Hi,
I’ve taken my 1st tablet of Modafinil at 8am this morning, I don’t know what I was expecting but I didn’t expect to feel like this!
I feel sleepy and a little bit light headed - is this normal, how long does it take to settle down and start doing what’s it’s supposed to do?
Thanks,
S x
Hello.
No, I was awake for ages when I first started on Modafinil. Have a squizz though the side effects - hopefully you might get a few more responses.
Steffi
Hi S, I have used Modafinil// Provigil for many years (since early 2004; 2 tablets of 100 MG, one early morning, one early afternoon).
Not long ago I wanted to know if it was still effective and stopped it for a while. I seemed to think that I was then more tired than usual, especially mid afternoon, and started using it again, after which I concluded that it still takes off the sharp edges of tiredness.
However, be aware of taking the second tablet, if applicable, early afternoon to make sure that it does not disturb your sleep at night (the medication was originally meant for apnoea).
As far as I am concerned, it’s all trial and error. There still isn’t any official medication to reverse MS and there are huge variations with MS itself. On top of that, maybe it counteracts with other medication, who knows??
Actually S., I think it will take a while to get used to it (a few months?) but perhaps you could let us know if it does have an effect on you at some point? It is such a long time ago since I started using it for the first time that I can hardly remember the impact!
I wish you all the best S.!
I would think it depends on how much you took, as well as whether or not it’s going to work for you (it doesn’t work for everyone).
I don’t really “feel” anything from 100mg, but if I take 200mg at once then I feel a bit high.
I take 100mg at 10am and 100mg at 3pm (later if I want to stay up!). I know it works because I had to come off it recently for several weeks and my fatigue was much worse.
It took me several weeks of trial and error to sort out the timing and dose. Different people seem to need different things, but from what I’ve seen on here most people take 100mg in the morning and 100mg in the afternoon. Some people take 200mg each time. Some people take 200mg once a day.
So, I’d say give it at least a few weeks and try different doses and timings (maybe start with 100mg in the morning and in the afternoon since that seems to be the most common way of using modafinil?). If you don’t notice any difference, try doing without it for a few days. If there is no difference, then it’s not doing anything for you (:-(). If your fatigue gets worse without it, then you know it was working, but perhaps you need a bigger dose if you hadn’t actually noticed the difference until you stopped taking the pills.
I hope you can work it out.
Karen x
How are you doing with the Modafinil ‘S’? (just curious…)
Jos
Hi,
Update! Sorry for not replying sooner, I had obviously missed your query and have just found it when I was looking for something else!
I didn’t really notice any difference with the 100mg. I’m currently off work and expecting to be for applying for medical retirement in the New Year. At my last Occ Health meeting we decided to re-assess my situation in January to see if the tablets were making any difference. My GP increased them to twice a day, really just so we can say we’ve tried everything.
I continued to feel more tired and light headed for a few days after initially starting them. Even with the increased dosage I’m not feeling any more lively, although those initial side effects haven’t lasted. My GP did say that if they worked they would probably only give me an extra 10% of energy.
I had tried Amantadine before this but had to stop due to side effects
Sarah x
hiya Sarah,
what kind of side effects did you get with Amantadine please?
and how much were you on?
thanks in advance
tc
Anna x
Hi Anna,
I can’t remember the exact dosage but it was only 1 tablet a day. However, they gave me horrendous continuous headaches as well as a dry mouth. I suppose they may have subsided after a while but my GP told me to stop them after a week to 10 days.
I’m still getting the dry mouth with the modafinil but no where nesr as bad and no headaches.
Happy Christmas,
Sarah
Hi Sarah/ Anna/ Karen/ Steffi/ ‘Northern Lights’
How are you all doing with the Modafinil? I have stopped it again (will only take it if I feel the need for it), as my dear wife (is this a respectable description for someone close to your heart?..) told me that it seemed to have a negative effect on my mood.
My own explanation for this, and not more than that!, is that it keeps you awake ‘artificially’ and actually denies you having a rest when you actually need it, which then creates ‘grumpiness’ (excuse excuse…).
The matter in our particular case is not helped by the fact that we also have a disabled daughter who does not understand (or does not seem to be willing to understand at times…) that her ‘papa’ needs ‘to take it easy’ at certain times.
I must say that now I have been more or less declared ‘unemployable’, and the enormous stress of trying to ‘perform’ in a(ny) job seems to belong to the past (doing some volunteery work by the way to stay part of society), that this has made my life ‘simpler’, and has taken away the constant urge for taking Modafinil. I can now create my own ‘peaceful’ moments (if not thinking about financial consequences and my daughter is at school that is…).
I must stress that I have used it for many years and it did seem to do what it said on the tin (which is to fight sleepiness/ fatigue, not convinced if it also helped with one’s concentration…). Everyone’s personal situation is different however, and I suppose that it is all a question of ‘weighing the facts’ (‘wikken en wegen’ as they say in Holland). I also recall that some MSers used to say that it became automatically less powerful after years of use.
Regards, Jos
For me it is a blessing. Really helps the cog fog to lift.
The only times I have felt unwell on it have been when I am extremely tired and stressed. Then it just makes me feel as if my brain has fallen into fragments like Humpty Dumpty fallen off a wall and I can hardly remember what my name is. So if I’m in a bad state, I don’t take it that day because its only going to make things worse (or that’s what I try to remember to do, but don’t always.)
I hope you find it helps.
Alison
Thanks for responding Alison. If you do not mind me asking, for how long have you used it?
Also, you ‘are’ still ‘RR’? Just asking as this might be important, your ‘remittance periods’ might be entangled with you feeling better at times?
The reason for asking you is that this might play a role, me not really being aware of how RR ‘works’.
I have had ‘strange periods’ in the (very) past, but was only officially diagnosed in 2003. RR to start with but soon after this became SP, as I concluded myself that I was already in the progressive phase due to the lack of ‘remittances’.
I’m RRMS. I was on modafinil for a couple of years when I was still working and I think it helped me to keep going as long as I did. After a gap of a few years when I was doing OK fatigue-wise without it, I was really struggling last year and asked to try it again. I would say the effect is actually more marked now (but perhaps that’s just another way of saying that the default position is that I’m in generally filtered-word-er order now than I was then!
Alison
x
‘Babylove’… this might also help? (just read the comments to this posting)
Aww thanks josfromglos, that was very thoughtful. Finding it hard to concentrate this morning so will read all replies in a while ;o)
Thought I’d bring people up to date - I tried it for a couple of months but it really didn’t seem to make any difference at all so I stopped it. Fatigue levels continued at the same level of a while. I’m PPMS
However, now things are much better. I like to think about Karen’s explanation that I’ve read on here before. She explains it by saying that the brain gets used to taking the long way round getting messages to the right places. In the beginning it was exhausting finding the new routes, but after a while the body adapts (she, as always, exlplains it much better!)
Although my walking ability hasn’t really improved, my concentration levels have. I don’t very often have day time sleeps - but usually in bed by 9.30!
Sarah x
My son who has PPMS, has been taking modafinil since last July, 100mg to start with, 200mg for the last coupleof months. He developed blisters which later turned into deep sores; he also had swelling of the face, all apparently side effects of modafinil. He stopped having modafinil since 31 December on the GP’s and neuro’s advice and his conditions has improved. has anybody had a similar experience.