Armodafinil for Narcolepsy User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• February 14, 2010

Armodafinil "I got diagnosed with narcolepsy about a month ago. I got prescribed Nuvigil and took it for two weeks straight. The medicine had some side effects like headaches, but soon my body got used to the medicine. I'm a college student, so it's crucial that I stay awake when I'm in class, and Nuvigil helps me do that. Its effects slowly begin to work, so I have to take it early in the morning."

• Jon...
• May 13, 2011

Armodafinil "Would frequently get tired in the afternoon or after 15 minutes of driving. Nodded off many times driving, sometimes couldn't remember half the drive. Would fall asleep at work in seminars, at my desk, etc. Always had trouble in college staying awake in class, thought other people were just better at staying interested. With Nuvigil, my eyes never get heavy unless I'm really tired. I have much more confidence driving and staying awake at work. Even around family, I don't have sleepy spells that make me look disinterested. Amazing stuff with very little side effects. I do often skip a day when I know I won't need it, and I usually feel like a nap after noon. I also take half doses (75 mg), and it works almost as well as 150 mg."

• Kim...
• February 22, 2018

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy over the summer, and the insurance company would only cover armodafinil. My doctor wanted me to try that for three months and see how it went. There were days that I felt great and like myself again, but there were too many days that I was exhausted. A lot of days I was struggling to get out of bed or falling asleep in the middle of the day. When I went back to the doctor and told him, he said many of his patients have the same problem with the generic. So he started me on Nuvigil, which took the insurance company a few days, but I got it. I've been on the Nuvigil for four months now, and the difference is amazing! There are few days I feel like I did before my diagnosis now, and those days are usually when I have a cold or when it's that time of the month."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2017

"So I've been researching the generic Nuvigil ever since my insurance company decided that even though my doctor said I needed to remain on the brand name, they wouldn't pay for it anymore (at first they paid half, making my out-of-pocket $500, but after one fill, they said they'd pay nothing). I wanted to keep an open mind and tried to forget everything I read. But it really isn't anywhere near as effective. I had been on 250 mg of Nuvigil for almost 5 years and was able to live a normal life for someone in their mid-20s to early 30s, but since switching, I feel a shell of my normal self. I'm physically exhausted, can't get out of bed in the morning regardless of how much sleep I've had the night before, and feel like I'm in a fog all day long."

• Anonymous
• March 27, 2010

Armodafinil "I was diagnosed with narcolepsy about a week ago. I started taking Nuvigil 150 mg, and at first, I felt as though I could see life with clear eyes. Colors were also brighter. But then, a day or so has passed, and I am completely exhausted. I had a sleep attack at work, and I didn't fall asleep, but I felt very weak and could have easily gone to sleep. I hope this improves. I know I need to give this medicine a chance though."

• PJa...
• October 27, 2019

"Started on modafinil and now on armodafinil. Neither seems to be that effective for narcolepsy, as I can take a 250 mg tablet and go to sleep two hours later. It is better than not using it, though. At least with this, I have motivation to do some things, where without it, it was hard to do anything. The doctor is reluctant to try me on anything else since I am 68, and he feels other meds might be too dangerous."

• Sle...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 8, 2023

"The Mylan generic is horrible and not effective. The headache and severe nausea are debilitating. The taste is foul. I continued to take it thinking I'd get used to it. Not so. Not effective at keeping me awake, and the miserable side effects outweigh its usefulness. My physician specified a brand, or I pay the extra copay for the name brand. The original name brand and Sandoz brand work great. No, thank you, Mylan!"

• art...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2019

Armodafinil "I was prescribed this for narcolepsy when I was 16 (am 23 now). My doctor wanted to prescribe Modafinil, its sister drug, but for reasons unknown to me (idk, maybe insurance or laws, I really don't remember). I had an adverse reaction that sent me to the hospital. I almost went into cardiac arrest and probably would have had I not gone to the emergency room when I did. Uncontrollable shaking and heart palpitations (heart rate 160+)."

• Anonymous
• October 27, 2010

Armodafinil "I was diagnosed with narcolepsy about a year and a half ago and started taking Nuvigil. I began with a 150 mg dose once a day, and the first couple of weeks were great. Like some of the other reviews, colors were brighter, I was more focused, and felt better than I ever remember feeling. After a couple of months on that dose, I started to have midday sleeping spells, where I could not keep my eyes open, even when in the middle of complicated work functions. I would literally fall asleep while typing, waking to find the same letter across the page. I spoke to my doctor, and the dose was upped to 250 mg once a day. I went through the same effects as when I first started taking the medication. Again, the effects have slowly worn off."

