#1

I haven’t seen a thread about this yet.

This is something I have been using maybe once a month for the last five years whenever I didn’t sleep so great the night before. I have to say, I really notice a profound nootropic effect in a non stimulating way.

Great memory and brain benefits. Good if you slept poorly or have narcolepsy.

What does everyone think about it for daily long term use? It seems to be more well tolerated than I thought, but years long studies seem to be lacking.

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#2

Seems unholistic to be in a constantly stimulant state (whether it is modafinil, coffee, or anything else). It pushes your state of consciousness in a specific direction, in exclusion of everything else. Good for being a worker ant in the hive?

I doubt it, I think that’s something you’re born with.

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#3

It seems to be fairly safe long term. Various ways to take/cycle it or dose it.
Dave Asprey has mentioned taking it for a long time (10+ years or so?). Also mentions other people he knows who use it.
Could search various forums & Web sites (Reddit, YouTube etc), or ask people about it there who have used it for a long time any questions you might have.
Some people stack it with other neurotransmitter medications to activate other pathways.
:pill:

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#4

So the long term risks aren’t exactly clear. Seems to be very good for people with narcolepsy and sleep disorders. One risk is impaired sleep since it is so long acting, which can possibly be offset by taking it first thing in the morning. I seem to be sleeping fine as long as I do that.

This is the same concern I would have.

Well yes, but lifestyle can certainly prevent memory from getting worse. If I’m not taking thyroid medication, my memory is terrible. When I do take it, it’s exponentially better.

I notice little things like trying to remember a phone number or an activation code better on Modafinil. Could be placebo but I think there is enough evidence that it improves memory.

Evidence
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902216301811?via%3Dihub
The Effect of Modafinil on Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Survivors - PMC.
Modafinil: A Review of Neurochemical Actions and Effects on Cognition | Neuropsychopharmacology

Interesting that he has taken it 10 years. I have seen others in comment sections say the same.

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#5

I would have expected this thread to be a little more popular. I guess this would have been more popular with the nootropics or ADHD crowds.

#6

Why Modafinil instead of Adderall family of drugs, for example?

If the goal is enhancing productivity for work or similar tasks. (I don’t think there are any smart drugs, other than making you more awake or motivated…)
I wonder about the data difference.

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#7

Never got anything out of it.

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#8

More awake and motivated, more focused, more productive, great for deadlines and all-nighters. Adderall deserves its reputation, not as a party drug but as a study drug.

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#9

Stimulant use in people with ADHD improves longevity (IIRC something pretty significant like 10 years vs ADHD non-users). Not sure if anyone has looked at long term stimulant outcomes in non-ADHD populations.

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#10

It might help you make more money or focus at an unfulfilling job, indirectly improving longevity via income. However have to be careful and not end up in an empty of life Mansion shooting beer bottles by hyperfocusing on the wrong thing like Daniel Plainview in TWBB.

But yeah I’d like to see research on this too.

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#11

I’d bet that moderate amphetamine use would improve longevity for everyone, tbh. It decreases hunger and calorie consumption, makes exercise more enjoyable, and is a mild painkiller. It’s also very addicting, unfortunately, which is why Adderall is a controlled substance.

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#12

For those w/o ADHD, I’ve always assumed that amphetamines, phenidates, and other drugs with similar MoA’s (reuptake inhibition and/or release of monoamines, in particular norepinephrine and dopamine) would be bad for longevity. They generally increase heart rate, blood pressure, and psychological stress, and unsurprisingly have been associated with CVD and PD.

I’ve always been very sensitive to the unpleasant effects of most stimulants though (aside from caffeine). I also don’t get major benefits. It makes it easier to crank out repetitive and stereotyped tasks, but I think creative or abstract things actually become more difficult. The increased sociability is nice, but it quickly attenuates with chronic usage. It’s also hit or miss, and I’m just as likely to end up in a paranoid and agoraphobic state.

While the mechanism of modafinil isn’t as well characterized, it’s likely that it overlaps with the above drugs. Subjectively it feels quite similar to an amphetamine for me. That said, if you enjoy the state it produces, and don’t get a major increase in BP and HR, then maybe it’s not a big risk.

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#13

Most would believe that Modafinil is much safer than adderall

#14

I just haven’t seen anything in the literature to suggest Modafinil would be that risky. The only thing I could see is if it impairs sleep quality.

#15

I have lost faith in what ‘most’ believe to be accurate long time ago. Barely anyone takes their cholesterol or BP meds.
I would have to review the trials and other evidence to know.
They might also be more efficacious (with a better risk vs. reward).

#16

Which can be very risky in the long term.
Only time will tell if there are unforeseen negative or positive consequences.

#17

I think because it’s impossible find a doctor to prescribe it and it’s a little more difficult to source domestically than other things in the same legal category. Most don’t want to risk importing it. It is out there, but it takes more digging and the average person doesn’t even know where to start.

There are one or two days a week when I’m almost completely unproductive at work because I can’t focus at all due to bad sleep, so I would love to try it. For now, NA Semax Amidate, bromantane, and TAK-653 work pretty well.

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#18

Yes but if we time it as early as possible in the morning, it might not be an issue by the time bedtime rolls around

#19

Honestly I don’t anything about this drug’s pharmacokinetics or even MOA.
There are tons of studies on caffeine or even better coffee pointing to positive effects, but I try to stay under 200 mg a day and stop before late afternoon as it affects my sleep onset.

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#20

I’ve experimented with bromantane quite a bit, and TAK-653 a little. Modafinil is a much more powerful drug in terms of stimulation and motivation.