Why You Are Suffering from a Modafinil Deficiency

October 25, 2011 · 91 comments

People familiar with The Bulletproof Executive soon come to realize that I am obsessed with things that cause a big impact with little effort. Call it enlightented laziness or the relentless pursuit for personal perfection, if there is any difference between them. It’s time to write about Modafinil, the performance-enhancing smart drug that belongs in your bag of biohacker tricks, at least some of the time. This post shares the experience of several people who use it, including first time users and an interview with a biomedical engineer who, like me, is a long-time Modafinil user.

I’m not shy about the fact that I use smart drugs and have for years. I used Modafinil (aka Provigil) when I got my Wharton MBA while working full time at a startup that sold for $600 million. I even hazard to mention it in my LinkedIn profile which made more than a few Silicon Valley exec friends open up to me that they had used it, at least on occasion.  More and more people are becoming aware of the positive effects Modafinil can have on their cognitive performance and overall wellbeing.  Students are starting to hack their intelligence too.  There are numerous stories about college students using Modafinil to get an edge on their schoolmates. It worked for me as a student.

Unlike some college studying tricks, there’s a good deal of evidence to back up the effects of Modafinil.  It has been shown to increase your resistance to fatigue and improve your mood.  In healthy adults, Modafinil improves “fatigue levels, motivation, reaction time and vigilance.”   A study published by the University of Cambridge found Modanfil to be effective at reducing “impulse response”, i.e., bad decisions.  Modafinil even improves brain function in sleep deprived doctors.  There is some evidence Modafinil only helps people with lower IQ, but after years of experimenting (and upgrading my IQ), I can tell you this is not the case. In fact, we have another post coming up outlining how Modafinil works.

I’m a fan of using food and supplements before drugs, but unlike some health experts, I’m not dogmatic about it. I decide to use something to improve my performance or health by looking at risks and rewards. It’s the same calculation whether I’m looking at a laser to speed wound healing (really) or a food, drug, herb, or supplement.

Recently over lunch with a few friends, including a very successful television producer, a top artificial intelligence researcher, a hypnotherapist, and a published author, I shared some info about how I used Modafinil. All decided to get some (with prescriptions or legal mail order). The next week, as I expected, I had some excited phone calls.

  • In one night, the TV producer finished a proposal for the Dalai Lama Foundation that had been evading completion for months, and believes the proposal is far better than it would have otherwise been.
  • The AI expert said he was able to make new connections he hadn’t made before and suggested Modafinil should be widely available.
  • The author powered through his writer’s block and made more progress on his current book than he had in months.
  • My hypnotherapist friend felt she had huge breakthroughs in cognitive performance and made new connections in her mind on a new hypnotherapy technique she is perfecting.

These aren’t unusual responses to Modafinil. The reason you don’t often hear about them in mainstream blogs is that people are worried they will be seen as “cheating” or somehow weird. I admit it, I am cheating, and I’m weird too. But you’re reading this anyway.  I get these reports from people because I “outed” myself as a Modafinil user.

I recently interviewed Jonathan Reilly, a biochemical engineer and longstanding user of Modafinil, about his experiences with it. He eloquently explained what it did for him, and I’ve done my best to record it here.

Jonathan is a very successful biochemical and biomedical engineer in LA who works on med devices and does project management. He used modafinil for years but switched to a newer analogue of it called Nuvigil. As he explains, “I un-f*ck things for a living. On Nuvigil I can see connections in a system even when I don’t know the process I am troubleshooting.” He says it helps with systems thinking, one time letting him double the capacity of a manufacturing line in one week, even though he didn’t know much about what was being manufactured.

Interesting. Applying systems thinking to the process of upgrading myself is what led me to create the Bulletproof Executive. I have no doubt that Modafinil has helped me make some of my personal breakthroughs.

When he started taking Provigil, Jonathan says he felt like he was in a scene from “Flowers for Algernon,” the famous book about a retarded man who becomes a genius using technology.  Except Jonathan was already successful and certainly not lacking in cognitive skills. He says, “For the first time in my life I felt like I was awake; I got stuff done that I had put off, and I felt optimistic and energetic.” But he says that Nuvigil is, “like 2x Provigil.” (Sadly, I haven’t tried Nuvigil because it’s not available in Canada where I live.)