• Anonymous
• February 4, 2012

Armodafinil "I've been taking Nuvigil 250 mg for about 1 month now. At first, it was amazing and helped me stay alert and kept me from needing naps every day. About 2 weeks after starting, I discovered a major decline in its effectiveness and had to stop using it for a while to see if my tolerance would go back to normal. I still cannot go a full day without being tired, so I am considering doubling my dose or trying something else."

• Edw...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 15, 2018

"As a shift worker doing the graveyard hours, I needed something to stay sharp in the wee hours. This did the trick. But when my doctor first put me on it, I had trouble getting to bed at a reasonable time and stayed awake building things. I completed a new deck, slabbed out a patio in the backyard, and returned to school to study a new profession."

• hip...
• March 21, 2011

Armodafinil "Nuvigil works really well. The effectiveness does slightly wear off after several consecutive days with the dose, but taking a day or two off the medication has restored effectiveness for me. The only side effect I've experienced in the last month and a half is headaches (infrequently, at that). Be wary of mixing caffeine with Nuvigil. In my case, caffeine increases palpitation-like symptoms, increases jitteriness, and has even provoked hallucinations more than once."

• Fem...
• August 24, 2011

Armodafinil "I was diagnosed with narcolepsy a little over a year ago. As I was just about to start my senior year of college, I knew I needed to start a medication in order to get through classes and homework, so I started on Nuvigil 150 mg. I immediately noticed a huge difference in my quality of life. I had forgotten what it was like to be focused and alert throughout the day and would suddenly realize it was 9 pm and I was totally exhausted. However, side effects started to take over the benefits for me, and I started to experience problems with jitters, a sort of lingering morning sickness feeling, and anxiety. I stopped taking it due to these side effects, but sometimes now I feel the exhaustion is worse than dealing with the side effects."

• K_H...
• June 27, 2011

Armodafinil "As a working mom, I literally do not have time to nap during the day. It finally became enough of an annoyance that I saw a doctor for the first time in 7 years. Moral of the story, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy and prescribed Nuvigil (250 mg). I am not thrilled to be taking a (possibly addictive) medication the rest of my life, but I want to explore my other options (rather than consume 3 energy drinks/day). So far, I have only been on it a week and after the headaches and no sleep wore off, I now get only a short time where I feel like I am all there. To say I gave it a fair shot, I am going to stick it out for a month."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

Armodafinil "A doctor in the ER prescribed me 200 mg of Provigil when I was first diagnosed with narcolepsy. It didn't seem to have any effect on me at all. Then I went to see my sleep doctor, and he prescribed me 250 mg of Nuvigil. It finally allowed me to stay awake for an entire day. But if I went out somewhere, I would be able to come home and take a nap and be fully awake again. Taking that with Xyrem makes me feel 98%... not quite 100, but still pretty great."

• Ali...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 17, 2024

"Armodafinil has quite literally changed my life. After struggling with constant sleepiness until my late 30s, I was diagnosed with borderline narcolepsy and was prescribed Armodafinil, 150 mg. Turns out I was not lazy, I was actually fighting so hard not to fall asleep all the time that I was in physical pain. Suddenly, I didn't need two naps a day, I didn't fall asleep in front of the TV, in the car/train/boat/plane, during lectures, driving (!), and I no longer felt that horrible physical pain of trying to keep myself awake. I finally feel like I am on an equal footing with the rest of the world. If only this was picked up while I was at school, I would have avoided a whole load of trauma. Occasionally, I forget to take it, and I am right back to where I was. It's always a good reminder of how life-changing this is for me. Also, no long-term side effect-it cut my appetite completely for about 2 months, then back to normal."

• FLA...
• November 16, 2010

Armodafinil "After years of misery; then numerous tests by neurologists and sleep studies, I was finally diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and a form of narcolepsy in 2005. I was prescribed Provigil, 200 mg twice a day, and given the okay to take another 1/2 tab if necessary. It was a Godsend and changed my life for the better. However, now the doctor wants me to 'try' Nuvigil and gave me samples and a prescription. It DOES NOT WORK for me, but the insurance company is demanding I stay on Nuvigil. Provigil will cost $1000 per month!"

