Armodafinil and Tremors: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 14, 2012

Armodafinil for Shift Work Sleep Disorder "I work nights in the Emergency Department as an RN at a large, very busy trauma center and have been for the past three years. This medication has been a lifesaver in terms of maintaining alertness throughout my shift without the shakes and nervous feeling like being overdosed on caffeine pills or energy drinks. I take the 250 mg pill 1-2 hours before my shift at 7 pm, and it carries me throughout the night. I used to take Provigil 100 mg for two years before Nuvigil came out and found that I was taking up to 200 mg doses a night. Nuvigil is great because it is cheaper, even with insurance, and seems to last longer. I only take it four times a week when I work, and that three-day off time provides enough time for my body to not get used to it."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2011

Armodafinil for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Nuvigil works so well that I am now able to function in most aspects of my day. Before Nuvigil, I was hardly able to perform activities of daily living. Now, I am able to do grocery shopping, run errands, etc. I am much, much more alert. I had tried Ritalin before Nuvigil, and Ritalin made me a nervous wreck, whereas Nuvigil is easy and without the shaking. The cost of Nuvigil is outrageous."

• 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)."

• Bus...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2014

Armodafinil for Shift Work Sleep Disorder "My sleep doctor, I use a CPAP every night, gave me a sample to try as I work a 'baby owl' shift from 5:00 pm to 2:00 am. Best way to describe this medicine is a slow-release caffeine pill. However, zero jitters and zero overactive bladder. No buzz, no altered feelings of any kind. I can focus better with this in my system. If I can get a full six hours on my CPAP and take a 250 mg pill an hour before my shift, I can get my job done with an amazing amount of focus. My insurance was slow to cover, and even with them covering over half of the cost, these little pills cost a bundle. Worth it for me, as I was spending close to the same amount per month on Red Bull and coffee."

• 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."

• Car...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 29, 2024

For Fibromyalgia "I have severe fibromyalgia body aches, and within 5 days of starting armodafinil, I was able to stop using oxycodone, and my pain went away. I do have to take it with food because the side effects are mild feelings of anxiety and jitters if I don't. Insurance would only cover this if I was diagnosed with a sleep disorder. I feel that this medication saved my life."

• 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."

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

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "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+)."

• Fem...
• August 24, 2011

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "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."

• cam...
• August 9, 2009

For Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome "This could be an important medicine for those who don't like taking medicines. I have chronic pain and don't sleep well for a few days, then just coma-sleep because I am so exhausted by about the third day. When I am out driving, I don't like to take much more than ibuprofen until the evening, although the menu for me includes Vicodin, Dilaudid, Skelaxin, etc., as required. Have had 4 surgeries. My pain management doctor and I go round about pain medicines, and I know I wait too long to take it, but I think Nuvigil can be a great once in a while solution for when you wake up exhausted and have to be alert. I experienced no jitters or side effects, but was able to have a normal, productive day. No trouble sleeping and having some choice about my day. Priceless!"

• jes...
• September 28, 2011

For Narcolepsy "I have been taking Nuvigil since I was diagnosed with narcolepsy 10 months ago, and I finally feel like myself. I was barely functional without it. When I first started, I had some trouble with side effects: sleeplessness, anxiety, and jitters. What worked for me was starting at a much lower dose and working my way up to the dosage I needed. I do several things that I think also help me get the most out of Nuvigil. 1) I take my medicine at the same time every single morning, even on weekends; 2) I drink a lot of water; if I'm dehydrated at all, my heart rate goes up; and 3) I take CoQ10 and B12 (both recommended by my neurologist). These completely got rid of the anxiety problems I was having. It took some time to really figure out, but 100% worth it."

• Ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 5, 2025

Armodafinil for Narcolepsy "I have been taking Nuvigil since being diagnosed with narcolepsy about 8 years ago. I love Nuvigil, I take 200 mg every morning. I do have the shakes a little bit in the morning after taking for a short time, but other than that, I don't have any other side effects. It keeps me awake without feeling like I am racing or that the hair on my neck is standing up. There have been a few times that the pharmacy has been out of the medication during refills, and I have had to wait a couple of days for it to come in. The good thing is you don't have those feelings of withdrawal like you get when they are out of Adderall. You may feel tired, but that is it. It has been a life changer for me."

• Mav...
• October 4, 2016

For Shift Work Sleep Disorder "Always a total skeptic about meds but.....OH MY GOD!! First-time user of this medication. Took 500 mg dose around 6 hours ago. Have been on a 10/10 rush since then. Unbelievable!!! Feeling basically Top Gun alert, at ninja readiness, shaking slightly in anticipation. Very similar experience to having a damn good md-cap....from what I've been told :). Do very long work shifts 16-17 hours and this seems unbelievable. To feel this good at the conclusion of such a shift is total madness. I think the potential for abuse of this medication must be astronomical. I note it does apparently have some moderate dopaminergic effects and I can certainly feel this to some extent."