We are collected common questions about Modafinil from our sources  with surveys and publish here for your reference.

Question: What does Provigil do?
Answer: Provigil is a prescription medicine used to help people stay awake. Specifically, it is approved to treat people with excessive sleepiness due to the following:
Narcolepsy; sleep apnea (known medically as obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome or OSAHS); shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), a problem in people who work night shifts or who frequently change between day and night work shifts.
At this time, it is not known exactly how Provigil works to promote wakefulness. It does not work like other stimulants. The medication is known to affect certain brain chemicals, but this does not seem to be the way that the drug works, since blocking Provigil’s effect on such chemicals does not stop it from working.

Question: Should I take provigil on my day off?
Answer: Really up to you. If you are taking because of working night shift, then you may not need on evenings off. On the other hand if you are taking because of sleep apnea then I would continue to take. If you do decide to not take on your days off, be prepared to be a bit sluggish, but that would be the only side effect.

 
Question: Is provigil a stimulant?
Answer: No not exactly. It does not contain any amphetamine or derivative there of. It does promote wakefulness though.

 
Question: Does provigil need to be stopped gradually?
Answer: I don’t think you actually go into withdrawals with cramping and pain and such, but if your body is use to being excited by more dopamine in your brain and you stop it you are going to notice a change. I don’t believe it is dangerous to just stop it, but tapering may be more comfortable.

 
Question: I have chronic fatigue syndrome and just started Modafinil 100mg a week ago. I’m a bit concerned?
Answer: Please give is 2-3 weeks, this should improve, if not, tell Doc.

 
Question: Provigil – does this drug increase the ability to rember large amounts of material and focus your?
Answer: Provigil is used off label in the treatment for ADHD, so yes, it might possibly help a persons attention span. It depends on the individual’s diagnosis the reason and the amount of Provigil being perscribed to begin with.

 
Question: Which birth control have you switched to after using modafinil?
Answer: You will need to use a non-hormonal form of birth control. Condoms, an IUD or a diaphragm. You are best to talk with your doctor or family planning specialist.

 
Question: Does anyone have any experience with dexotroamphetamine and if Provigil is a viable alternative?
Answer: I have found Provigil and its sister drug, Nuvigil, to be very effective and personally I like it better than say Adderall. There are less side effects and it really is a more natural wakefullness.

 
Question: Provigil – can truck drivers take this under d.o.t. regulations?
Answer: I drove truck for over 16 years and had to turn in my CDL because of a medication I was on that was disqualifying me as a legal driver. Throughout this whole process and reading the Federal Motor Carriers Rules and Regulations manuel there was never any mention of Provigil or Modifinal as being a disqualifying medication. So unless it has just been put forth in recent regulations change than I’m sure that is ok to drive on as long as your physician is informed.

 

 

Question: Should someone who has mitral valve prolapse, arrythmias bep taking provigil?
Answer: In clinical studies of Provigil, signs and symptoms including chest pain, palpitations, dyspnea and transient ischemic T-wave changes on ECG were observed in three subjects in association with mitral valve prolapse or left ventricular hypertrophy. It is recommended that Provigil tablets not be used in patients with a history of left ventricular hypertrophy or in patients with mitral valve prolapse who have experienced the mitral valve prolapse syndrome when previously receiving CNS stimulants. Such signs may include but are not limited to ischemic ECG changes, chest pain, or arrhythmia. If new onset of any of these symptoms occurs, consider cardiac evaluation.

 
Question: Did provigil make cataplexy worse? It did for me?
Answer: Not all meds react or have side effects that one notices, it is different with different users, if Provigil did as its side effect make cataplexy difficult for you, maybe you should ask you doc to prescribe an alternative med which is more compatible to suit your system.

 
Question: Provigil no longer working looking for something else?
Answer: You can always increase the dosage. The dosage can go as high as 600mg though the recommended max is 400mg. There is also Provigil’s sister drug called Nuvigil. I have taken both of these medications and prefer the Nuvigil. Worth discussing with the doc.

 
Question: Does provigil show up on drug testing?
Answer: In answer to your question, yes it will. Best of wishes and take the Provigil only as directed by your physician.

 
Question: Has Anyone Taken Both Provigil and Nuvigil?
Answer: Nuvigil (armodafinil) and Provigil (modafinil) are very similar as Rajive points out. The Nuvigil is an improved version of Provigil which requires less milligrams a dose and is better in its continuous release ability.

