Armodafinil and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• July 15, 2009

Armodafinil for Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "I have been taking Provigil for several years now. I just started Nuvigil today, and it feels much different. It used to be that I took one Provigil, and I would be sleepy and have foggy head, but two Provigils made me feel wired and nauseous. Today I took one Nuvigil around 10:30 a.m. and have felt even and awake all day long. Hopefully, this will last."

• Mir...
• September 3, 2021

For Depression "Long-time sufferer from depression. I’ve had high hopes after reading all the positive reviews about armodafinil. I finally got some samples and took 75 mg Artvigil. It worked within half an hour, but my anxiety was through the roof, on the verge of panic attacks. I drank a lot of water, but anxiety just kept getting worse. I felt jittery and anxious all day into the night. Two days later, I got a terrible headache and anxiety was still present. I take mirtazapine at night, and usually within half an hour of taking mirtazapine, I would feel sedated and sleepy. This time, nothing, I was still wide awake until the early hours in the morning with persistent anxiety/panic attacks. Now, two days later, I still feel the effects of armodafinil: anxiety, spaced out, and a general bad feeling. I might try a lower dose again in a couple of weeks to see if it works better, but I'm not holding high hopes. Really disappointed, as this was one of my last resorts to get my depression in order."

• Tec...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 25, 2017

For Drowsiness "I've taken 250 mg Nuvigil for years. The product gave me my life back. I can't express how significant it was finding a medication that could wake up my brain and allow me to function. August 2016, Mylan released the first generic version. My insurance company immediately quit covering branded Nuvigil. Week one - I realized it was 50% effective at keeping me awake, followed by increasing anxiety, insomnia, inability to complete complex tasks, memory issues due to mental fog. Dr. compensated - adding medications for the side effects. Three weeks ago, given a trial of branded Nuvigil - the difference is amazing. No anxiety, no insomnia, accomplishing more at work in a week than I have in two months."

• Lac...
• January 28, 2013

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "I took Nuvigil for a little over a year. It changed my life. I have had chronic fatigue for 13 years, and the Nuvigil gave me the energy to live a normal life. I had a few side effects, but being awake was more important to me. Occasionally, I would sleep lightly or stay up until 2 a.m. The more noticeable side effect was the fogginess. I would often forget what I was doing, why I walked into the other room, and I couldn’t get words out quick enough. I always had the “it's stuck at the tip of my tongue” feeling when talking because I couldn’t remember certain words. Overall, I was very satisfied with this medicine, and it was effective. Once I lost my insurance, I couldn’t afford to take it anymore. $565 a month is a bit much."

• Iwa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2017

For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Well, this is not the magic pill for me. I have been on Adderall and Provigil and have not been able to tolerate or like either. I had hoped Provigil would help since I have heard such good things about it helping people who suffer from fatigue. I had to snap the 200mg Provigil in half and only take it after eating a full meal in order to not shake and not have my muscles tense up and my chest feel tight. It was pretty much like caffeine. It woke my body up but not my mind. I still craved a nap and had brain fog. I told my doctor about this, and she suggested trying Nuvigil. I have been on it for two days, and it feels the same as Provigil. Maybe a little more tolerable, but no magic 'I feel incredible!' feeling. Boooooo."

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

For Narcolepsy "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."

• Sle...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 25, 2022

For Idiopathic Hypersomnia "Started armodafinil at 29. Just over a year of use: 200 mg daily in the morning, Monday through Friday (workdays). I typically avoid taking armodafinil on weekends (elaborated below). Prior to armodafinil, the ONLY thing that kept me 'awake' was HIGH stress and TIGHT deadlines. Armodafinil is a life changer. I'm still sleepy, but remain fully alert until at least 1 p.m. and can muster through the rest of the day without too much trouble. I don't have any side effects. Much better than modafinil, which caused me headaches, nausea, 'brain fog.' Modafinil worked for about 3 days, and then the effect wore off. I stopped taking modafinil on weekends (as prescribed by my doctor) and still had no luck. Now my doctor is okay with and without the use of armodafinil on weekends. Efficacy for armodafinil should decrease, but my experience with modafinil has me cautious."

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2011

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "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."

• Oli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2021

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "I just wanted to share for anyone who experienced severe side effects with Provigil. On the lowest dose of Provigil, I experienced extreme hair loss, extreme stutters and physical tics, brain fog, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and hysteria. I went through Dex, Ritalin, and Ritalin LA, which didn't work for me. My doctor really pushed me to try Nuvigil, which I was super fearful of. I've been on 250 mg of Nuvigil about 2 weeks now, and no signs yet of the side effects I experienced with other medications. Like others, I find I crash between 12-5 pm, depending on the day's activities and will probably be supplementing Dex in as an afternoon filler, as previously discussed with my SS. My diagnosis is severe idiopathic hypersomnia. If I forget my medication for just one day, I will sleep a minimum of 18 hours, the longest so far is 36 hours. Nuvigil doesn't make me feel like a zombie-awake, but nobody is home."

• pdw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2023

For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Sinemet caused extreme fatigue and zombie-like state. Fell asleep during a conversation and driving. Prescribed armodafinil. Did not see any improvements at all. Dr. changed to Ritalin as my blood pressure was extremely low. That helped some but still very sleepy."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2025

For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "I got prescribed this medication for ADHD and severe fatigue, possibly related to depression and hypersomnia. First of all, it did not help my drowsiness. It made me feel so much more tired and it made me more unfocused. I also started to notice I would have these existential depressive thoughts. I had constant anxiety, couldn’t be present in a conversation, and made anxiety and depression way worse. It also muted out my personality. I did not feel like myself and was having all these scary thoughts. I’m going back to Vyvanse, which was way better for me."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2021

For ADHD "I only take 75 mgs daily, and it works very well for focus, stopping brain fog, and sleepiness. I use it daily and like it much better than any other ADHD medication I have tried."