He continues, “I’m not an 8am morning person. I naturally perk up at 11 am and do great to 3:15, then nap, then I’m good from 7pm-10pm. Those aren’t hours that work for my career. Modafinil lets me go to bed normally get up and get to work functional and coherent in the morning. In my work with implantable devices, everything starts at 6:30am, so you have to be there when it’s open.”

“Career-wise Modafinil has let me work at my best at any hour of the day. I’m inquisitive, I’ll dig, I’ll write great things. It makes any time of the day high performance. I don’t have the ‘I am a great golden god’ feeling but I feel good all the time.”

“It  has let me see connections I wouldn’t have seen before. Is it because I’m more awake? Or some activated level of understanding unavailable without lots of sleep and nutrition. Without it, I’m still good, but it’s a bandwidth expander. It lets you step back and learn things. The effect doesn’t go away when the chemical leaves your blood. The connections it gives you stay with you. It helps me have a rational not emotional response to irritants.”

More reecntly, Modafinil was featured in an article from Tech Crunch titled,

“How Many Silicon Valley Startup Executives Are Hopped Up On Provigil?”

I have two answers, “Not enough” and “More than are admitting it.”  Here is a quote from the author,

“For me the most memorable thing was that I was about to brush my teeth and realized that instead of passing the toothpaste from one hand to the other, I had tossed it.  The effect for is an extra dose of energy or jauntiness, not a speediness.”

Another actual user of modafinil was a writer who needed to draft a proposal for the Dalai Lama Foundation.  After taking 70mg of modafinil, he smashed through his writer’s block and finished the proposal.

“I can say categorically that 1/3 of a pill (70mg) helped me break through a writer’s block I was having to complete a draft proposal for the Dalai Lama Foundation.”

As much as I love my Bulletproof Coffee and the boost in performance it gives me, I’d never trade it for my Modafinil. Both are parts of my high performance morning regimen. If you have serious energy lags during the day, or if you suffer from jet lag (and sleep hacks don’t work), or if you are just staying up late to drive somewhere, you should have Modafinil in your backpack. I’d never head out on a business trip without it
.

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  • anonymous

    This sounds great actually, but looking it up there seems to be a long list of side effects, can you relate your experiences with any chronic or occasional side-effects for those of us thinking about following your lead? Thank you.

    • Jonathan Reilly

      The only side effects I’ve encountered with Provigil was a slight bit of irritability and a low level headache after 4+ days of continuous use. When I switched to NuVigil these side effects went away and were replaced with a heightened interaction (vertigo) between NuVigil and Caffeine.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Reece/1031331117 Andrew Reece

    Could you talk a little about the negatives (in your experience or otherwise) please?

    • Takecare111111

      modafinil and other stimulants shouldn’t be used by all types of anxiety disorder patient.however,I felt modafinil(provigil) is more efficacious and safer than armodafinil(nuvigil).modafinil’s side effect was slightly increased BP and dry mouth and armodafinil’s side effect was high BP,agitation(can cause accidents/can’t wait for my turn),hypomania.though I’m healthy person.modafinil has slight mood elevating effect at 400mg(but it acts as opposite in any anxiety disorder patient).yes modafinil doesn’t inhibited my sleep.

  • http://www.gorawhavefun.com Lenette

    Sounds great….So where can we get some? :)

  • http://twitter.com/jamiesonjohnson Jamieson Johnson

    What doses do you recommend taking?

  • Michael

    A few questions (interesting topic) –

    What brand do you take? What kind of dosage do you take, or do you have to vary it? How many days a week? Allegedly you really should not drink alcohol for at least 36 hours after taking Modafinil, as it’s not a pleasant experience, do you know if this is true? How do you manage to eat 4500 calories a day when one of the side effects is lack of appetite? Is it not true that Modafinil and NuVigil somehow set the brain to ‘stay awake’ (lack of REM) during sleep, causing a diminished performance overtime if you are not using a CES machine? Do you have any concern about long-term effects (considering your thoroughness in other aspects I’m sure you’ve seen the research!)? I personally seem to get the low-level headache much quicker and on a lower dosage than you do, does this mean my physiology has to adapt or I’m not compatible, or I’m using the wrong brand e.g. not NuVigil? What is this ‘vertigo’ interaction you describe? Is Modafinil conducive to learning or does it simply keep you alert, as I remember reading that it can diminish long-term memory production whilst your on it (I have seen the research about the improved memory recall, but nothing about production) – although this could be alarmist?

