Video: Provigil, ABC and Me!

July 18, 2012 · 43 comments

Several weeks ago ABC’s Dan Harris came to my home in Victoria for an interview. He is a lot of fun to hang out with and he shadowed me over the course of two days. It’s amazing that they could edit 2 days of shooting down to such a concise story!

Last night they aired the story “Provigil: The Secret to Success?”

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The cognitive testing software they show at minute 2:55 is Quantified Mind, the cognitive testing tool that will be used for the Bulletproof Coffee Cognitive study– which will be formally announced by the end of the week including a formal sign-up sheet.

Dan’s right about eating well being helpful for getting more energy . . . I eat Bulletproof. But I don’t sleep more, I sleep better.

Have you tried Provigil or Modafinil? What’d you think? What do you do to get more energy and focus?

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  • Michael A

    Beautiful house, Dave!! Nice BPCoffee advert in the background :P Do you worry about adrenal issues form Modafinil? How often do you take it?

    • NewArete

      Question Seconded: Dave, I’d like to know your take on the effect of Modafinil on hormones (HPA function in particular).

      That said, a quick PubMed search turned up the following:

      “Effect of modafinil on plasma melatonin, cortisol and growth hormone rhythms ….”
      ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9682182 )

      While Modafinil seems to operate on the hypothalamus (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil#Pharmacology ) by increasing norepinephrine signaling, the above paper notes that there’s no increase in cortisol, suggesting that even if Modofinil is acting on the hypothalamus, there may not be any downstream effect on the adrenal glands.

      • Dave Asprey

        I have never heard of a cortisol effect from it. It is a HPA sensitizer but not adrenals. Lack of quality sleep can be a prob if you misuse modafinil though.
        Sent from my nobile phone. You understand….

    • Dave Asprey

      Thanks! I take it once per day most days in the morning.

  • Day

    I first used provigil about 8 years ago and got a tremendous boost from it. I found it really helped me maintain mental focus for long periods. I came to depend upon it to a degree. At that time I was far from bulletproof, however. I have improved myself in many ways both mentally and physically through this website and several others since that time, and now feel almost no boost from provigil. With a bulletproof diet and the other hacks that Dave has gone through lately I feel I function like I’m taking provigil everyday without actually taking it. I can stay sharp without sleep or feeling hungry without food for at least 24 hours. Throw in a couple of bulletproof coffees after that 24 hours and I’m sure I could push to 36 hours. Without the improvements I’d have definitely needed the provigil to go that long with any kind of coherence. If a person isn’t close to bulletproof I would highly recommend provigil to them if they needed to focus on something important, but I’m happy to say I don’t get much from it these days. I take that as a good sign.

    • Dave Asprey

      This is totally accurate. When you’re bulletproof, modafinil is a beneficial tweak. When you’re unhealthy, modafinil is more like limitless the movie. You can get about 90% of modafinil benefits just with the free info on this site!

      • Jared

        hey Dave, just watched the whole 2 hr 7 min (cut off at that point) podcast you did with Joe Rogan, great stuff mate! Although you 2 did not really discuss ‘smart drugs/nootropics’ in depth on that show (although you did say you like the ingredients in Alpha Brain), Joe did talk about you & the use of Provigil & other smart drugs on the podcast he did with Tim Ferriss, sure you saw/heard that aye? http://youtu.be/J3CC_jpm98c My question is…do you still feel that using Provigil is ‘worth’ it (for the extra 10% edge as per your post above) from a risk/benefit ratio?

  • Jecenv

    I have used it pre-bp and after bp, and found the difference to be amazing. Pre-bp, I had a clenched jaw and a bit of the jitters. After bp, it simply provided crystal clarity of the mind. TAking it so long, have you developed a tolerance? I’ve heard of using magnesium??

    • Dave Asprey

      Interesting observation! Clenched jaw is usually too much acetylcholine. I take 800mg mag daily.

  • Michael

    I’m not very pharmacologically adventurous.
    But I am strongly attracted to the improved brain function and overall health. How best to learn more about Provigil? Or other bio-hacks?
    Love to live longer, focus better, and otherwise perform better. Hate the idea of wrecking my health due to lack of information.

    • Dave Asprey

      There’s a lot of that info right here!

  • golooraam

    ok, does someone know a reliable online place to get this without a prescription?

    I tried to contact a local anti-aging doctor’s office, but I’m looking at about $1500 before I know if he or she will even give me the prescription…

    ugh – HELP

    • Dave Asprey

      Do tell!

      • golooraam

        ha ha, very funny!

        let me refer you to the weeping email I sent you a few hours ago that you replied to *lol*

        seriously, the roadblocks I am finding to getting this are ruining my day

        • Dave Asprey

          The emwave will help with that Jay. ;)

    • Andrew Nakamura

      Try mymodafinil.com

      I haven’t ordered but I’m planning to. From my research that seems like the best place to get it.

      • http://www.facebook.com/philgeorge Phil George

        I purchase from these guys and can recommend them 100%.

