drug, I could never get anything done."
For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "I have sleep apnea and use CPAP, but unfortunately, the CPAP doesn't completely resolve the exhaustion. I take 200mg Provigil once a day, and it has given me my life back. I was in danger of losing my job because the exhaustion caused me not to be able to focus or produce. Once on the Provigil, my boss says he has been blown away by my performance. No side effects whatsoever."
For Narcolepsy "I've had delayed sleep phase syndrome, mood disorder, and ADHD all my life, due to a brain injury at birth and a family pattern of delayed sleep phase syndrome. I managed a successful professional career, but with great difficulty and struggles with different medications. I way overused caffeine, with mixed results and side effects. Provigil has been wonderful, and I wish it had been available when I was a child, in school, and working. I feel normal, alert, and not constantly fighting sleepiness, inattention, and depression. I can't help wondering how much better I might have done with this medicine. It is helping me with my second career as an artist."
For Narcolepsy "I experienced much greater effects from Provigil on initial exposure than I have during regular, ongoing treatment. Had the initial effects (perfect alertness without excessive excitability) continued, it would merit a rating of 10. However, I still find it indispensable and would be hard-pressed to give up that particular prescription."
For Narcolepsy "Does nothing for my narcolepsy. I stay on it because the doctor told me to, and I’m not competent enough to know that it’s not working. Also, I look like a drug seeker if I mention anything, and I don’t agree with the doctor's recommendation. It gives me some anxiety, my body feels awake, but my head feels sleepy. Does nothing for the brain fog I get with my narcolepsy. Armodafinil works better."
For Depression "Provigil has been a HUGE help for me. I take nortriptyline for my depression. It works better than anything else I've tried, but it makes it impossible for me to get up in the morning. When my alarm goes off at 7 am, I feel like I'm being tortured. I take half a tablet of Provigil at bedtime (11 pm). It doesn't keep me from falling asleep, but it does help me wake up alert at 7 am. Without it, I'll sleep until at least 11:30 am. This may be an off-label use, but it makes it possible for me to take my antidepressant AND get to school/work on time."
For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "I am 60 years old and had been sleeping 12 hours per night with a nap sometimes for 3 hours. Am I depressed or chronically fatigued? I have been taking Provigil and now I sleep 9 hours a night with no naps. I am now more excited about life. Side effects? An hour after I take it (one dose 200 mg in the morning) I notice an effect similar to one cup of coffee that lasts a half hour then nothing. Cost is $390 for a thirty-day supply. Insurance won't cover it. Medicare will not cover it except for Narcolepsy. This is not related to Ritalin or amphetamines and has a very low abuse potential in spite of what you may hear from college students. As more info comes in, it would not surprise me that this would be the first drug used in treating depression. Thanks."
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