    Thanks again for a great site!

    • Michael

      It also just occurred to me, it also makes your urine reek. Or at least it does for me, unless it is the brand I’m currently using! Do you have this same issue?

  • Steve

    I’ve seen a couple of sketchy online pharmacies that have 60 100mg tablets for around $90, how much does Modafinil cost from a normal pharmacy with an actual rx for it?

    • Francispaulson

      Steve, I read an article by a London journalist 2 months ago that made Modafinal seem identical to the expirimental drug used by Bradley Cooper in the movie LIMITLESS. After about 2 weeks of research I bought some Modalert made by Sun Pharmaceuticals in India. I believe that what I received really was Modalert, a generic form of Provigil…
      But to me, some-one who has a 40 year history of actively experimenting with stimulants, it came off as a weak, bufferred, amphetamine. I was Not driven to clean my apatment, Not driven to finish my great novel, I did NOT learn a different foreign language in a weeks time, and I did not become physically motivated to work out hard and fast. I did NOT lose a lot of fat… Hell! I didn’t losed any weight at all!

      Unless Provigil is radically different than the modalert, I fear that we are all being taken for a ride…

      • Francispaulson

        Uh, as you can see, Modalert has not really helped my typing much either! Sorry for those errors.

        Cost? Sun Modalert costs about $135.00 for 30, 200 mg pills. USA made Provigil runs about $800 for the equivalent amount. I found that the proper dose seems to depend on your weight, and how often you use it. For example, a 200 pound man just starting off should see some increase in wakefulness and focus of mind with a 200 mg pill. I needed 300mg to compensate for my fat ass.
        Listen, as far as I can tell, at least subjectively, 25 mg of ephedrine hcl taken 3 times a day will give you the energy, drive, and focus that many of us were looking for with modafinil. You can still purchase a 6 month supply of ephedrine hcl, 8mg per pill, in Canada for about $100.
        Don’t fall for the hype!

      • Dave Asprey

        Francispaulson, thanks for your comments! Modafinil is closest to the Limitless drug; I’m certain the cameraman or director tried Modafinil. The “brightness effect” they used was so familiar to me.

        I don’t think you got real modafinil from your online pharmacy. It feels nothing like an amphetamine. I’ve tried prescription amphetamine and there is no comparison. Modafinil is not even in the same category as amphetamine – totally different experience. Amphetamines are not something I recommend to people who want to be Bulletproof because they have all kinds of side effects.

      • http://profiles.google.com/jwdavis1957 J D

        You might be right. A friend gave me four 200mg generic Indian modafinil, and I took 200mg day 1 and 100mg day 2, then stopped because I have a headcold. I did get a lot of technical work done on day 1 @ 200mg, but right now I am calling that a simple goal that I met. Tomorrow (Friday) I think I will feel a lot better and hit 200mg again per day until I finish my short trial.
        Great offer for nuvigil at nuvigil, by the way.

  • Anonymous

    I’ll add to those asking – downsides and side effects?

  • Mark

    Organic?…Natural?…Disappointing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Mr.WonderfulsoIncredible Brian Kerr

    Is this the same stuff you gave my friend Nilesh before an exam? If not, what did you give him?

  • Jacob Haskins

    So, this seems like a cool hack. But, I have moral problems with consuming synthetic hormones/neurotransmitters and with taking prescription drugs as if they were candy.

