Modafinil 200 mg is a drug that is used to mitigate sleep disorders and other issues that tend to tire the brain. It is mainly sold under the brand name Provigil. It treats sleep disorders that may arise from shift work disorders: Narcolepsy, and obstructive sleep apnea.
It is the active form of the Adrafinil drug. Once the drug is ingested into the body, it is metabolized to activate the Modafinil which subsequently carries out the chores mentioned above and benefits. The drug is generally beneficial even though it possesses a couple of side effects and drawbacks.
For What Is It Prescribed?
The drug is generally prescribed for a couple of sleep-related disorders. Some of them are:
Excessive Sleepiness
In case you sleep too much at a time, you might want to take this wonderful drug. It has the ingredient and the formulation required to control the amount of sleep you experience at any given time. It does so without necessarily interfering with your sleep cycle.
Promotion of Wakefulness
It can also promote wakefulness. If your career entails staying awake for too long, you might want to use it to help you stay firm and alert at all times. The drug is generally more effective than caffeine in discharging this role as it inflicts minimal side effects.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This is a disorder that is caused by the blockage of the airways while sleeping. This blockage interferes with breathing and general comfort as you sleep. The drug indeed can open up the airways and restore the process of breathing as should be.
Shift Work Sleep Disorder
In case you stay awake at some nights, your sleep cycle pattern may be compromised. You may find it quite tricky to sleep or wake up generally due to this interference. This drug once more can normalize your sleep cycles and help you recover after a night shift.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a severe sleep disorder. It is characterized by loss of muscular controls, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and inability to control certain muscles. Once more, this drug can combat this deficiency. This way, it aids you in staying alert at all times as you sleep.
Major & Minor Side Effects For Modafinil 200 Mg Tablet
Minor Side Effects
A headache
You might experience mild headaches and migraine as you take this drug. This problem is however not so severe. You should therefore not worry at all. The problem is mainly caused by the interference in the hormonal balance of the body.
Anxiety
The drug can also cause stress. This mainly stems from the increased blood pressure that may often overwhelm you as you take the drug. Prolonged anxiety may often cause a fainting or complete breakdown of the body. You may have to scale down use if the problem intensifies.
Trouble Sleeping
As stated, the drug alters the sleeping patterns considerably. Due to this, it is not uncommon for the drug to induce the problem of troubled sleep. You should once more stay vigilant and alert even as you take the drug.
Nausea
When taken immediately after a meal, the drug can evoke the feeling of vomiting. This again calls for extreme care and caution while administering the drug. Do not take it right after a meal. In case you sense a feeling of vomiting, you may wish to stop taking it altogether.
Major Side Effects
Allergic Reactions
Some people may experience sharp allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. The condition may result in swelling, dizziness, loss of controls, and higher than normal blood pressure. This condition is often severe. You have to discontinue use immediately you experience the problem.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Just like the anaphylaxis mentioned above, this condition is also allergic. It, however, affects the skin rather than the interior portions of the body. It leads to inflamed skin that is red and painful. If it is not mitigated in time, the result may often be grave.
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
It is not uncommon to experience some pain and infections in the upper portions of your respiratory tract. If and when this issue occurs, you might find it hard to breathe and undertake your usual chores. This is why you should contemplate stopping use and application.
Abuse
Like any other drug, Modafinil 200 mg is also addictive. As such, you will often develop a sense of dependency which may lead to the abuse of the drug altogether. You are therefore advised to take the drug in moderation to forestall the likelihood of addiction arising.
Hallucinations
You may also see and hear things which others around you are not seeing or hearing. These issues arise at advanced stages of use and after a prolonged duration of time. Take care not to use the drug until you degenerate to this point.
Onset Of Action
Most users have reported that the drug takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour to manifest the required impacts. It reaches its peak performance after about 2 to 4 hours after being administered. In case you do not experience any tangible impacts after the stated timeframes, something could be amiss with you. You may, therefore, have to seek expert advice on the way forward.
Duration Of Effects
Generally speaking, the drug stays active in the body for around 11 and a half hours. This allows its effects to last much longer and also negates the need for constant medication. Only the amphetamine beats it in terms of efficacy. It lasts around 13 and a half hours. It performs much better than caffeine that lasts only 5 and a half hours.
Substitutes
Several other medications may also substitute Modafinil. These include the following:
Adrafinil
As stated, Modafinil is the active form of Adrafinil. Because of this, the Adrafinil can also perform more or less similar chores and functions as Modafinil. It is, however, less convenient. This is because it has to be first and foremost activated to Modafinil to be able to exude the essential benefits and functionality.
Fluorenol
Just like Modafinil, Fluorenol also promotes wakefulness. It is however anticipated to be more potent than the former. This makes it more useful but riskier on the whole than Modafinil. It is yet to gain widespread acceptance at the moment though.