• Hst...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 1, 2016

"On my second month of generic, and I will be doing what is needed to get name brand Nuvigil at the next refill. I've been the person I was prior to Nuvigil several years ago. I have also had a constant headache. My nose and sinuses have felt very congested with little to no production. I do have allergies, so possibly it has nothing to do with the generic. But typically, after a round of allergy meds, it clears, and this has been ongoing for 2 months now. I can take the generic and within an hour be asleep. I feel like I did years ago before Nuvigil. I was happy for a generic because of the reduced co-pay. However, I'm ready to pay the higher cost for the name brand so I can get back to my life!"

• Dev...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 29, 2024

"I've taken 150 mg of armodafinil since my initial diagnosis of narcolepsy 2 six years ago. It has worked very well for me. My blood pressure is still good, and my ECGs are normal. The only side effect I've noticed is the canker sores I get any time I perhaps bite my cheek or my lips hit my teeth. I take L-lysine 1000 mg daily to help with them. I've done drug trials many times and have never found another drug that worked quite as well as armodafinil. The only bad thing I've noticed is the pills taste awful! Really bad! Otherwise, I highly recommend armodafinil."

• Mlb...
• October 25, 2011

Armodafinil "I was diagnosed with narcolepsy several years ago, but probably suffered from it for 12 years or so. I never stayed awake in classes. Once I started full-time work, I had to get it under control. I used Provigil for a while first, but it was harsh: came on strong, I felt buggy, severe migraines, and I crashed hard after about 8 hours. I switched to Nuvigil (150mg), though it's more dollars, I was told it had a slower release which may help with the migraines and bugginess. I like the Nuvigil a lot better. It comes on a little more gently, I crash less at the end of the day. I do self-moderate, often don't take it on the weekends, and I'll only take a half pill some days."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2010

Armodafinil "After looking over the sleep study results, my doctor concluded I have narcolepsy. He has put me on Nuvigil (1x-150mg). I will say, the first 2-3 days felt great. After that, it went and still continues to go downhill. I feel tired and am weak, but my eyes aren't closing like they used to. I kind of wish I would just fall asleep. I have this extreme dull headache that won't subside and dry mouth. I meet with the doctor next week, hopefully, we can change things up."

• Pap...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2021

Armodafinil "I have had allergies and asthma my whole life and was always too tired to do anything. I couldn't play sports, was told that I was lazy, was shunned and teased by my peers, and misunderstood by my parents. When the doctor put me on 250 mg of Nuvigil, I was amazed at the difference! I had energy, endurance, clarity, and the desire to do physical activities. I told everyone that I felt like a new person, and they agreed. I was extremely discouraged when I was told that I could no longer get it unless I was willing to shell out $5,000 per month. My doctor said that it had to do with the problem with opiates and all of the drugs in that class were unavailable. I was devastated. I am now on Adderall, which is better than nothing, but not the same."

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2011

Armodafinil "I have been taking Nuvigil for a little over a month now. At first, I took 150 mg. It worked for 3 days, and then I went back to being exhausted. My doctor bumped the dosage to 250 mg, and it has been working a lot better. The thing is, I can still feel episodes of sleepiness coming on later in the afternoon and have been adding caffeine, but I think it's bringing on the side effects like jitteriness, nausea, fogginess, extreme dry mouth, and an uncomfortable feeling in my jaw and the back of my neck. I do not like the side effects, and I am now trying to cut back on the caffeine, hoping it will help. Going to add Xyrem to my treatment to see if it will fix me."

• Anonymous
• October 20, 2011

Armodafinil "I was diagnosed by a sleep specialist a month ago with narcolepsy. I started with a 150 mg dose but saw no improvement with wakefulness or ability to sleep, which was my main concern. After discussion, I was put onto a 250 mg dose which, as of yet, still hasn't changed anything."

• Hun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2019

"After finally going to the doctor for feeling drained 24/7, I took the sleep latency test and found that I have narcolepsy. The doctor started me out on 150 mg armodafinil, and I really didn’t feel anything. They then told me to double up on the 150 mg every morning, meaning 300 mg (too much). This slightly helped, so to be more cost-efficient, they put me on 250 mg. Some days it feels okay, some not. Although if I miss a day of it, I feel so ill and grumpy, it’s ridiculous. All in all, it doesn’t work very well, which saddens me because most people think it’s the best thing ever. I can literally take it and sleep the rest of the day if that tells you anything."