    Reading about Modafinil, I found that it is suspected to work because it increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin[1]. It turns out that there are various foods that also increase those chemicals’ levels, and (at least) one food that increases all three. Banana fruit increases serotonin[2]. Banana peel contains significant amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine.[3]

    I wonder if bananas could act as a natural analog of modafinil?
    Some precaustions would need to be taken, like rinsing it first in water to remove any excess dirt and then in vodka + grapeseed extract to kill any remaining bacteria and fungi. Also, consuming it with cinnamon to dampen the body’s insulin response to the banana’s fructose would probably be wise for the Bulletproof Dieters here. Also, to eat the banana peel easily, the whole thing would probably need to be blended into a mush.

    [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil#Pharmacology
    [2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seratonin#Effects_of_food_content
    [3]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine#Nutritional_sources

    • Dave Asprey

      That is hilarious but very biohacker, Jacob. Banana extract maybe, but the fructose (and mycotoxins) in bananas would be major health issues.

      I wonder if our ancestors, living in caves, had debates about whether they had ethical issues about using fire to stay warm? It wasn’t natural; it was synthetic (after all, God made it…). But I’m pretty sure my ancestors are the ones who chose fire. :)

    • Jimantha

      I have no problem with synthetics. More human than human is my motto.

      That said. Apple bananas from Hawaii will brighten anyone’s day and certainly give you a boost. But, certainly not the same effect as Modafinil.

      • Dave Asprey

        There is also the problem of digesting the neurotransmitters that may be in banana peels…
        But I have moral issues with eating fruit that doesn’t grow near where I live. ;)

        • Tara

          Is the wink sarcasm, I can’t tell. Moral issues with non locally sourced fruit, but off label drugs tested on animals for which you most certainly lied to your doctor about is okay?

    • Jjl7

      I’ve heard that you can just roll-up and smoke the banana peel…

  • Nootropicsmartdrugs

    I couldn’t agree more. Everyone wants to improve their mental capacity, and in the modern world where there are an endless number of distractions it is important to be able to focus on the task at hand. But the misuse of prescription drugs is not the answer, and if anything casts a shadow of the debate of smart drugs. Thankfully they have started to create alternatives using nootropics and other natural smart drugs that are being called Adderall Alternatives. Hopefully this new wave of smart drug will change the debate about smart drugs.

  • Hank

    Many of the same questions as Michael – studies on long term side effects (particularly worse long term memory and REM sleep), possibly kidney/other damage if taken around the same time as alcohol (3 days?), dosage suggestions, ways to get trusted “clean” sources (rather than just googling random shipping services), etc.

  • Joe

    Great info! Have you tried Piracetam?

  • http://twitter.com/nthmost Naomi Most

    Maybe Modafinil just increases the probability that you will think any given thing you do will turn out great.

    …What? you didn’t have any snarky comments yet, so I thought I’d make one. :-D

  • Bram

    Here in Belgium, doctors only prescribe provigil in some cases of narcolepsy. It costs 134 euros for 100mg
    http://www.bcfi.be/ggr/index.cfm?ggrWelk=/nindex/ggr/stof/IN_M.cfm

  • Howard

    Provigil and Nuvigil are prescription-only. I have had some positive results with adrafinil, which is only available from overseas. All of them are expensive, even the adrafinil, which is over $1/tablet for a recommended dosage of 4 tablets a day. At that dosage for a couple of months, it may cause liver damage, which nuvigil apparently doesn’t — but a daily dose of nuvigil is on the order of $10 — if I could get it, which I can’t, because my VA doc won’t write a prescription for it.

  • http://www.ridiculouslyextraordinary.com Karol Gajda

    Fascinating. How do you ask for the prescription? Just a straight up, “Doc, can you give me provigil/nuvigil?”

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  • Steve

    Great article, enjoyed reading this!

    http://www.helpmestudy.net

  • Jimantha

    Modafinil is not for everyone. And if you are used to other stimulants it will seem weak to you. The best way I can describe it is when you have that first cup of coffee in the morning and your mind goes from sleepy to suddenly awake and functional.. That is how it is, but all day long.
    It doesn’t feel like amphetamines, it just feels like you are well awake and normal

    I suffer from excessive sleepiness. I was always falling asleep at work, I could barely function drinking 5 pots of coffee a day and nearly killed myself every time I tried to drive because I would fall asleep.

