Modafinil is prescribed to treat narcolepsy and is used off-label as a cognitive enhancer for many white-collar workers. Online blogs glow with stories of unwavering focus and powering through 14-hour work days with this drug.
In healthy non-sleep-deprived subjects, modafinil has been shown to improve performance on a variety of tasks including working memory, recognition memory, and delayed matching, without a speed-accuracy trade-off. It also improves decision-making and planning.
Benefits
Modafinil Australia Online has been shown to improve cognitive function in healthy subjects and psychiatric patients. It is more effective than caffeine and has less of a risk for adverse effects on heart rate and blood pressure. It also appears to have lower risks for addiction and is not associated with severe skin rash, as seen with some amphetamine-type drugs.
In one randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind study, healthy adults received either a single dose of placebo or 100 mg of modafinil before performing a variety of tests designed to measure memory and attention. Subjects who received modafinil performed better on digit span and visual recognition memory tasks, while those receiving placebo had no improvement in these areas. Additionally, modafinil increased performance on a delayed matching task, without affecting the speed-accuracy trade-off. This suggests that modafinil increases the ability to inhibit pre-potent responses and improves cognitive control.
Other studies have found that modafinil enhances a variety of other cognitive processes including planning, decision-making, and fluid intelligence. However, most of these effects are small and limited to the types of tasks tested. The authors of a recent meta-analysis of 24 studies suggest that the drug is most effective at improving planning and decision-making, but does not affect creativity.
Modafinil has been evaluated in several psychiatric patients, such as narcolepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and postanaesthetic sedation with generally favorable but mixed results (see comprehensive review in Ballon and Feifel, 2006). In addition, it has been shown to reduce apathy in Alzheimer’s patients and improve vigilance in shift workers.
Side Effects
Modafinil is generally well-tolerated, with few side effects observed. It does not bind to most of the brain’s relevant receptors at pharmacologically relevant concentrations, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, adenosine, histamine-3, melatonin, and GABA (see Dosage and Administration).
One adverse reaction associated with Waklert 150 mg use is angioedema; this is a serious allergic reaction that may cause swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, throat, or larynx. This reaction can be fatal in some people. Tell your doctor if you have had this reaction, especially if it has been sudden and happened after you took modafinil.
Several studies have evaluated the efficacy of modafinil in psychiatric conditions other than narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder, including multiple sclerosis, idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, and chronic fatigue syndrome, with mostly favorable results. A comprehensive review of these studies is provided by Ballon and Feifel (2006).
In some cases, Modafinil has been shown to increase performance in people without sleep disorders on tests such as arithmetic and reading. However, it is not clear whether these improvements are a result of the drug’s ability to boost alertness or its other cognitive-enhancing actions.
Recommendations
Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting drug that is FDA-approved to treat the sleep disorders narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. It’s also used off-label as a cognitive enhancer. It’s unclear how it boosts performance, but scientists believe it affects multiple neurotransmitter systems in the brain to create its stimulant effect. Some experts suggest it works by enhancing histamine levels, the same way Benadryl dampens histamine to make you sleepy.
A recent study of 24 studies of healthy people found that modafinil improved complex cognitive tasks such as decision-making and planning. It didn’t improve simple tasks such as attention or verbal working memory, possibly because those subjects had high baseline scores to start with. It did help with fluid intelligence and combining information, but it didn’t seem to enhance creativity.
The study’s authors recommend a dose of 100 to 200 mg per day, preferably taken in the morning. The medication is safe for long-term use and has a low liability for abuse or dependence. It should be taken with food and as directed by your doctor. It may interact with some drugs, including opioids and some anti-viral medications.
Other psychiatrists warn that using the drugs to improve performance can have negative health consequences, especially at high doses or over a prolonged period. It’s been linked to mood changes, increased blood pressure and heart rate, anxiety, depression, and psychosis. It can also interfere with sleep patterns and increase the risk of drug-related side effects.
Warnings
Like other stimulant drugs, modafinil has the potential to be abused. It is available by prescription only and is a Schedule IV controlled substance because of the risk of abuse. It is also known to induce psychoactive effects, which alter thinking, feelings, and perceptions similar to other CNS stimulants such as amphetamines. It has been used off-label as a smart drug’ to improve cognitive enhancement, even in people who do not have sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, and there is an ethical debate about whether such use should be condoned or discouraged.
There is a risk of side effects when taking modafinil, including headache, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, and insomnia. Side effects can increase if the dose is increased or taken more frequently than prescribed.
The drug interacts with some medications, including antidepressants, sedatives, and opiates. It may decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, so women should use an alternative method of birth control while taking it and for a month afterward. It should not be taken by nursing mothers, because it is unknown if it passes into breast milk.
It is recommended that patients with preexisting cardiovascular problems should be closely monitored, as there have been reports of heart damage in some cases. It is also not recommended for patients with a history of psychotic disorders. It can increase the risk of hallucinations and mania.