Pitolisant
This Modafinil 200 mg alternative is exclusively geared for combating narcolepsy. It is also pretty effective at dealing with the excessive daytime sleepiness. It is mainly recommended for adults as it is way too potent to the small children.
Qualia
Qualia is pretty similar in formulation to the Modafinil. However, it is mainly geared to the mental performance of the people and more so, the health of the brain. It enhances energy levels, boosts mental clarity, promotes creativity, and stabilizes moods, among others.
Dosage
For a mature adult, the recommended dose for the Modafinil is 200 mg. It may exceed this limit. However, you are strongly advised not to exceed the 400 mg mark. The drug is best taken in the morning in case the targeted conditions are obstructive sleep apnea or the narcolepsy. If you intend to combat the shift work disorder though, you should take it around one hour just before departing for work. The drug may be taken with or without food. However, to prevent the possibilities of vomiting, you are strongly advised to take it without any food at all.
Missed & Overdose
It is normal to either miss your dose or overdose in the process of taking the drug. If and when this happens, you might normally interfere with the treatment regime. The following therefore are the courses of actions you have to take in case you happen to find yourself in the conditions as mentioned earlier and circumstances.
Missed Dose
In case you miss a dose, you are advised to take the drug immediately you remember. If you happen to remember that you skipped a dose moments before the next dose, just let it go and take the next dose as scheduled. This is to prevent overwhelming your body with too many chemicals. You should also desist from doubling the dose to catch up. You should also avoid taking the missed dose moments before you go to bed. You may interfere or compromise your sleep in the process.
Overdose
Overdoses are very dangerous. As such, you should avoid them as much as possible. Immediately you suspect an overdose; you are required to seek medical attention. Contact your nearest poison control center, emergency room or hospital. Some of the symptoms that might indicate an overdose are irregular heartbeats, faster rates of pumping blood, restlessness, and hallucinations, among others.
General Warnings
As you take your dose of the Modafinil, there are some issues you have to be mindful of. They include the following:
- The possibility of developing severe rashes on the skin including the possibility of the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
- Do not take the drug in times of pregnancy or when lactating. This may poison the baby or predispose it to certain health risks.
- If you have any pre-existing medical condition such as chronic illnesses and allergies, you may also want to discontinue use or scaling down the use on the whole
- In case you have any internal injuries, you may also wish to desist from using the drug. Wait until the condition has ceased to be able to resume use.
- Modafinil is not for use by pediatric patients for any medical indication.
Risks Of Dependency
Like any other drug, Modafinil 200 mg is also potentially addictive. This mainly arises when the drug is used repeatedly and for a prolonged duration of time. To forestall the likelihood of this happening, you are urged to use the drug in moderation. You should also use it if and only if you have to. And do not also forget to invoke the assistance of a medical expert in the process.
Undesirable Usage
Pregnancy
You are entirely advised never to even think of taking the drug while pregnant. The same case also applies to those women who have the potential to bear children. The drug is too potent for the fetus. It indeed can kill the fetus if subjected to too much of it. This may, of course, lead to stillbirths and other congenital complications.
Breastfeeding
Other than pregnancy, the drug should also not be used while breastfeeding. Its chemicals and ingredients are way too strong for the fetus. They can inflict complications and other disorders whenever the fetus ingests a great deal of them. This might also contribute to infant mortality.
Interactions
With Alcohol
When mixed with alcohol, Modafinil may often lead to a variety of violent reactions and serious conditions. These range from blackouts to increased tolerance of alcohol. In light of this, such a move may often lead to increased addictions and dependency on alcohol. You are therefore urged not to take the drug if you are an alcoholic or is recovering from alcoholism. You do not want to intensify the side effects, do you?
With Medicine
While taking the Modafinil, you should refrain from starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of any existing medicines or treatment regimens without the approval of your doctor. Perhaps the most significant drug to watch out for are those medications for high blood pressure. They include beta and “blood thinners.”
With other Diseases
When this drug is taken into the body, it may intensify certain diseases and medical conditions. Some of these conditions are cardiac disease, hypertension, liver disease, seizure disorders, psychiatric disorders, renal dysfunctions, and cardiovascular disorders. As such, you should not take the drug at all in case you suffer from any of these conditions. You do not want to spend too much of your money to mitigate the side effects of these conditions later. You also would not wish to suffer more permanent and damaging side effects at all.
How It Works
Modafinil works mainly by stimulating the hormones norepinephrine, histamine, serotonin, dopamine, and orexin systems of the brain. By stimulating these hormones, the drug enhances their functioning and effects. In so doing, the drug improves their impacts and enables them to promote wakefulness alongside the other chores that are mentioned above. The exact mechanisms of its functioning, as well as the specific receptors it works with, however, remain a mystery.
Legal Status
At the moment, Modafinil 200 mg is classified as Schedule IV controlled substance by the federal laws of the United States. As such, it is illegal for anyone to import the drug. Only those who are registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration may do so and only with an appropriate prescription; you can buy modafinil online. This is due to its potentially harmful nature.