    After seeing a doctor about my sleepiness and getting Provigil I got promoted 4 times in less than 12 months and now hold an executive position. I don’t feel it really increased my IQ, It just allowed me to unlock my full potential without being hindered by constant tiredness.

    • Dave Asprey

      Wow, 4 promotions in a year! Provigil at work… ;) congrats.

      • BARF

        What’s your take on Modvigil?

  • zman1593

    How does Ritalin compare with Modafinil in terms of efficacy and side effects? I have previously taken Ritalin for ADHD. I haven’t taken it in a while and I just tried it again after having started drinking BP coffee, and the interaction between the caffeine and Ritalin makes me feel jittery. Does this not happen with modafinil? Thanks

  • Rob

    Have you considered that both you and your friends were all experiencing a placebo effect.

    Btw I take Modafinil daily for the purpose it was intended for – treating sleep disorders. If I had a choice I wouldn’t take it at all – it raises your blood pressure and most certainly screws your liver over time.

    I’m sorry to say if you think taking powerful drugs when you don’t really require them to function if a good idea, then you need more help than modafinil alone can provide.

  • Bill

    What are your thoughts on ampakines?

  • Joshua

    I have experience with both Provigil and Nuvigil.

    The best way to know if either are for you is to buy it in bulk using the manufacturers discount, available from the cephalon website.

    Have your nearest compounding pharmacy fill the prescription and compound either into 10mg capsules. Use multiple capsules of this precise amount to determine the exact dose that is right for you.

    This is important because the recommended dosages are meant to treat sleep and shift/wake disorders.

    Crumbling or breaking at home is not precise enough for this drug. You gotta get the dose just right or else you cross the threshold between benefit and amphetamine effects.

    I have determined that 40mg then 10mg every 2 hours is perfect.

    Nuvigil feels more like an amphetamine that provigil, which is ironic considering that it is meant to be to the newer formulation. But in this case, newer means molecularly newer and not necessarily better.

    Best of biohacking to all!

    • Dave Asprey

      Joshua, that’s genius! What a great idea! I love compounding pharmacists; they’re the O.G. Biohackers….well after those buddhists anyway. ;)

    • Howard

      I have not tried either of those, since I have not found an MD willing to prescribe them (despite my history of OSA and CPAP use). I have tried Adrafinil, with some curious results. One 300mg tablet seemed to have minimal effect, and two of them gave me a little boost, which increased slightly over the 4 weeks that I took it. The recommended dosage on the insert was 4 tablets/day, which I did not do for a couple of reasons, 1) it appeared to raise my blood pressure, and 2) it’s expensive.

      Surprizingly, when I discontinued it (mainly because of the expense), I did not notice any withdrawal or rebound. In fat it was as if I was still taking it, and the effect persisted for several months, before tapering off. I had a few left, which I took on a day when I had a poor night’s sleep before a long drive, and the effect was not as pronounced as I remembered from before, although I do think it made me a safer driver.

      My wife also tried some Adrafinil, but she reported very little effect (if any). This may be due to her gastric bypass; there are several drugs and supplements that she must have in specific forms (usually liquid chelates, sometime sublingual) in order that she can actually absorb enough of them to be effective.

      • Howard

        typo above: s/in fact/in fat/

    • MB

      Joshua – How do you buy in bulk? Do you just call and tell them you’re a manufacturer?

  • ARI

    So I have taken it a few times now: On an empty stomach, with food, before studying, before exercise. So far no reaction whatsoever. My wife seems to think a quarter to half pill is a functional dose for her, but a full 200mg dose does nothing at all for me. I’m about 200lbs, 15% bf. Mostly follow a combination of BP diet and IF. (bp coffee in the morning, whey in the afternoon sometimes, grass fed protein + leafy greens at night, 1-2 liters of water a day).

    Do you know if there are any sort of limiting reagents or catalysts with modafinil? Like how Choline works with other nootropics such as racetams. I didn’t find anything online, but you’ve had more experience. I’m about to go back to school after more than a decade out and was really looking forward to having this in my toolbag. I’d appreciate any help.
    Thanks.