 
Question: Does provigil help with focus and concentration?
Answer: I have known several patients that say that it helps them focus tremendously. What I wanted to alert you to is something that doctors are just now diagnosing as “shift workers’ syndrome” or “shift work sleep disorder”. It is a real problem that affects workers like yourself. I would encourage you to read up on it because, like medication, knowledge is also effective in keeping you healthy.

 
Question: Compare provigil 200mg 3 times a day to adderal 20 mg 3 times a day?
Answer: Adderall and every other stimulant that I have gotten prescribed to treat my narcolepsy have all made my heart beat uncontrollably and made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack and die. I refuse to take any stimulants anymore because of it!

 
Question: Is there another drug besides Provigil that promotes wakefulness?
Answer: Yes, I take Nuvigil which is an improved version on Provigil for wakefulness. It works great for me with little side effects.

 
Question: Narcolepsy -Does Modafinil causes hair loss?
Answer: It may or may not be responsible for your hair loss. Try talking to your doctor about switching meds (Nuvigil, Ritalin and Adderall including the generics) and see if the loss continues or abates.

 
Question: How does Provigil stabilize your mood? I am on it as a Mood Stabilizer for my Depression?
Answer: I was given Provigil only for daytime wakefulness (I’m narcoleptic) and I found a pleasant other side-effect was that I felt much better emotionally. I’m not diagnosed with depression but only because I refuse to go to a psychiatrist to BE diagnosed. I’d rather live with my (usually mild) depression than take SSRI meds or any more pills for that matter.
So, yes, it works as a mood stabilizer, and works well for me in that regard. It also does a wonderful job keeping me feeling awake, and I don’t want more & more of it. In other words, it doesn’t seem to be addictive in a way that I build a tolerance to the amount I take (200mg each morning, or 400mg if I’ve had a particularly sleepless night).

 
Question: Has anyone had side effects on Provigil?
Answer: nitially, I had problems with dry mouth when I started taking Provigil. I take it in divided doses, so if I put the doses too close together it sometimes causes dry mouth still and I talk too much. If I take it too close to bedtime, it makes the insomnia unbearable. Otherwise, I haven’t had ANY problems and have been on the medicine for over seven years.

 
Question: Can provigil be used to treat depression?
Answer: Provigil and the newer version called nuvigil are medications prescribed for sleep disorders. That being said, they act on the brain chemical dopamine which is one of the chemicals that affects mood. A common sympyom of depression is sleeping too much and this medication helps with that. So it will help to treat some of the depression but not necessarily all of it, if that makes sense.

 
Question: I take 400 mg of provigil and I am not on birth control will I get pregnant?
Answer: Provigil is not a form of birth control, so your chances of getting pregnant are likely to be exactly the same. That being said, using Provigil while pregnant may or may not be harmful to the developing fetus. If you are concerned about this, you may want to talk to your doctor about the risks. I did get pregnant while on 400 mg of Provigil and continued to need the medicine throughout pregnancy. My baby was born 9 weeks early with a slightly enlarged heart. Whether this was due to the medicine or not is unknown since I have had two previous premature deliveries. My daughter’s heart rectified fairly quickly and had no visible problems by the time she was six-months old. She is now a happy, healthy six-year-old.

 

Question: Does anyone take this for fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. I heard it can be very helpful?
Answer: Yes, I do take it. But more for my narcolepsy than the fibro. It does help to keep my eyes open but it doesn’t give me energy like Adderall used to.

 
Question: How long (hours) does Provigil last during the day?
Asnwer: I just started taking provigil for extreme fatigue. I take 200mg around 6am and then take another 100mg around 2pm. This seems to get me through the day. You might want to talk to your doctor about taking a stronger dose or taking two 100mg doses a day.

 
Question: I took provigil 200mg my 1st time. what am i supposed to feel?
Answer: What and how are you taking it? Do you need to take it to stay awake or do you take it for Narcolepsy or a sleep disorder? If you have been prescribed it daily it can take 2 to 4 days to reach its full effect.

 
Question: Do you need to take provigil daily?
Answer: A neuropsychiatrist prescribed provigil for our inattentive son. What he told us is Provigil was originally used for pilots doing bombing runs who had to stay alert for dozens of hours. When they returned, the drug would be completely out of their system & not show in a urine drug screen.
One major advantage Provigil has over classic stimulants is, fast washout. Fast washout = no withdrawal symptoms. Take it when you need it, don’t when you don’t!

p.s. video with questions about Modafinil