Smart drugs come as a savior here and help to reduce extreme sleepiness in people
suffering from sleeping disorders. They help in keeping the minds of the users
active, alert and well-functioning.
Let’s know about one of such smart drugs (Modafinil) in
detail.
WHAT EXACTLY IS MODAFINIL?
Modafinil is a smart drug or a nootropic that
helps to reduce excessive sleepiness in people. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved this drug to treat sleepiness in individuals
suffering from narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift work sleep
disorder. This drug received approval in December 1998. The various brand names
under which it is available are Provigil, Modvigil, and Modalert.
MODAFINIL DOSAGE INFORMATION
Always talk to a doctor before you take any medication.
Self-prescription is harmful. Your doctor can best prescribe you the right dose
for consuming this drug based upon your medical condition. Now let’s look at
some general guidelines for taking this drug.
• Take this pill
orally with or without food. It is available in 200 mg.
• The narcolepsy
and obstructive sleep apnea patients can take this pill once daily in the
morning.
• If you work in
shifts (night shifts), you can take it about an hour before the start of your
work shift. The rotational shift workers should consult a doctor regarding the
dosage and time of consumption of this pill.
• Tell your doctor
all about the drugs (prescribed, non-prescribed, vitamins, or herbal products,
if any) that you are taking at present. This will ensure safe interactions of
those drugs with Modafinil.
• Also, do not
consume this drug with alcohol or any other such substances. This might lead to
some severe side effects on your body.
WHO SHOULD NOT CONSUME THIS DRUG?
• Do not consume
this drug if you are allergic to it, are allergic to Armodafinil (Nuvigil) or
have any other allergies.
• Before taking
this medication, tell your doctor if you have heart problems, high blood
pressure, seizures (convulsions), liver/kidney diseases, mental or mood
disorders, a family history of alcohol addiction or substance use disorder etc.
• Children under
the age of 17 years are not approved to consume this medication.
• It is unknown
whether Modafinil can harm an unborn baby. Therefore, if you are pregnant or
planning to get pregnant, you must consult a doctor before taking this
medication.
• Also, whether it
passes through breast milk or if it harms a nursing infant is not known. So, to
be safe, consult a doctor before taking this medication.
SOME POINTS YOU MUST PAY HEED TO
• This drug has the
potential to be addictive. Any sort of misuse of this drug should be highly
avoided. It can lead to death. Do not ever share this drug with any other
person especially to someone who had been a drug addict before or had a
substance use disorder. This drug must be kept away from children and animals.
• Keep track of the
pills in each of the bottles that you own. Keep it in a secured place in a
sealed container at a room temperature away from moisture, heat and direct
sunlight. Do not keep it in the washroom.
• This drug can
make you a bit dizzy. So if you’ve just started to take this medication, avoid
doing any such activities that require mental alertness (like driving,
operating big types of machinery in factories etc.) at least until you can
safely perform them.
• You may
experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking this drug after a long-term
use or after using it in high doses. You must, therefore, talk to a doctor
before an abrupt discontinuation of this drug.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU MISS A DOSE?
If you ever miss a dose, take it as and when you remember
it. Do not take it if it is almost your bedtime. Taking the pill near your
bedtime will keep you awake for the whole night. So, skip it and go back to
your normal dosing schedule. Never take an extra pill to make up for the missed
dose.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU OVERDOSE?
Overdosing can be very harmful to your health. Avoid it at
any cost. The symptoms of an overdose of this medication include
fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat, severe restlessness, hallucinations,
dizziness etc. Consult a doctor on the first signs of these symptoms.
SOME POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF MODAFINIL
Some commonly reported side effects of this drug include
headaches, nausea, nervousness, dizziness, drowsiness etc.
If you experience mental/mood changes (anxiety, depression,
hallucinations, lack of interest in life, rare suicidal thoughts), or
irregular/pounding/fast heartbeat, seek immediate medical help.
A rare but serious allergic reaction to this drug is
possible like fever, rashes, severe dizziness, trouble breathing,
itching/swelling of face/tongue/throat/lips etc.
This is not a complete list of the side effects of
Modafinil. Consult a doctor to know more about it.
Comments
Post a Comment