        Dave: It may be worth reaching out to them Dave as I know they have a deal going with Reddit.

        They also link to your article about Modafinil deficiency, so I presumed you already knew them.

        • golooraam

          cyber fist bump to Phil George and Andrew Nakamura

        • Dave Asprey

          Thanks Phil! ?

    • Day

      Try here: http://www.modafinil-store.com/. I’ve had no problems with them.

    • Miroslac
  • http://www.facebook.com/philgeorge Phil George

    Dave, I just finished a test over 48 hours of using 4 dosages of a half tablet of Modafinil (Sun Pharma). I am currently writing up my finding over that period, but the short of it is:

    It is now 4:08AM, meaning I have been awake for 49 hours after waking at 3AM two days ago to commence my testing. Over that period, I sustained productivity for 5x 6-8 hour bursts, and watch Dark Knight Rises at the end of the 48 hour period at midnight feeling fully alert.

    I have ensured that I have maintained a solid diet over this period, consuming only Bulletproof Coffee, Grass-fed Steak with organic
    broccoli and grass-fed butter and 1 Bulletproof smoothie each day.

    The BP diet, used alongside the Modafinil, Huperzine A and Poliquin’s Fast Brain 2.0 has allowed me to not only remain awake, but actually feel more alert throughout the entire 48 hour period that I would otherwise feel without any of the aforementioned substances.

    Further testing will commence when I receive my shipment of Noopept. Do you have any suggestions for combining dosage?

    Finally, whilst I cannot say I had a “limitless” style sensation, I certainly felt an overwhelming desire to increase workload and produce tangible results. I felt an increased level of concentration directed at tasks that had long required completion, an unintentional increase in the use of less frequently used works in my vocabulary, as well as an obvious “nothing that can’t be done right now” style attitude.

    In summary, I am convinced beyond doubt that Modafinil has produced tangible, repeatable results. I will continue to use it and update my findings accordingly.

    Cheers,

    PG

    • Dave Asprey

      Wow, awesome results! It’s not necessary or advisable to stay up for 48 hours straight, though it’s possible. Circadian and cortisol probs could result. Recommend u consider adrenal extract and low dose melatonin for recovery.

      • http://www.facebook.com/philgeorge Phil George

        Dave, thanks for the recovery suggestions. I slept from 5AM – 9AM this morning and feel about 90%. I have suffered from adrenal fatigue and cortisol issues in the past, so I try to be weary, thanks for the heads up!!

        The reason for staying up was a combination or increased workload and personal commitments. I certainly will not be making a habit of it!!

        Thanks for your hard work mate. I’m building a fan base for you down in Australia! :)

        • Dave Asprey

          Thanks Phil! Lots of Aussies are Bulletproof – you’ll see me in a big AU magazine in the next couple months too. Looking forward to my next visit! ?

        • Leslie

          I think you mean you try to be “wary”, not “weary”.
          I would be WARY if I were you, as well. People tend to exaggerate their own efficiency on smart drugs. Case in point.

    • Dave Asprey

      Phil, that’s quite a story!
      No idea how to mix noopept and modafinil, although I have tried them both. I love phenyl piracetam (noopept) by itself!

      • http://www.facebook.com/m.ashwin111 Ashwin Murali

        Noopept is not the same as phenyl piracetam. Noopept works great for me though I had to titrate dosing between 10-50mg to find that 20 mg works best for me. I only noticed effects from noopept after 3 weeks. I use noopept in conjunction with modafinil regularly. Phenyl piracetam is great but i built a tolerance by the third use.

    • http://www.facebook.com/darmcmahon Darren Mc Mahon

      Anybody got any details on modafinil or armodafinil and how to take and what I should expect.

  • TL

    Hello Dave,

    I have been taking this daily for a long time as well. But how many mgs do you take? I know one daily, but is that the standard 200mg a day? Thanks.

    • Dave Asprey

      Usually 100mg/day, sometimes 50. Was once at 200 2x/day.

  • Jim

    Dave, I’m a big fan. Thanks for all you do on this site.
    I have real questions, however, about your simultaneous testing of multiple products and/or procedures. How do you determine what is causing what? For example, you get great body composition results, without exercise, from the BP diet, but then we find you also take (took?) low level testosterone (and were also experimenting with vibration plates a little bit). You get great energy from bp coffee, but then we learn you are also ingesting Provigil. Again, I’m a big fan (and a fan of n=1 testing), but it how do expect to tease out what is causing what? Thanks.

    • Dave Asprey

      Jim,
      Good questions!
      If you baked a loaf of bread, you would get as close to a loaf as you could, then start pulling out and adding ingredients to see what happened. You never would bake each ingredient separately because you’d never discover bread that way!
      What I do is everything I can find that ought to work, and I selectively remove things for long periods of time to track results. I’ve gone months without Provigil while restricting sleep. I’ve gone on and off the BP diet and tweaked it lots of ways to see what works. I monitor my testo levels to keep them at midline for someone my age – no unfair advantage there, just accounting for my health history as an obese person. I was able to stop the anti-aromitasation agent I was on for several years by swapping to some supplements instead, for instance.
      So I’ll keep doing what works, and testing new things as I go. It’s the only way to biohack!

