Nuvigil (Armodafilnil) - anyone taking? experiences?

[roxie60]

I have been given another pill to take by another Dr (saw a neurologist this week). I am hesitant to take given all my past problems taking various meds and the fact that this was our initial vist (how can he know enough about me to suggest a med after one visit and no testing yet?). I give him credit he did give me a lot of time and asked a lot of questions (spent toooo much time emphasizing diet and avoiding gluten since he thinks I am Celiac even though my blood tested negative for Celiac (other tests seem to indicate possible Celiac), he was not high on blood test being a definitive test for Celiac, said SI biopsy the only sure way to know).

So I would like to have a thread on Nuvigil for now and those who may be looking for info in the future. Here are my questions?

1. What was your experience if you took Nuvigil? Positive/Negative/No effect or side effects
2. What amount were/are you taking?
3. Why were you prescribed Nuvigil?


That is all I can currently think of to start the info gathering process. Here are my answers:

1. I'm just starting it today, will report back
2. I was prescribed 30 pills @ 150mg (I am cutting in half due to past med sensitivity)
3. I reported being tired during day, that I have sleep apnea (I was told by Dr that this would give me daytime energy and it would be out of my system by bedtime and not interfere with sleep (told him I'll believe that when I see it - I have become a very skeptical cuss). What I dont understand is why is a neurologist prescribing this and not my sleep Dr???. Well about to take my first 75mg and putting on my lab rat persona.

 

[Shoesies]

Hi Roxie! My GP precribed Nuvigil for me for CFIDS exhaustion. He said it was a narcolepsy drug and should help me. Due to the insurance company regecting payment because it is off label rx and the prohibitive 700 bucks or more a month we went with phentermine. I had the unrealistic hope that it would make me feel like I used to before this curse. I was wrong. It does help me function enough to stay upright but does not help with any symptoms for me. I wish you all the best with the nuvigil. Please post updates on how you are doing!

 

[penny]

I tried Nuvigil near the beginning of my illness, I don't remember dosage and I think I only took it for a couple of days. It was given to me for the fatigue, it was a sample I think since it was new at the time, so I didn't have to go through insurance. It didn't work well for me at the time. I don't remember a lot of details, since this was before I had a diagnosis, was pretty out of it, and hadn't started documenting my symptoms/treatments in an organized fashion.

But what I do remember (well, what I mentioned in an email to my husband at the time) is that while taking it I felt MUCH more mentally out of it. I said I felt like a zombie, and I believe I was more tired than 'normal'.

The caveat is that this was before I understood my illness at all and was still pushing a lot, and was sporadically but semi regularly taking stimulant meds (from the doc) to try and cope, which I think just depleted my resources further. So I wasn't in a particularly good place to evaluate much.

 

[PNR2008]

I had samples of provigil which came out before Nuvigel. Provigil made me feel wired and tired so I gave it up, also the expense was a surprise and a great deterrent.

 

[searcher]

I can't remember if I tried Nuvigil or Provigil, but whichever it was really knocked me out. My head felt really woozy and my brain fog doubled. I tried a small dose and a normal dose and both were bad for me. I do all right on small doses of Adderall, which seems like it should be worse, so if you are looking for something for fatigue and are aware of the potential side effects then it could be worth trying other narcolepsy/ADHD drugs. They never make me feel like normal but they can sometimes help a bit.

 

[heapsreal]

No experience with these but i think its a good idea to use intermittently to avoid tolerence or maybe side effects. I think something like this, an energy pill would be very hand in times when u need to function etc but functioning on energy pills all the time is lining one up for a crash i think, all about balance i guess.

 

[abporter]

150mg did nothing for me, 250mg of Nuvigil helped me focus better for about 4-5 hours and then I was in bed for much of the rest of the day, while without it normally I'm not. I did lift my mood.

