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Armodafinil

Generic name: armodafinil [ ar-moe-DAF-i-nil ]
Brand name: Nuvigil
Dosage form: oral tablet (150 mg; 200 mg; 250 mg; 50 mg)
Drug class: CNS stimulants

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Sep 18, 2023. Written by Cerner Multum.

What is armodafinil?

Armodafinil is a medication that promotes wakefulness.

Armodafinil is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder.

Armodafinil may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Armodafinil side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).

Skin rashes serious enough to require hospitalization have occurred in people using a medicine similar to armodafinil. These rashes usually occurred within 1 to 5 weeks after the first dose.

Stop taking armodafinil and call your doctor at the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how minor you think it might be.

Seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, unusual bruising, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

Armodafinil may cause serious side effects. Stop using armodafinil and call your doctor at once if you have:

Common side effects of armodafinil may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

You should not use armodafinil if you have ever had a rash or allergic reaction caused by armodafinil or modafinil (Provigil).

Stop taking armodafinil and call your doctor if you have a skin rash, no matter how mild. Other signs of a severe reaction include fever, swelling in your face or tongue, mouth sores, trouble breathing, swelling in your legs, yellowing of your skin or eyes, and skin rash or blistering sores.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to armodafinil or modafinil (Provigil).

To make sure armodafinil is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

It is not known whether armodafinil will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Use a barrier form of birth control (condom or diaphragm with spermicide). Hormonal contraception (birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings) may not be effective enough to prevent pregnancy during your treatment.

It is not known whether armodafinil passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.

Armodafinil is not approved for use by anyone younger than 17 years old.

How should I take armodafinil?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take armodafinil in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Armodafinil may be habit-forming. Never share armodafinil with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Selling or giving away armodafinil is against the law.

Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Armodafinil is usually taken each morning to prevent daytime sleepiness, or 1 hour before the start of a work shift to treat work-time sleep disorders.

You may take armodafinil with or without food.

Armodafinil is usually given for up to 12 weeks. Follow your doctor's instructions.

If you are taking armodafinil to treat sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea, you may also be treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This machine is an air pump connected to mask that gently blows pressurized air into your nose while you sleep. The pump does not breathe for you, but the gentle force of air helps keep your airway open to prevent obstruction.

Do not stop using your CPAP machine during sleep unless your doctor tells you to. The combination of treatment with CPAP and armodafinil may be necessary to best treat your condition.

Taking this medication does not take the place of getting enough sleep. Talk with your doctor if you continue to have excessive sleepiness even while taking armodafinil. Armodafinil will not cure obstructive sleep apnea or treat its underlying causes. Follow your doctor's instructions about all your other treatments for this disorder.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Keep track of your medicine. Armodafinil is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

Armodafinil dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Narcolepsy:

150 to 250 mg orally once a day in the morning

Comments:
-In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), doses up to 250 mg/day have been well-tolerated but there is no consistent evidence of additional benefit beyond the 150 mg/day.
-This drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction in OSA.
-In cases where continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to initiating this drug.

Uses: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with OSA and narcolepsy.

Usual Adult Dose for Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome:

150 to 250 mg orally once a day in the morning

Comments:
-In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), doses up to 250 mg/day have been well-tolerated but there is no consistent evidence of additional benefit beyond the 150 mg/day.
-This drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction in OSA.
-In cases where continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to initiating this drug.

Uses: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with OSA and narcolepsy.

Usual Adult Dose for Shift Work Sleep Disorder:

150 mg orally once a day approximately 1 hour prior to the start of the work shift

Use: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but avoid taking the medication if you do not plan to be awake for several hours. If it is close to your normal bedtime hour, you may need to skip the missed dose and wait until the next day to take the medicine again.

Talk with your doctor about what to do if you miss a dose of armodafinil. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include nausea, diarrhea, confusion, feeling restless or excited, fast or slow heart rate, chest pain, trouble sleeping, or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real).

What should I avoid while taking armodafinil?

Armodafinil may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Avoid other dangerous activity until you know how this medication will affect your level of wakefulness.

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking armodafinil.

What other drugs will affect armodafinil?

Taking armodafinil with other drugs that make you sleepy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking a sleeping pill, narcotic medication, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Other drugs may interact with armodafinil, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.