Modafinil
What is Modafinil?
Modafinil is a medication that promotes wakefulness and is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by various conditions, including narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) (1)(2)(3). It is a non-amphetamine central nervous system (CNS) stimulant with wakefulness-promoting properties (2). Modafinil works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the area of the brain that controls sleep and wakefulness (1).
Dosage
Modafinil is available in oral tablet form, with dosages of 100 mg and 200 mg (3). The recommended dosage and duration of treatment may vary depending on the condition being treated and individual factors. It is important to follow the directions on the prescription label and consult a doctor or pharmacist for any clarification (1).
Side Effects
Modafinil may cause side effects such as headache, dizziness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, drowsiness, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, gas, heartburn, loss of appetite, unusual tastes, dry mouth, excessive thirst, nosebleed, flushing, sweating, tight muscles or difficulty moving, back pain, confusion, uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body, hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), anxiety, depression, and thinking about killing or harming yourself (2)(3)(4)(5)(6). Modafinil can also cause skin reactions that may be severe enough to need treatment in a hospital (4).
Interactions
Modafinil tablets and many other medicines can interact with each other, sometimes causing side effects (3). It is important to tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Modafinil tablets may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how modafinil tablets work. Your dose of modafinil tablets or certain other medicines may need to be changed. Especially, tell your doctor if you use or take (3):
- Antidepressants
- Antifungal medications
- Antipsychotics
- Birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives
- Blood thinners
- Certain antibiotics
- Certain heart medications
- Certain seizure medications
- Cyclosporine
- Diazepam
- Midazolam
- Propranolol
- Rifampin
Time of Day and With or Without Food
Modafinil is usually taken once a day with or without food (2). If you are taking modafinil to treat narcolepsy or OSAHS, you will probably take it in the morning. If you are taking modafinil to treat shift work sleep disorder, you will probably take it 1 hour before the beginning of your work shift. Take modafinil at the same time every day. Do not change the time of day that you take modafinil without talking to your doctor (2).
Human Studies
Modafinil is known to have less or no adverse effects than those found in traditional psychostimulants such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, or cocaine (1). It can be applied as an anti-psychotic or anti-fatigue agent. However, the waking mechanism of modafinil is yet to be fully revealed. Recent studies reported that modafinil may be subject to abuse and addiction (1). In addition, prolonged sleeplessness induces stress responses and impairs immune function (1).
To summarize,
Modafinil is a medication that promotes wakefulness and is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by various conditions. It is a non-amphetamine CNS stimulant with wakefulness-promoting properties. Modafinil is usually taken once a day with or without food. The recommended dosage and duration of treatment may vary depending on the condition being treated and individual factors. Modafinil may cause side effects such as headache, dizziness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, drowsiness, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, gas, heartburn, loss of appetite, unusual tastes, dry mouth, excessive thirst, nosebleed, flushing, sweating, tight muscles or difficulty moving, back pain, confusion, uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body, hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), anxiety, depression, and thinking about killing or harming yourself. Modafinil can also cause skin reactions that may be severe enough to need treatment in a hospital. Modafinil tablets and many other medicines can interact with each other, sometimes causing side effects. Modafinil is known to have less or no adverse effects than those found in traditional psychostimulants such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, or cocaine. Its waking mechanism is yet to be fully revealed, and its medication guidelines have to be revised because experiments on the dose and duration of treatment may vary depending on the condition being treated and individual factors.
Citations:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3286657/
(2) https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a602016.html
(3) [https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/medguide.cfm?setid=cad4201c-133c-4a61-9d93-3c5e51695430](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/medguide.cfm?setid=cad4201c-133c-4a61-9