 

[magicskyjuice]

1. I've only taken Modafinil (the racemic off-patent version that you're taking) for a few days, but I like it. It helps with concentration and focus without the edginess of other stimulants.
2. 100mg once a day in the morning . Since it's so expensive, see if your doc will prescribe 200mg tablets and you can cut them in half or quarters. There's no cut line on the pills that is sold in Australia but it's not SR or coated so AFAIK it's okay to cut them.
   Cutting them in to quarters and slowly tapering the dose over say a week can help minimize side effects. Some headache is quite normal with stimulants, and for most people they should go away in a few weeks. So long you're taking them first thing in the morning and don't take any past midday, going to sleep should be okay. With these sorts of meds, the lowest dose that is sufficient to keep you awake is best.
3. Something to try for before going for riskier medications like testosterone or levothyroxine. modafinil/armodafinil seems to have a pretty good safety record compared to other stimulants from what literature I've read.

 

[WillowJ]

I had a sample of modafinil when I was first diagnosed and not so ill. The first 1-3 days (don't recall how long) I thought it helped with more energy, and then after that it was giving me a colossal headache (moderate first day and very bad the next).

I did not have trouble sleeping with it that I recall, but that may have been when I wasn't sleeping in any case; I don't remember.

My doc (who prescribes this for MS and ME/CFS) told me to take a 'drug holiday' from this med one day out of every week, I think it was, to avoid tolerance.

Now that I know more about the disease, I am not so sure about using stimulants on a regular basis in ME/CFS, unless they have other helpful properties (e.g. some of the ADHD ones might work for OI).

 

[roxie60]

I wish I could find the nuvigil. I am so tied,fatigued and so much to do.....would be worth having the shakes if I could muster enough enoergy to get some chores done.

 

[heapsreal]

I wish I could find the nuvigil. I am so tied,fatigued and so much to do.....would be worth having the shakes if I could muster enough enoergy to get some chores done.

A quick google and u will find plenty of places that you can get it from.

 

[roxie60]

Thanks heaps, I meant wish I could find it in my home, misplaced it

 

[Gypsy]

I tried Provigil. Similar. I had a strange reaction. It made me "shake". It made my hands shake, and it just felt like my whole body was vibrating. This was on 1/2 a pill. I felt as tired as ever, but wired up and sort of speedy. It was strange.

I think you can get co pay assistance for Nuvigil with an online savings card they offer, if the drug helps but is expensive for you.

 

[heapsreal]

http://desiredmeds.com/detail.php?id=1918
i think in general many of us are sensitive to anything stimulating and require much lower doses then ordary folk.
gypsy was the half pill provigil 100 or 200mg pill.
Roxie, it doesnt help memory then, lol??

 

[Gypsy]

I don't remember. I thought provigil only came in 200mg though. It was quite a few years ago. It did not make me feel any less sleepy or fatigued though. But, that is just me.

 

[roxie60]

I tried Provigil. Similar. I had a strange reaction. It made me "shake". It made my hands shake, and it just felt like my whole body was vibrating. This was on 1/2 a pill. I felt as tired as ever, but wired up and sort of speedy. It was strange.

I think you can get co pay assistance for Nuvigil with an online savings card they offer, if the drug helps but is expensive for you.

That is exactely how I felt after taking 4 1/2 doses of nuvigil. But I am desparate for some sustained energy I would try it again if I could find it

 

[roxie60]

Just called pharmacist to see if I had a refill and he said no. Plus he said this drug needs preapproval.

 

[roxie60]

No it doesnt heaps, wish it did

 

[roxie60]

I have looked everywhere. Just like I can't find documents I know I typed, so aggravating. I did find a lot of old meds tho, kinda like walking down faliure memory lane. I have been prescribed a lot. I grouped all the bottles by type and see a pattern. The largest majority was for pain, the next for antibiotics, the next allergies, the next mood altering, the next for sleep, and there was a small number I did not remember what they were for (will need to look them up). These span years. I keep the bottles to remember the drug, the Dr I saw and the date. I know the nuvigil has to be here. Realy need energy, I'm up but cant seem to focus on a task.

 

[Shoesies]

Well when I cannot get the stimulants I need to function in relapse, I tried Ma Huang. Ephedra. Works ok. A little shaky, but energy and still ate and slept.