    • Dave Asprey

      So weird…this is Pharma grade (not generic from India) and it works repeatable for your wife? It just may not be right for you. Check out low dose deprenyl for cognitive benefits too.

      • ARI

        It is from india, modalert 200s from mymodafinil, and has worked 2/2 for my wife. I grabbed some of the armodafinil as well, but haven’t experimented with it yet. I’ll check deprenyl out. Thanks.

      • Howard

        Deprenyl comes with some interesting warnings on the insert: “Adverse effects have included hypertension, nausea, confusion, psychosis, hallucinations, and increased dyskinesias.”

        • Dave Asprey

          It’s all about the dose…

        • Howard

          Yes, from what I was able to get from my reading, the effects are highly dose-dependent. Less than the “effective” dose gives you essentially no effect, and more than the “effective” dose is worse than nothing, and I didn’t find any clear indication about how to determine the “effective” dose. Not sure I want to play with something that has such a sharp J curve.

    • Gabriel
  • Endymion

    So you take modafinil daily? Although it is not officially documented as causing tolerance, there are many anecdotal reports of the effects wearing off with regular use – have you noticed this at all, or are its effects consistent?

  • http://boldanddetermined.com/ Victor Pride

    Modafinil is the real deal. If there are any gym rats here I would suggest adding it to your supplement stack. The focus it gives you in the gym is unreal. Focus beyond focus.

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  • Steve

    Check out these glasses they are awesome — a big part of Vergence Labs mission is to extend and “enhance humanity”:

    http://www.indiegogo.com/socialvideoglasses

    Thought you all might be interested, thanks!

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  • Alex Berghuis

    Dave, first of all, love the diet. My life and studies have significantly improved after implementing the dietary strategies you have recommended in the Bulletproof Diet.

    I am strongly concerned by the apparent contradiction between this particular recommendation and your puritanical dietary protocol. The apparently “harmless” mechanism underlying this drug’s efficacy is unclear at present, however, Modafinil’s pharmacological profile suggests a mishmash of reuptake inhibition throughout the brain. This does not in any way serve to promote the natural functionality of the human brain on a physiological level. Furthermore, the drug apparently enhances levels of glutamate in the brain-the same excitotoxic elevations of which have been clearly identified as an inherently neurotoxic process (i.e., MSG)! This appears to be the last thing one would want to consider if they were indeed interesting in promoting cognitive performance on a long-term basis. I can understand, however, how this might promote short term performance benefits due to the excitation of the hypothalamus and subsequently promote effective learning, memory, etc.

    Am I missing anything here, or is it somehow a brilliant idea to pop heavy duty pharmaceutical pills like candy to force academic success or vigilance? I have noticed this disturbing trend in my own academic environment, and to me, it’s yet another indicator of a disturbing societal trend towards arbitrary dosing of psychological “brain boosters” such as Modafinil or amphetamines.

    I also understand that performance is the primary objective in this instance, but the long-term ramifications of Modafinil use are not well understood. Consequently, a claim that one might be “suffering” from a “deficiency” of a substance that never will occur naturally in the brain is both irresponsible and, in my view, potentially dangerous.

    • Dave Asprey

      It’s a question of what your goals are. You are suffering from a deficiency if your goal is to feel great all the time. Everything you do is a trade-off. I believe that the trade-off of performance and quality of life versus potential but undefined risk for modafinil is well worth it. If your goals tend towards limiting performance and quality of life because you are more risk-averse, I totally respect that. With respect to glutamate toxicity, I have not seen evidence that modafinil has the same mechanism of action as msg. I am violently sensitive to msg but not too modafinil. (and that was the case before I started taking it!)

