Modafinil for Narcolepsy User Reviews (Page 4)

• Dox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2016

"Was diagnosed with narcolepsy 30 years ago at age 40 years old. For the last 10 years, have been on Adderall (2 x 20 mg at 8 am, 2 x 20 mg and 2 x 20 mg at 1 pm) & Ritalin (2 x 10 mg at 9 am, 12 pm & 2 pm). Reason for Ritalin was to augment the Adderall 'peak and fall off.' I had tried Provigil when it first came out, but it didn't work. Now, at 70 years old, it seemed that I had developed a tolerance to Adderall. After a lengthy discussion with my health care provider, I agreed to give Provigil another try (200 mg once daily). At my next doctor's appointment, I complained of the 'afternoon fall off,' and the dose was changed to 200 mg twice daily (morning and early afternoon). Issue solved, and Provigil is working GREAT!!!"

• tee...
• August 8, 2009

Modafinil "For several years, I have been on Provigil, with a small dosage of Ritalin as a supplement. The Provigil was not enough for me, but it was much better than being on Ritalin alone. Ritalin had a tendency to make me anxious and talk constantly. Life is good now as a narcoleptic."

• Jul...
• April 13, 2009

Modafinil "Provigil works great for me, at 200 mg once in the morning. I usually feel dull-witted and fatigued, but I don't suddenly 'switch off.' After about a week of steady doses, however, I often develop a bad headache and have to quit taking the stuff for a few days. Maybe that's a good thing if it keeps me from getting habituated. Ritalin did nothing except make my hands shake."

• neu...
• November 12, 2008

Modafinil "This is a wonderful medicine. Costly, but great. However, I have found that it is best to take it an hour before eating or, if need be, an hour AFTER eating. This medication changed my quality of life. Future downfall...if I decide to have kids. Then what? Consider this if you are thinking about having kids."

• Luc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 8, 2020

"I have been taking 400 to 600 mg of modafinil each day for 20 years due to narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness. The only side effect I have ever noticed was a decrease in falling asleep during the day, which is exactly what I need. It took nearly 20 years to get diagnosed with this sleep deprivation. I had many encounters with the law and driving both before and after being diagnosed, however, far less after. I still have to have Ritalin or some amphetamine in the event the current dose of 400 mg a day wears off. Ritalin helps me on a shorter duration, such as in the evening when an hour or two of wakefulness is needed, rather than the 12 hours typically provided to me by Provigil/modafinil. Modafinil is a lifesaver for me. I was a danger to myself and others without it. However, $5,249 for 180 pills, a 90-day supply, is ridiculous. My fixed SSI is less than $3,000 for 90 days. Thank God for HIP insurance in Indiana."

• Lol...
• March 17, 2017

"I've been taking it for 2 years for excessive daytime sleepiness and suspected narcolepsy. It's changed my life, I'm a single mom, in full-time uni, working two jobs. My days are long and exhausting, but I'm reaching heights unimaginable before. Just a few weeks from my 2nd degree!! I've experienced few effects, it's hard on my stomach, curbs appetite, and sometimes makes me jittery and babbling. Also having considerably more migraines, but my lifestyle is hectic and I'm sure it doesn't help. Positives far outweigh... thanks to Provigil, I now have a normal life, with steady wakefulness, and I'm alert with insane durations of concentration. I'm so grateful, I'm scoring it 10/10, something I rarely do! Also, I'm lucky to get it for free on the Irish medical card system."

• Moh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 26, 2023

"I have struggled with sleepiness, fatigue, lack of motivation, anxiety, lack of concentration, and procrastination. 100mg (I don't need more) Modafinil helped me very much. I have motivation to do the tasks and focus for a longer period without being drowsy. No anxiety, no headache, no mood changes, no tremor. Everything works great."

• Fre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2014

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy a while ago and have been started on modafinil. This does work, but with some side effects, which I tend to find only if I take the whole 100 mcg at one go, rather than have it in twos. By separating the whole dose, it has helped with the headaches and increased heart rate. I don't take it on a daily basis, but only when I am at work or at uni. Another brownie point for this medicine is that it definitely curbs my appetite for hours."

