Narcolepsy Blog

Narcolepsy Drug Might Be Addictive

Posted 17 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 17 – A drug used to treat narcolepsy is increasingly being taken to sharpen mental skills, but researchers now report troubling evidence that it also harbors the potential for abuse. Modafinil (Provigil) apparently alters the dopamine "reward system" in the brain, the new study shows. "This drug does seem to show properties that it can be habit-forming," said Dr. Richard A. Friedman, director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. "This is the first human study that shows that it does cause the release of dopamine, which is a hallmark of drugs of addiction. This is a little bit of an early warning that this drug may not be free of habit-forming properties." Friedman also said that he had used the drug for treatment-resistant depression and in people who have circadian rhythm problems who have commonly reported that "they feel ... Read more

Related support groups: Narcolepsy, Provigil