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  • Joe

    Interesting comments. I’ve suffered from an inability to focus (ADD?) on any one thing for an extended period of time for years and while in my previous job, where multi-tasking was the rule of the day, I used this to great advantage, where I could juggle multiple projects like balls in the air, since I’ve left to start my own business, life has been a bit difficult. Once I added apnea and hypertension to the mix, the drugs really drag you down, it became unsupportable.
    My doctor gave me a scrip for 100mg, Modafinil and I will say it has made an unbelievable change in my life. One thing is I’ve been able to balance the fatigue from the BP drugs with the Modafinil. One of the reasons my BP was so high (besides the obvious, diet etc) was that I refused to dose for BP as consulted because of the effects it had on my concentration and the fatigue and sexual performance side effects. I am sure I am not alone in this. Now I dose for BP at bedtime and take Modafinil in the morning. What it has done is allowed me is to clear thoughts. The best way I can describe it is, I awake with an endless stream of soft thoughts literally assaulting my brain and somewhat exhausted. Once I take Modafinil, it seems to quiet the racket and I am able to focus on the next task at hand, or even identify the most important task. My wife also mentioned that my mood has improved as have a few other things, ahem ;-) .
    I do find though that it is important to plan activities. You can still end up clearheaded but muddling around if you don’t identify your day. Once you do, it easy to stay on task, whether it’s a novel, a painting or a blog or just the mundane tasks of everyday life.

  • Ling

    I like your ethos Dave! (why else did I surf up here?)
    Way to go. Will be reading your future posts with interest. :)
    L

  • felix

    Hullo!
    I have been consuming Modafinil for a long period of time (over three years) on an almost daily basis. Two days ago, i went to the doctor and he told me that my liver seems to be in swollen.

    Does anybody know if taking Modafinil for long periods of time may lead to liver failure?

    It seems there is a ton of pages where people tell their experiences while taking it but, is there any page where you can read .. “security steps” to take while taking it? For instance, i have read that alcohol is not recommended while taking Modafinil.

    Cheers,
    Felix

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  • Rudy

    A practical question that I don’t think has been answered yet: What should you say to your MD in order to get a prescription?

    I think this drug was originally targeted towards narcoleptics. If you don’t have that affliction, what will convince a doctor to write a script for you?
    Thanks.

    • Dave Asprey

      There are 2 other blog posts about that on here!;)

      Sent from my nobile phone. You understand…
      -Dave

      • JLLV

        What are the titles of them…can’t seem to find them from my phone.

        • JLLV

          Nevermind, they came up once I was at a desktop computer.

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  • Memphis

    Hey Dave,

    what about taking Ampakine in combination with Modafinil? Dangerous? Recommended?

    I personally love Modafinil and recently stumbled upon a newspaper article adressing Modafinil and Ampakine as supplements of the future. I agree in regards to Modafinil, but have never heard of Ampakine before.

    Thanks!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ISUPBCECWK5NUCM7VFI24RSQOM Kathy

    I have narcolepsy and have been taking Provigil for 9 1/2 years now. It is a real blessing to have this drug. I am hypersensitive to amphetamines and other stimulants that I took in the early days for my narcolepsy. Work was horrible, fighting to stay awake all of the time, since the only stimulant that I could tolerate was coffee, which made me very nervous and had limited effectiveness on my narcolepsy. I began taking 100 mg of Provigil and this was sufficient for a long time. I now take about 200 mg a day. Since I am retired, some days I take only 100 mg or occasionally I skip it altogether due to the cost. If I am going to be home all day and have no big demands on me 100 mg. works fine, but otherwise I take 200 mg or even 300 mg, depending on what I have to do. If I am making a very long drive, which happens rarely it is more than likely I will take at least 300 mg for that day or even 400 if necessary if that is what it takes to stay alert. I also take about 300 mg if I have a lot to do which requires driving and other tasks that require me to stay mentally clear and focused if I am sleep deprived due to sometimes being kept awake at night due to allergy and sinus problems. My prescription is actually for 400 mg a day, but it is extremely rare for me to take that much. I am 66 years old and it doesn’t raise my blood pressure much. I take a weak high blood pressure medicine and I sometimes suspect that I wouldn’t need anything at all for blood pressure if I didn’t have to take Modifinal most every day. Skipping it entirely really makes my quality of life suck, because I am constantly getting sleepy from about noon on and it makes it hard to enjoy passive activities like watching a TV or reading. One of the commenters seemed to think that it gave him liver trouble. After using this drug for 10 years and also taking a couple of other medications, my liver has suffered no ill effects. If one is taking illegal Modafinal instead of the expensive and legal prescription Modafinal that I take, it could possibly have fillers and impurities in it that might be bad for the liver. I once read a blog by someone taking the illegal stuff and he said that it made his pee smell bad. I have taken the legal drug for 9 1/2 years and it has never done anything to my pee, so there could be bad stuff in some of that non-prescription Modafinal. All and all, I would say that the legal prescription stuff is a very good drug that doesn’t make you jittery and it isn’t even addicting like amphetamines. There are some days, when I am particularly alert in spite of my narcolepsy and am stay at home all day, when I even forget to take it until very late in the day at which point I will skip it so that I get a good nights sleep. I can go on or off the drug and change the amount that I take according to my activities with no ill effects at all. The main problem with this drug is that it is so expensive.