      • DavidB

        Dave, Can you share more about your experience with anti-aromatase agent and how you get off. I am male, 49, and have been struggling with low testo/high estrogen. Really appreciate it.

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  • JC

    This site looks awesome, Dave! It’s too bad ABC didn’t give it a plug. I started taking taking generic Provigil because of the story you were in on ABC and MAN, what a difference… I have sleep apnea and this helps as much as my C-Pap or better (think the machine needs the pressure readjusted). I will be checking in on this site frequently for all your great advice. I’m so glad I came across ABC’s story.. and I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site. Thanks for your good work! Stay bulletproof~!

  • Dj

    My Experience with Modafinil

    I’ve been on modafinil now for a couple of weeks and I must say this stuff is pretty awesome. I am able to work at my peek on only 4 hours of sleep. I did the 24 hour thing once but I’m in no hurry to repeat it. Eventually your body will fight back. It’s like you could stay awak if you want but the body is like, “Dude come on.” Of course, it is nothing like NZT from the movie Limitless, but it does give you heightened focus a feeling a needing to get shit done NOW.

    I do have to remind myself to eat because it is possible to be so focused on a task that you just forget about eating. Think of a time when you had such an adrenaline rush because you were on a task that really drove you to perform. But once the task was completed, you crash with exhaustion. On this stuff you just look for the next task. Can’t find one. Make one up!

    I do experience a sense of nostalgia at times where I literally stop, look around and say to myself, “Man this shit is awesome.” I’m not high or anything close. Just totally plugged in and “on”. Honestly I wish I had this stuff in the early days of my startup when I had to double as an engineer and a biz dev guy. I’m going to start keeping a diary of my experience to distribute anonymously later. Not sure when though. Now I really wonder how many other high performers are on this stuff.

    There is one side effect that is annoying as hell though. I get this throbbing in my right temple throughout the day. It’s not painful like a headache just annoying as hell. I can feel it now and it’s driving me crazy as I type this post. A half pill does lesson the throbbing while still keeping me “on”.

    Amazingly 4 hours of sleep feels like 6 to 8 solid hours (though I only required 6 hours before). When I would try to get away with 4 hours before modafinil, I would be a complete mess the next day. Now? Incredible. And when I do sleep, it is a good deep sleep, sometimes with some pretty interesting dreams (not sure if there is a connection with the dreams. anyone else notice this?). Honestly, some of the best sleep I’ve had in awhile.

    Here’s something really weird that happened once. After reading a book and being “on” for several hours, I decided I wanted to take a nap (you can still go to sleep if you want to). As I drifted off to sleep, I noticed the words from the book replaying in my head. I could literally see them but I was not totally aware of this at first. Once I noticed, I opened my eyes and thought, “damn that was cool.” I coder described a similar experience to me years ago after he was up all night coding. In his case, he dreamed about code after being intensely focused on it for several hours. I was partially conscious of this just from casual reading. So, I’ve been digging deeper and deeper just to better understand how this stuff works. The effect of being a consultant and analyst by trade.

    I still have about 50 pills remaining. Not sure if I will keep to a half pill per day or a full. I will post updates here as things progress.

  • Sean

    Modafinil is a “Serotonin storage inhibitor”??? Fascinating…
    http://pharmacologycorner.com/serotonin-5ht-receptors-agonists-antagonist/

  • dots

    ~2001 I swore I had narcolepsy. Doc gave me Provigil, but I found it made my heart palpitate. It did give me energy but it wasn’t all good. At the time I was an undiagnosed celiac, so that explains the narcoplepsy and how change in diet helps energy. I was dx w/Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 1996, celiac in 2006, and histamine intolerance this year, which explains the heart palpitations. It could also explain the headache type reactions some people may have while on them. Just a thought. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil

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  • thepug

    Hi Dave ~

    Have you had to ‘hack’ Provigil at all to tolerate such long term use? I was prescribed Nuvigil (Pro-’s mirror image twin) for issues relating to traumatic brain injury and the results were stunning. Felt like half of my dead brain cylinders were actually firing again, and not in a tweaky or stimulating way (ahem, Ritalin). Only problem: my system could only tolerate it for 2-3 days, after which I’d experience an epic crash (ie; sleep for 18 hrs straight). Was almost as if the drug compelled my brain to exceed its own limitations, but not in a sustainable way. If that makes any sense.

    We played around with dosing, timing of dosing, using Nu- vs Pro- but nothing helped. Would LOVE to find a way to skirt the crash as the positive effects have the potential to be ridiculously life changing for me.

    THANKS!

    PS: any other genius ideas specific to hacking prefrontal cortex/executive functions would be *awesome*. Has been 10 years since the injury – I’ve exhausted all my neurologist’s suggestions :)

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