DOSE:

200 mg

oral

Modafinil

(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

155 lb

Seeing as there aren't very many reports on somewhat longer term usage of Provigil, I thought I'd add my two cents. I've read many other 'experiences' about the use of Provigil and feel that too often users are describing the effects of the other drugs that they are on, or describing binge usage. While every user's experience differs, I thought it might be relevant to have another description regarding the long-term, regular usage of the drug at a normal dosage.

I'm relatively experienced and familiar with many psychoactive pharmaceutical drugs--particularly 'wakefulness enhancers.' I was prescribed Provigil about a year and a half ago, and have taken it regularly as a sleep regulator. I typically dose 200 mg per morning.

Although many users describe Provigil to be some sort of miraculous cognitive enhancer or a super-stim, I don't find such descriptions to be accurate with respect to my own experiences. For me, it is nearly identical to having a few cups of coffee but without the negative side-effects. In other words, it's not fundamentally different or improved from caffeine other than that it is less harsh.

Typically, the effects onset about half an hour after the dose is taken. Usually, this is hardly noticeable because it is so subtle. Primarily, it only removes the impulse to sleep, fatigue and exhaustion still set in and general cognitive performance declines as per usual. The only difference is that the desire to go to sleep is significantly reduced or removed. If you're an insomniac you should know what I'm talking about. After being up for too long, my eyes get heavy and dry, my attention span is cut down, my body aches to lay down, my mental acuity is dulled and my motivation is diminished. Normally, this kind of fatigue would be accompanied by an intense desire to lay down, close my eyes, and drift off to sleep. With Provigil, that impulse is nearly completely removed.

I can stay up for an incredible amount of time if I want, but seeing as my body and mind feel like shit after the normal 16-20 hours, I rarely choose to. Granted, being overtired is somewhat more tolerable when there's no overpowering impulse to sleep, but physical and mental exhaustion still set in. For example, I can get 2-5 hours of sleep per night for days on end and still stay awake, I'll just be drunk with fatigue.

This is useful when I need to go to work all night then go to class with no sleep and not fall asleep in my chair. When driving with little to no sleep, I won't doze off but my reaction times and awareness are still significantly dulled.

Like I said before, the drug keeps you awake pretty much like caffiene or any other stimulant and won't allow you to stay up for three days and have no one notice that you are a little dulled. I'm sorry to dash anyone's dreams of twenty-four seven living, but just because you don't feel the need to sleep doesn't mean your body doesn't need it.

The biggest allure to this drug over others like lie in its lack of side-effects, not its primary effects. Unlike other stimulants, there is little to no come-down, built-up tolerance, physical addiction, anxiety or nervousness, jitteriness, or physical tension. I can use it consistently for weeks or months with identical effect. When I come off of it, I rarely notice anything at all.

The revved-up fight-or-flight feeling of most stimulants is completely lacking -- making provigil pretty much useless as a party drug and for most recreational purposes. I never feel that sense of enthusiasm, energy, and invulnerability common with most other stimulants. Consequently, while many stimulants help me find that motivation and energy to get something done, Provigil only helps keep me on task.

At work or in class, other stimulants cause me to become stressed, I can feel my heart rate rise, I begin to fidget or tap, I might start to sweat a little, I become empassioned with energy and drive, I become over-invigorated. This is fine if I'm going to the gym or a party, but not if I'm giving or watching a presentation or trying to read a book. With Provigil, I don't feel the tension as with other stimulants. I can sit through the most boring lecture of all time, and stay completely focused on the issue because I'm not struggling to keep my eyes open. Granted, my ability to comprehend or respond to the material might be diminished with sleep deprivation, but normally I'd simply be thinking about how much I want to take a nap.

When I want to go to sleep, I can usually do so with little difficulty. Occassionally, I experience some difficulty if something is on my mind simply because I will stay awake and keep thinking about it rather than just passing out. Otherwise, falling asleep is not a problem.

Generally, if you're looking for a way to keep your eyes open and stay on task without all the problems and side-effects of other stimulants, provigil is definitely your best choice. However, if you want to party all night long or recklessly motivated, you'd be better off with even an energy drink or something a little more illicit.

Exp Year: 2006	ExpID: 60625
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 20, 2007	Views: 33,527
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Modafinil (217) : Various (28), Retrospective / Summary (11)