• Luc...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 15, 2017

"My insurance wouldn’t cover it without a prior authorization, and it would’ve cost me $780 cash at other pharmacies. I shopped around and found it at Costco for $35 (that’s correct: THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS!) so don’t lose hope! My insurance has now approved it, and my co-pay is $50, so I STILL get it at Costco! This is an amazing drug that helps me stay awake for 8 hours, without euphoria or building a tolerance. It’s helped me reclaim my life from narcolepsy and fibromyalgia - no longer exhausted, but productive!"

• Anonymous
• October 1, 2009

Modafinil "I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, for that, I got a CPAP. But I also had trouble with zombie episodes and uncontrollable sleepiness (at work, while driving, very scary). I was diagnosed with narcolepsy several years ago (not formally tested, though). I have all the symptoms (night terrors, sleep paralysis), but I have not been tested for it. Anyway, my sleep doctor put me on it primarily because of several driving issues. It seems to work well, I have not dozed off or had a zombie episode since I have been on it. I still feel tired, and I can sleep if I want to, so I feel a little more in control. I also don't feel like a speed freak, like Adderall. I am on 200 mg in the morning for the past 2 weeks. So far, I am pleased with it."

• Joe...
• December 13, 2017

"Been taking modafinil for 2 years. When I don't take this drug, I'm more prone to taking involuntary naps, dozing, and falling asleep early in the day. This drug has allowed me to live a normal life with exceptional benefits and no withdrawal/side effects. On the off day, I decline to take it so my tolerance does not build. I sometimes get angry that recreational users with no prescription write reviews about this drug because they have no experience with sleep disorders and thus have a skewed idea of what this drug can do for those that do."

• tec...
• March 14, 2012

"Love this medication! Have been on it for over 10 years with no side effects. Different insurance companies have made me try Ritalin, Adderall, and Nuvigil. None of those worked, and the first two gave me awful side effects. It is not a fix-all! You have to live differently than other people do if you have narcolepsy. My doctor (who wrote a book on narcolepsy) said that I should still get about 10 hours of sleep every night and should have a consistent daily schedule. Be properly diagnosed by a sleep latency study after an assessment for sleep apnea - it doesn't help sleep apnea! And don't take it if you are pregnant (also, birth control pills may not work while on it)."

• Not...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 7, 2020

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, specifically excessive daytime sleepiness, in the '90s. I was prescribed Ritalin twice a day for more than a decade. After moving and changing doctors, I was switched to Pemoline, which was the closest I ever felt to 'normal' until it was pulled off the market for being linked with liver failure. By then, Modafinil had been approved by the FDA for use in treating excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy. It has been very helpful for daytime, though I can still fall asleep (nap) during the day, and I notice that if I forget my 2nd (afternoon) dose, I'm not able to stay asleep through the night."

• Met...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2017

"I am diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD inattentive type, and narcolepsy without cataplexy. Modafinil, generic or brand name, is very effective in uncontrolled daytime sleepiness without disturbing nighttime sleep as long as it is not taken too late in the day. Helps with depression, focus, and general energy. It literally saved my life by stopping me from falling asleep while driving and saved the lives of others. Generic is still pricey, and the insurance will not want to pay for it."

• Van...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 24, 2020

"I was diagnosed with type 2 narcolepsy and prescribed 100 mg Modafinil. The first two weeks were riddled with side effects: dizzy, unbelievably dehydrated with drinking 48 oz of water daily, miserably red, dry eyes, but marginally awake for a few hours. Months later, I was up to 200 mg 2x/daily, and I found that so long as I drink at least 64 oz of water and get 90 minutes of rigorous exercise each day, I feel more like myself. Once it built up in my system and the side effects subsided, it's kind of like a small cup of coffee running in the background for seven or eight hours. So long as I get plenty of exercise before and after work and stay hydrated throughout the day, it generally gets me through most of the workday."

• Vic...
• March 19, 2019

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy when I was a freshman in high school. I am now 26 years old with a 3-year-old daughter. While I was in high school, I was prescribed Ritalin, which did help. Recently, I was prescribed Adderall, and it worked GREAT. I was taking a 20 mg tablet twice a day (one in the morning, once at noon or 1 pm). I went and saw a new sleep disorder doctor who prescribed the modafinil at 200 mg a day (1 tablet in the morning). I am still absolutely exhausted by noon or 1 pm. On modafinil, I am fine in the morning after I take it, but again, by noon or 1 pm, I am absolutely exhausted, can't focus, and can barely keep my eyes open enough to function. I had high hopes for this medication, but it just doesn't seem to be enough for me. I don't feel any different than when I wasn't taking anything."