    • Tom

      Nice to see it works so well for you without side effects. the strong pee odor is normal in legit drug due to some sulphur compound. I did not try the origimal but another legal product and the smell is strong. I am just saying this so people don´t worry.

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  • Ricky C

    Hi! I’m wondering if you need to be on a special diet when taking modafinil or is the bullet proof diet fine ? Are there certain foods you should avoid eating when on Modafin? Thank You.

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  • BARF

    Can anyone provide insight. I started taking Modvigil, an India Pharm version of Modafinil which they tell me is Provigil generic. My first day was AWESOME! Increase productivity, felt like I could rule the world. But since then I haven’t had the same experience as Dave Asprey. Is this Modivigil a version of Provigil or no?

    • JJl7

      I had the same experience as you. First day was productive…all days after that, I feel more alert, but run down….yawning thru out the day….I sleep better at night. I really wanted the “stay up long hours & be highly productive” effect. : (

      • BARF

        How long have you been taking it? Any tips or improvements?

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  • Rich

    I take modafinil on a semi regular basis (prescribed for a sleeping disorder) – i’m not sure how much effect it has, and neither can you be.

    The evidence for modafinil’s efficacy is on the whole weak, mostly undertaken by industry (making it much more likely to present a positive result) and hasn’t been subject to proper independent meta-analysis.

    It could possibly help, but we’re not sure, your experiences using it are not a reliable guide as to whether it ‘works for you’ particularly for such a subjective and unmeasurable outcome such as sleepiness – if you take a drug believing it is going to be a wonder drug you’re almost certainly going to feel like it is, when you could in reality just be wasting your money and exposing yourself to side effects.

    Individuals need to be more critical when it comes to self medication. Remember that there is a massive Cephalon PR machine trying to get people thinking that this is a wonder drug.

    (sources: doesn’t necessarily make me right but I’m a medical doctor, UK. competing interests: none)

    • Rich

      Just had a look at this site and realised that it’s selling plenty of psuedo-scientific quack products anyway, so guess you’re probably not that interested in real evidence!

      Good luck with you “being my own guinea pig” school of medicine, also known as the most meaningless level of research ever, hope it makes you plenty of money!

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  • Steve

    hi Dave,

    I love the blog. I have a couple questions about Modafinil,

    1. Are you concerned about the long term effects modafinil could have on your brain?

    2. Do you ever have alcohol after having Modafinil? I dont know if I could add something to my daily routine where I would have to give up wine lol

    3. Is it possible to take this drug and maintain a normal sleep schedule.

    Thanks,

    keep up the great work

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Vitaly-Klitschko/100003020592266 Vitaly Klitschko

    Modafinil makes you into an arsehole. Simple as. The same effect on the brain as Cocaine. Imagine your doctor, dentist or attorney waiting for a Modafinil fix with the false confidence it brings.

    Modafinil means I get madder every day because what you do and what you say affects my life in such a way
    I learn to hate it every minute.

    I don’t want to be subject to your Modafinil Decisions, I’m not interested in your Expensive Ugliness.

  • http://twitter.com/tuddyrose Craig

    because of this blog. i hounded my doc to perscribe provigil. My life has improved 10 fold. I dont drink do drugs. respect the medication, and you too can benefit. I am not concerned with “shouldnt i be doing these things without medication” its about quality of life. i NOW have it

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