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Has anyone tried Provigil/Modanifil?

Messages
29
Location
Utah, USA
if you have tried this drug, please let me know how it was for you. My doc has put this out there for me to try and I'm researching and thinking about it.

Thanks!
 

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
Different people do differently on Provigil. Generally, it works best for people who are not extremely drug sensitive, and for whom pain is not a major part of the illness. You can find various threads discussing Provigil here; you can find my posts on my experience with Provigil here. A quick summary of my experience: I found that Provigil made a major improvement in my energy level and quality of life during the 8 1/2 years that I was able to take it. I definitely think it's worth a try for most people, especially if you start at a small dose. Unlike stimulants such as amphetamines, Provigil helps increase the production of ATP in mitochondria, so it does give you some extra "real" energy to work with. However, it's still possible to overestimate how much of the energetic feeling you get is "real"; if you do, you can suffer the crashes that @L'engle referred to. Personally, I did not have that problem.
 
Messages
29
Location
Utah, USA

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
I did not try provigil but I tried Nuvigil. Interesting that when I took it, it did nothing for me during the day... would be exhausted and then at night, I would be up until 5 am. So, not the same medicine, but very similar. From the same family. Couldn't sleep on it.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Not really physical energy but more mental energy and mental stamina.
The way i describe it is that it just turns my brain on.

I only use a low dose of 50mg and dont take it daily. I have used 100mg and i dont think it really did much other than the effects lasted longer.

it definitely brightens ones mood.

The first few times i used it i didnt sleep too well, but over time it has been ok.

I dont feel like its whipping a dead horse either, most energy type supps can leave one exhausted once they wear off. i guess its turning on the brain cells and not whipping them into a frenzy like some stims can??

But when one has crashed and running on empty, i dont think anything will work and one needs to just rest.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
But when one has crashed and running on empty, i dont think anything will work and one needs to just rest.
That may explain why it did absolutely nothing for me when I tried it years ago. At that point I was probably still push-crashing and in a constant state of PEM.
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
It helped me, but the side effects were annoying (but worth it). Then positive effects kind of tapered off and side effects increased, and it wasn't worth it.

However I think the ways it helped were also bad on me long-term, sort of like other stimulants. With other stimulants I feel like I can have a better day but I have to pay for it by having a worse few days after.
 

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
I tried it a very long time ago....maybe 10 years. It helped me feel more energetic but then when the effects wore off I crashed big time. I wasn't even overdoing but since I am drug sensitive that is probably why. I only took it like two weeks and couldn't tolerate what I felt like when it wore off...
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
I think it can be an extremely valuable tool. However since it has the same properties as an amphetamine, it should probably be cycled on and off. I have considered it, however with my adrenal issues, I don't think it's a wise choice until my hpa-axis is doing better.
 
Messages
29
Location
Utah, USA
Thanks everyone. I think it may be worth a try for me since I am no longer crashing and burning. It would be nice to have a mood lift and more mental energy. I think I would need to be extremely careful about exercise since I used to be athletic. It is so hard to know the thin line between needing to rest and needing gentle exercise to wake the body up. I never know if I am babying myself too much.
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,196
Location
Canada
It didn't brighten my mood but made me very tense and distant from people. My partner at the time took it as well and was in a very dark place (depressed) until he stopped it. So it may brighten mood or not, just be aware basically anything can happen.

We started calling it 'mod-awful-in'.
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
I often wonder how some people would do on welbutrin (dopamine agonist).

Or a combo of provigil and welburtin.

Those who crash or are prone should be very careful with provigil.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Just looking at this thread it seems everyone is responding differently although the doses could be very different. As with most treatments, the only way to know is to try them. i would start low and use intermittently.
 

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
I tried Wellbutrin as well and it didn't do a thing for me even though I stayed on it for about 3 years. I was given it to try and give me more energy but it actually interfered with my sleep and didn't give me more energy.

I think anything is worth a try because we all respond differently to medications. What helps someone might be a bad experience for others. I have tried everything the doctors offered...