Nuvigil and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• tsa...
• July 5, 2010

For Narcolepsy "I started Nuvigil 250 mg in the morning, two weeks ago after being diagnosed with narcolepsy. I went from sleeping all night and basically most of the day with extreme napping before the Nuvigil to no naps at all. I don't even feel sleepy. That is a plus. The first three days were a miracle! I was alert. Colors seemed brighter. I felt focused for the first time in years. Slowly, I started having afternoon side effects of a dull headache. I feel 'car sick' and jittery, and my skull feels actually numb to touch. I hope this subsides soon, or I may try halving my dose of 250 mg."

• Tis...
• January 25, 2011

For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "I have been using Nuvigil for 4 days now. I have horrible headaches! My eyes ache and feel like someone is pushing in on them, and I want to close them and feel very tired, but not sleepy. I am irritable, but I think that is because I feel so horrible. My doctor prescribed 150 mg and said to cut them in half. I think I will try taking 1/4 of a tablet and see what happens. I am not sure if I can handle much more. I can't focus at work by late afternoon because my head hurts and my eyes are aching. Ibuprofen and Tylenol don't seem to help."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2010

For Narcolepsy "The first couple of days, it seemed to work great. I did get a slight headache at the times I normally dosed off. I could not fall asleep for the first few days. After a week, the effects are starting to wear off. I am tired and have no energy, but I am not falling asleep. I am taking one pill, 150 mg in the morning. I have not taken any other medicine for narcolepsy before, so I have nothing to compare it to."

• Fem...
• November 17, 2009

For Narcolepsy "I was diagnosed with narcolepsy about a month ago. I don't like taking pills, but falling asleep at work at 8 am is just not acceptable. I was prescribed the 150 mg, and my insurance pays for it. There is a discount program offered by some pharmacies (using Walmart). My doctor gave me some information about it, and I only paid $10. It is supposed to save $50 each month. My experience with the pill itself is mostly positive. I finally feel like I can actually pursue my dreams and goals and won't have to compromise on less because I am too tired to go for it. I also have the side effect of dry mouth, though, and on the 3rd day of full dosage, I get a bad headache. Because of that, I take only half on some days, and most weeks don't take any on Sunday."

• Mat...
• May 11, 2011

For Narcolepsy "I've been on Nuvigil for about 5 weeks for narcolepsy. I can actually function. I was prescribed the 150 mg 1x/day and initially had very bad headaches for the first week or so and was taking ibuprofen to deal with them. My doctor had me cut the pills to take half when I wake and half 3 hrs later, and I no longer had the headaches but still had the wakefulness. I do occasionally experience severe dry mouth that no amount of water can fix, but no longer have headaches or any other problems, and am actually awake. I do get urges to nap on occasion, but they are resistible. Amazing to be able to be awake again!"

• Tac...
• December 14, 2011

For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "First day on Nuvigil, prescribed by a 'second opinion' sleep doctor. My first sleep doctor kept discounting my complaints of constant sleepiness even after having the CPAP machine for over a year. He had never even talked about any medications for excessive sleepiness. But my 'second opinion' sleep doctor did pay attention. I can't thank him enough. My first day on Nuvigil has been like a sunrise. This is the first day in at least 6 years that I didn't fall asleep. No headaches, jitters, nausea. Started to feel the 'wakefulness' easing off after about 6 hours. I agree about the cost, it's outrageous at over $10/day. I also take medicines for atrial fibrillation, so Nuvigil is one of the few I can take."

• Anonymous
• February 14, 2010

For Narcolepsy "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."

• Anonymous
• June 29, 2010

For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "My first day on Nuvigil. I have not had this much energy in years, and I'm only in my late 30s. The only side effects I've noticed so far are some very mild nausea. Just enough to suppress my appetite, which is actually a good side effect. Had a mild headache this afternoon a couple of hours after taking the pill, but I cannot say that it was a result of the medication."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2012

For Drowsiness "Diagnosed with hypersomnia. Prescribed 150 mg Nuvigil 1 x day. This medication made me extremely talkative for the first few days to the point of annoyance to others and even myself. Though it curbed my extreme need for napping and did make me feel somewhat more 'alive' during the day, the side effects, for me, far outweighed the benefits. Chills, daily headaches, feeling feverish with no temperature throughout the two months I took Nuvigil. Daily stomach pain and irritability and changes in my behavior to include sadness and crying episodes, feeling overwhelmed, feelings as if I were 'losing it'. I stopped taking Nuvigil two weeks ago and no more side effects!!!!"

• hip...
• March 21, 2011

For Narcolepsy "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."

• K_H...
• June 27, 2011

For Narcolepsy "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."

• tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2012

For Drowsiness "I suppose I am in the first stages of figuring out what causes me to be tired all the time. I am frustrated, and memories are flooding in of the onset of my tiredness. I remember falling asleep in every class in 9th grade at the age of 14. I always assumed my tiredness was from one reason or another. With that said, recently I have been back and forth to the doctor for four months now. This last time, he prescribed Nuvigil, and wants to order a sleep study. I was so excited at the prospect of feeling awake, and to my dismay, I have not felt anything good. Headaches mainly, tiredness, anxiety, emotional, spaciness, and even on 200 mg took a 2-hour nap. Been on 150 mg dose, still tired and don't feel as much anxiety and spaciness."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2010

For Narcolepsy "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."

• Ech...
• September 26, 2011

For Narcolepsy "Nuvigil worked great at 150 mg for a few months, then I needed to supplement with a quart of coffee in the mornings to keep me going until 1 pm. Bumped up to 225 mg. Not much better. Very expensive, $90 per month ($3 per pill). Aggressiveness, headaches, and thirst until I got used to it. No side effects now."

• Anonymous
• February 11, 2010

For Drowsiness "I took a full pill the first day, which was stupid, as I'm very sensitive to medication. I felt like I was on speed. I was talking really fast, my hands were shaking, my heart was beating a million miles an hour, it felt like an anxiety attack. I also got a horrible headache and nausea later in the day. I didn't take it again for a month, and then I cut the pill into quarters. For a week, I took 37.5 mg a day. I got a few headaches, dizziness, and nausea throughout the day, but it was tolerable. Three days ago, I upped it to 75 mg. I still don't feel any help with sleepiness! I am still dizzy, have headaches, nausea, and a lack of appetite. But I'm going to wait it out and keep upping it to 150 and see if it ever starts working. Hopefully, the side effects go away soon!"

• jlg...
• February 24, 2011

"This is my first day taking Nuvigil 200 mg. I felt jittery for the first 4 hours after taking it. Got a pretty severe headache around that 4-hour mark. Took some Tylenol, which relieved the headache, and I felt great the rest of the day. Worked a 10-hour shift in a physically demanding job, and I still was able to come home and stay up a few hours before going to sleep. I will keep posting my continued experience with this medication. It really helped me out to get on here and see what I could expect with this medication. Thanks to everyone. Oh yeah, I take this medication to help with the fatigue caused by MS. I was taking amantadine, which kept me awake but didn't help my body from feeling completely exhausted."

• JLH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2022

For Shift Work Sleep Disorder "Been taking Adderall to get me through my long days and just did not like the crash and pounding headache to follow. It also seemed no two days were ever the same, one day just lots of energy and no headache the next day just really tired, jittery, and massive headache. My doctor put me on Nuvigil 250 mg, I always start lower than he wants so I started at 150 mg in the morning to ease into it. I planned a couple of low-key days at home to get my body used to it, and my brain could focus on work and not the drug. About the third day, I got off early to stop by Kroger to grab food for dinner that night. Got back to my truck and had to literally sit there for hours, I could not even get the truck into gear. My mind had checked out, I knew what I was doing, but I was not going to do it. The act of driving scared the crap out of me. I called my sister and spoke with her for several hours, drank lots of water, I finally got my courage up to try and make my way back home. I was so jittery, paranoid to the bone."

• Del...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 18, 2022

"I have multiple sclerosis, and fatigue is one of my most challenging symptoms to manage. In November 2021, my neurologist gave me samples of Nuvigil 150 mg and 250 mg. We worked out pretty quickly I needed 250 mg a day at about 8 a.m., and I could last till about 8:30 p.m. It was life-changing! I can have a social life and go out for dinner. I can still have really fatigue days, but not as debilitating as previous ones, and I can work 30 hours a week in a fast-paced work environment. I do get a lot of headaches, but it’s difficult to know if it is Nuvigil or one of the other medications I’m on."

• Sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 9, 2024

For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "Have had positive results in using the medication. A couple of times had headaches but stopped. No other problems experienced."

• Lau...
• January 21, 2011

For Drowsiness "Significantly improved my quality of life, with the only side effect being a minor, occasional headache."

• Anonymous
• February 11, 2012

For Narcolepsy "I get headaches from the medicine. It worked well for the first month, and now I'm back to having sleep attacks."

• Stu...
• August 9, 2011

For Drowsiness "Keeps me awake somewhat, but gives me terribly terrible headaches."

• 420...
• February 26, 2023

"Took this medicine for two days. Gave me the worst pressure headache of my life. Also gave me insomnia. I will never take this medicine again. I’d rather be sleepy all the time than take this."