#41

There are times I have still been tired despite the Modafinil but I know it isn’t because of the Modafinil. It’s some other pathology making me tired that the Modafinil can’t fix. Usually in my case, it’s thyroid fatigue. Modafinil can only do so much.

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#42

I have never heard that people had issues with it but I only know one other person who takes it. I don’t see why, physiologically, it should be hit or miss for people. What could be that mechanism? Personally I try to have very good sleep habits, I don’t mess with my sleep normally. It appears to dampen the amygdala, maybe I am used to that and when taken sporadically you perceive the limbic effects differently than a chronic user but I am speculating.

This is an interesting article:
Modulatory Effects of Modafinil on Neural Circuits Regulating Emotion and Cognition

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#43

This is also a good article about modafinil;

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#44

aging? :sweat_smile:

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#45

when taken sporadically you perceive the limbic effects differently than a chronic user

Uma, that’s a good speculation and an interesting article. It led me to do some reading on the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary. As an experiment I may try it continually for a couple of weeks. Then, take a break to see if the results with continual use are better than for sporadic use. But doing this (if I do it) will go against my normal approach which is “only when needed.”

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#46

I’ll look forward to the results, please report back. I looked at a bunch of different abstracts, it is a complex drug. One study done in 1991 with monkeys showed that a single isolated dose induced more activity than the activity exhibited when taking it daily for 5 days, but I can’t access the actual article. I also can’t find much on intermittent dosing vs repeated dosing. If you find anything good let me know.

Awakening properties of modafinil: effect on nocturnal activity in monkeys (Macaca mulatta) after acute and repeated administration

#47

Thanks for sharing this.
I did try Modafinil long ago. It was not as powerful as other stimulant medications.
Also similar to what @Jay and @Newbalance mentioned, as it didn’t have the effects of what other people were reporting.
Not sure if my dose was too low (100mg/day perhaps).
But I was not using thyroid replacement at the time.
My thyroid tsh, free t3, free t4 are all in range from blood tests over the years of using thyroid.
However, still get tired at times. Trying to fix the energy and mood issues, which modafinil seems to help for many people. Thankfully there are many products to possibly help fix these issues.
I’d like to try modafinil again while using thyroid.

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#48

I do wonder if this is a factor that should have folks consider risk/benefit.

I personally find NAC Ethyl Ester + Glycine + Methylene blue does a pretty good job for alertness and optimizing things - and without any evidence of negative metabolic consequences.

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#49

Uma, I try to follow through with the results of experiments whether successful or not because it could be useful to someone. So, here you go …

I tried this a couple of times over the last few weeks, but there was no success. At the 4th to 5th day the results were bad. On those days it did not seem to have nearly as much of a beneficial effect as when I avoid using it for a period of time. And, about 3 hours after taking it (only 100 mg) I felt like I had a hangover for most of the remainder of the day and significantly worse than when I use it on a periodic as-needed basis. I suspect dopamine or serotonin depletion, but that’s just a wild guess.

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#50

DrFraser, are you referring to overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system? Or, was there another aspect of the article that got your attention? I skimmed through the article rather quickly which means I probably missed a few important details.

An interesting note made earlier by LukeMV was “thyroid fatigue.” Well, that hangover effect I’ve mentioned reminds me a bit of when I had untreated hypothyroidism. But, my TSH numbers are always in the proper range these days. So, that doesn’t seem logical for me unless there’s just something about hypothyroid people that Modafinil affects. It’s just a point of curiosity.

#51

Pretty much every item in the bullets at the beginning look likely to short health and lifespan with Modafinil. That’s the worry.

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#52

People in this thread are reporting similar findings as you as well as other issues with this medication. There is one obvious commonality among you all - none of you have been clinically diagnosed with narcolepsy. I had the overnight hospital polysomnography/MSLT to diagnose it (plus I have all the symptoms: REM with sleep onset, hypnogogic hallucinations and daytime sleep attacks since childhood) though I never had the lumbar puncture to check hypocretin, but I don’t have cataplexy. Perhaps my ability to tolerate the med for over 20 years is due to my having narcolepsy, but idk. Interesting though.

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#53

I just had labs since I’ve been dosing Modafinil daily for the last two months and my LDL (it’s still low as a result of pharmacology but 14 points higher than last time and A1C seem to be slightly higher than before. Looking at that 2020 rat study that @DrFraser posted, it could be from the modafinil but I can’t say for sure.

I think I’ll stop daily use starting tomorrow.

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#54

I have used modafinil off and on for ~12 years. At first it was an amazing wonder-drug - I felt very motivated and focused whenever I used it. It makes you think faster and the words come out easier. Over time I have used it less and less because the effects have become less pronounced and it definitely messes with my sleep (even if I take it right after waking up).

These days, when I do take it, I only take 50 mg to minimize bad side effects, and only sporadically. Currently, the main benefits to using it are (1) ability to focus intensely on the same subject for a whole day and (2) ability to do and enjoy tasks that I normally hate (I will happily do very menial tasks that I need to do for work the whole day without getting bored).

The current drawbacks:
(1) If the day needs me to switch between tasks or engage with people I get annoyed FAST. My tolerance for frustration and patience markedly go down.
(2) If I use it for more than a couple of days I feel wired, but not rested and unable to do good work (it’s unpleasant)
(3) I often get a modafinil hangover the next day (feel less focused motivated).

All that being said, it’s a wonderdrug and worth experimenting with. I find it useful from time to time, when used sporadically, in the same way having a drink is fun if done sporadically. Everyday use leaves me feeling zombie-like.

For sourcing in the USA I’ve used www.sun-modalert.com successfully. YMMV

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#55

mike86 , Thanks for providing your experience. Someone will find it useful and I agree 100% with the points you made. My use has also gone to 50 mg when needed, sometimes for things I want to accomplish and especially for the tasks I don’t enjoy when I don’t seem to have the energy I need. It works best with all day outdoor physical activities for me.

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