• deb...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 2, 2017

"I've been taking Modafinil for 10 years, the highest dose they can prescribe. In fairness, I have 2 problems going on: the narcolepsy and a sleep disorder. I do not get adequate REM sleep. The best sleep I've ever had was with IV sedation for surgery. I wake up every day tired. Though taking Modafinil helps, it is not consistently helpful and does not prevent me from nodding off, depending on the situation. My doctor has not wanted to switch drugs. I can say it helps some, but is not as effective as I'd hoped for. For those who do not have insurance coverage, I found a site online that fills this script (income-based) 270 tablets/3 mos $80."

• doo...
• December 10, 2008

Modafinil "This was the first drug that my doctor prescribed for my narcolepsy. I didn't experience any side effects, but it didn't improve my wakefulness to any discernible degree with two doses of 300 mg (one dose of 300 mg upon waking in the morning; one dose of 300 mg around noon)."

• hol...
• January 23, 2008

"I've been taking modafinil for close to 3 years now. I've had narcolepsy for as long as I remember, and I've always suffered from excessive sleepiness. This is the only medicine that has helped. There are different brands, manufacturers, etc., so just be careful about where you purchase from. Honestly, I do not have insurance, so I buy from an online pharmacy - otherwise, it would be too costly. It has changed my life, although sometimes it feels less effective. Overall, it has really helped me."

• Hal...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 11, 2016

"I was put on Provigil at the age of 12, and it worked sometimes, but I lost insurance after hitting 18. Then I was able to get back on it at 20. Now I've been taking it for 3 years and going. 200 milligrams 1 time when I wake up, sometimes 3 due to tolerance. I do road construction and operate heavy machines like Bobcats, trucks, and rollers, but I still fall asleep when we move to the next job (not driving). I also use marijuana to help balance the shakes. It works wonders for me. You might just have to bump up the dosage. I do this at 50 mg plus until it works. Never went past 600 mg though. Only bad effect is a lot of aggression and mania, loss of appetite."

• Tor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2018

"I took this for about two months. It did help me stay awake a little longer, but I was still having sleep attacks. The headaches/migraines were also unbearable. I also had to switch to a pharmacy that prescribed 60 days, not just 30. Without that, it would have been $150 a month with insurance."

• Jac...
• May 9, 2018

"I’ve tried everything in the books, still on a desperate, feels like never-ending search to find something that keeps me awake and functional for a day. I’ve been on Dexedrine for the past 5 years, and it’s by far my favorite, no side effects, prevents my cataplexy from occurring, however, after a certain amount of time (I would say a year), I have to switch off of it for a few months because my body becomes used to it. Ritalin makes my heart go nuts and anxiety. Modafinil, I’ve been on it for four days, and I hate it, I am so exhausted, doesn’t help at all with sleepiness, and it’s giving me insane mood swings. I’m a pretty happy, positive person, however, this medication gives me bad anxiety, including an intense panic attack last night, makes me want to cry at everything, also feeling depressed. It’s like PMS times a million! Pay attention to your moods if you are trying it out. Good luck with all your narcoleptic journeys, one day we will feel awake!"

• JMi...
• March 8, 2021

"Increases my energy but leaves me with a headache all day that by the time I'm off work, I am miserable. It also gives off a sluggish feeling, like being under the influence of alcohol to a certain degree... light-headed/dizziness kind of thing. Hard to focus."

• Jk7...
• November 30, 2016

"I have been taking Provigil for a month. I noticed a decrease in my sleepiness right away. I was falling asleep at work and while driving so many times a day I couldn't count how often. My insurance wouldn't approve it, and it was way too expensive for me to pay cash, so it took me a couple of months before I was able to get it filled. I called every pharmacy I could think of to compare prices, and Costco was way cheaper than everyone else. Their price for 30 of the 200 mg was only 39.00 compared to 700.00 at some other places. I definitely recommend getting it filled there if you have to pay cash."

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 11, 2021

"Works pretty well for me. If I forget a dose, I get extremely debilitating migraines the day after. The meds last about 6 hours and then wear off extremely suddenly. I've had instances where I have just suddenly crashed and fallen asleep while eating dinner, taking a bath, etc. Overall, it actually helps me stay functional. Before I was on medication, I would be drinking 2 energy drinks per day just so I could stay awake through the day. Happy to say I don't use those anymore."