Armodafinil and Nausea: What Users Say

• Lun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2013

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy about 18 months ago after battling constant fatigue no matter how much sleep I received at night or how many naps I took throughout the day. Nuvigil has changed my life! I take one pill daily, and I am able to live a normal life outside of the fog that I was constantly living in before my diagnosis. I had a lot of side effects when I first started taking Nuvigil, which included headaches, dry mouth, cramping, nausea, loss of appetite, and dizziness, but those were nothing compared to being able to finally live my life fully for the first time! I felt like before I was swimming in murky water, unable to see or function, and after the medication, I can actually experience life and interact with people!"

• Jen...
• February 27, 2012

Armodafinil for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "I had to fight with insurance to cover my Nuvigil but finally got them too. I have battled to get my hypothyroidism optimized for years, and even when I had it at a pretty good level, I was always tired. The doctor labeled it chronic fatigue, and the Nuvigil has made a huge difference. I feel like I can finally keep up with everybody else and don't have to stand up at the back of meetings at work to stay awake. Nuvigil did have some strong side effects at first (headache, nauseous, lack of appetite), but they were pretty much gone after a week or so."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• November 7, 2011

Armodafinil for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "In my opinion, there are a lot of pros and cons for this medication. I took it for a while with no ill effect, but something must have changed, and it made me feel extremely ill (dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, headache). I stopped taking it because of this and definitely noticed a difference. I think that taking a half a pill every few hours has eliminated my problems with the medication and works to keep me awake and focused for longer."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 26, 2019

For Drowsiness "I'm recently diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia. It's affected my life since I was a teen. I'm now 37. I've been on Armodafinil (mnfr: Mylan) about 3 months. The first 2 months was 150 mg with no relief of symptoms and an increase in headaches/migraines. Sleeping nearly all day. My dose was increased to 250 mg, which I'm currently on for nearly 4 weeks, still no relief. I feel like it makes me more tired. I still sleep a lot throughout the day and evening. I get a full night's sleep as well. I still have an increase in headaches/migraines along with occasional nausea. I read a previous review about the generic brand manufactured by Mylan not working as well as the generic manufactured by the name brand manufacturer or the name brand itself. I don't know if there's a difference between them. Armodafinil produced by Mylan is all I've tried. I really hoped this medicine would change the quality of my life, but it didn't. I'm happy it has worked for some people."

• KG4...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2016

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "Diagnosed with narcolepsy and had frequent daily cataplexy. Nothing else worked, prior to getting diagnosed, hours and hours of sleep mixed with coffee, energy drinks, and abuse of workout stimulants. After adjusting to the jitters and slight nausea, I've never felt better. Every now and then, I will need a small nap, but I am sleeping deeper and sleepwalking much less. I went from several cataplexies a day to only three in the last month. Those three only happened because I hadn't gotten enough sleep that night. This drug works the best for me when I get more than 6 hours of sleep, ideally 7 or 8 hours though. I am very happy overall, but it is ridiculously expensive if you aren't on an insurance plan, like me (just switched jobs)."

• pau...
• September 17, 2009

Armodafinil for Drowsiness "I have found it to be very smooth, have needed to take two per day, one early AM and the second one about noon to make it all day. No more trouble sleeping than normal. No shakiness or jitters, appetite seems normal. One tablet (150 mg) was no help. I seem to be more productive during the day. No nausea or headaches, dizziness. I feel like I get along with it just fine."

• Jwo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2019

For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Tried for massive fatigue related to MS and had high hopes. Unfortunately, it made me so dizzy I could hardly stand, gave me extreme diarrhea and nausea. I’m looking forward to the side effects going away and going back to my normal exhausted self."

• Stu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2019

For Drowsiness "Armodafinil makes me feel more sleepy. I feel dizzy, nauseous, and after taking the pill, I get migraines. It's so weird that I have these side effects. At the same time, I can feel my heart rate rising. After these symptoms, I didn’t use it again."

• Jen...
• November 14, 2011

Armodafinil for Depression "I started taking 150 mg of Nuvigil with my Strattera. My doctor wanted to wait and see if the Nuvigil worked before discounting Strattera. Well, the first 4 days of Nuvigil at 150 mg worked well, my doctor decided to up it to 250 mg, and now it no longer works at all, and in fact, I feel very nauseous after I take it. I am so very disappointed!"

