Modafinil
Modafinil is a prescription medication used to treat narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder. It promotes wakefulness and alertness by affecting brain chemicals involved in sleep regulation.
In This Review
Is concentration becoming a problem for you? As we age, we sometimes lose the ability to focus and concentrate as well as we could when we were younger. And if the problem becomes severe enough, you can as your doctor about prescription drugs like Modafinil.
Modafinil is a wakefulness promoting agent used in the treatment of sleep disorders and daytime drowsiness associated with sleep apnea. Modafinil is available by prescription in the US for patients who experience sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness, and shift work sleep disorder.
Active Ingredients: Modafinil
Form: Tablet
Type: Prescription Medication (Eugeroic)
Benefits: Promotes wakefulness, improves focus, alertness
Brand: Provigil (brand name), various generics
Price: Approximately $50-$300 per prescription (varies with insurance) *
Used For: Treating narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder
*All the prices listed here are as they appear on their websites and are subject to change.
What Is Modafinil?
Modafinil is an analeptic type of drug which helps to increase monoamines in the brain as well as producing histaminergic effects. In this manner of action, Modafinil increases the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain to help stimulate alertness and a sense of feeling awake, but also triggers a histamine elevation, thereby distinguishing Modafinil as a unique type of stimulant apart from other amphetamine-like stimulating chemicals.
Modafinil Ingredients
Modafinil is the generic form of the brand name prescription medication Provigil. It may also be known as Alertec or Modavigil in certain countries. The active ingredient, as with most pharmaceutical drugs, is right there in the name: Modafinil. See below for a complete list of active and inactive ingredients.
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*All individuals are unique. Your results can and will vary.
Full list of ingredients: Modafinil, croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, and pregelatinized starch.
Modafinil Reviews
Across the internet, patients who have been prescribed this drug for a variety of uses, both on-label and off-label, have rated it highly. As an added endorsement, Modafinil is one of the few approved non-amphetamine wakefulness drugs currently in use by the US military.
The biggest complaint patients have is the price. But, considering the fact that Modafinil is available by prescription only, this should come as no surprise.
Does Modafinil Really Work?
As mentioned above, Modafinil is one of the few prescription drugs made available to US soldiers who are required to stay awake and alert for extended periods of time on combat missions. Several other militarized nations, including Brittan and France, are investigating the drug’s effectiveness for their own soldiers as well. And if that isn’t a ringing endorsement for Modafinil’s efficacy, it’s hard to say what else might qualify.
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*All individuals are unique. Your results can and will vary.
However, the exorbitant cost of this prescription-only drug (and also the fact that it requires a doctor’s prescription in the first place) might be prohibitive for people who would otherwise benefit from its nootropic effects. And it really only helps those who have trouble staying awake and focused throughout their normal day. Unlike other nootropic drugs, it doesn’t help with memory improvement or enhance cognitive ability above normal levels.
If you have some form of sleep disorder which leaves you groggy and unfocused when you need to be sharp and alert, then you might want to talk to your doctor about Modafinil. But if you want an affordable, non-prescription nootropic which can also help improve memory and cognitive function, click here for our top picks.