• Ven...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2021

For Idiopathic Hypersomnia "250 mg once a day. Works better than modafinil and the effects of awaken and energy last longer. At least a good 5 hours. Still needs to be accompanied by another medication to extend the positive effect, but so far positive. In my case, non-habit forming or addiction, but if I miss one dose, that day I'm OK, but the next day, I'm extremely sleepy and drained. Blood works all OK and within normal range. Warning... the moment you place it in your mouth, it tastes horrible. It's not the type that gives you a chance to swallow quickly without tasting that horrible aftertaste. Hopefully eventually they coat the medication. Besides that, I recommend."

• tsa...
• July 5, 2010

Armodafinil 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."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2019

For Narcolepsy "Started this medication a few weeks ago on the 150 mg dose. It stopped working, so my doctor upped the dose to 200 mg. Since day one, I have had the WORST nausea, migraines, the overall feeling of sickness, loss of appetite, and vomiting that are only getting worse every day. The medication has not even worked that well for me, and for me, it is just not worth taking. I am stopping this medication immediately."

• Tac...
• December 14, 2011

Armodafinil 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."

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

For Narcolepsy "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!"

• Anonymous
• June 29, 2010

Armodafinil 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."

• 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."

• mai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 3, 2023

For Narcolepsy "My doctor prescribed armodafinil to treat narcolepsy. I was on it for over a week, and it is quite possibly the worst week I have experienced in a long time. I have been diagnosed with depression, however, I am on Pristiq and haven't had an issue for years. The first day, 150 mg was fine, I felt 'normal,' so to say, just without the extreme fatigue all the time. On the second day, I felt spaced out, like I wasn't quite there, but I also wasn't fatigued, so I continued on. On the fourth day, I felt extremely nauseous and dizzy. I was sitting on my bed, however, it felt like I was on a boat rocking back and forth. The fifth day is when the crying, depression, anxiety, and racing heartbeat all came in. It was like a switch was flicked in my head. It made me so sad, depressed, unable to see the point of life, and stressed out about 1,000 tiny things I would never stress out about. This, alongside a racing heartbeat, made me feel even more anxious. I went to my GP, who said I have tachycardia and need to stop taking it ASAP."

• 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."

• Kat...
• August 29, 2017

For Drowsiness "Diagnosis of idiopathic hypersomnia about 15 months ago, prescribed Modafinil 4 tbs a day. Over time, lasting power decreased dramatically. 3 weeks ago, was prescribed Armodafinil. Side effects are quite debilitating: dizziness, nausea, and a big increase in migraine headaches. The overwhelming sleepiness is bad, impacting daily life. Finding Armodafinil is only lasting about 6 hours, so definitely no night driving. I can really feel the come down as it wears off. Disappointed, as I was really hoping for some improvement in life quality."

• Anonymous
• February 11, 2010

Armodafinil 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!"

• NJR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2016

For Drowsiness "I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia and was prescribed Nuvigil. I started with 150 mg. The 1st week was great, I felt like I had my life back and was enjoying it. The 2nd week wasn't as good but was better than what it was before. The 3rd week, I was fatigued around 2 pm, and the 4th week I was back to fatigue all day. The Dr. increased my dosage to 200 mg. I've been on that for the past 5 days, and I am now back to how I was before. Side effects have been headaches and slight nausea on the 150 mg, however, on 200 mg, I get extremely nauseous about 12 hours after taking the pill. Waiting for the Dr. to call me back."

• NJR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2016

For Drowsiness "I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia and was prescribed Nuvigil. I started with 150 mg. The 1st week was great, I felt like I had my life back and was enjoying it. The 2nd week wasn't as good but was better than what it was before. The 3rd week, I was fatigued around 2 pm, and the 4th week I was back to fatigue all day. The Dr. increased my dosage to 200 mg. I've been on that for the past 5 days, and I am now back to how I was before. Side effects have been headaches and slight nausea on the 150 mg, however, on 200 mg, I get extremely nauseous about 12 hours after taking the pill. Waiting for the Dr. to call me back."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2015

"Armodafinil is great for getting you awake and focused for the entire day. The side effects for me included nausea, headache, and tiredness (weird, I know). I lowered my dose to 75 mg only on days I need it, and I have energy all day without the side effects. With this drug, more is actually less. Keep your dose low enough to skip the side effects, and Armodafinil will help you through challenging work/study days."