On so many levels I am so tempted to try this, but I just can't bring myself to - but I am in constant envy of co-workers who 'juice' and watch their productivity soar.
[deleted]
[deleted]
My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
11–20 of 139 posts
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#12The wikipedia article on Provigil[1] mentions toxic epidermal necrolysis[2] and Stevens-Johnson syndrome[3] as possible side effects. That's enough to scare me off trying this particular drug. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provigil [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_epidermal_necrolysis [3] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens-Johnson_syndrome
I think SJS has only resulted from modafinil use fewer than ten times in total. It's a rare enough response that it's difficult to figure out the actual risks, and I can't find info on the actual rates of modafinil usage. But it seems like something that's probably on the order of a 1/100,000 chance.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#13As someone with ADHD who takes Ritilin, this seemed interesting to me as a non-stimulant alternative. However, it appears that Modafinil is a "pro-histamine" which would mean that it could aggregate allergy symptoms. I wonder if anyone has ever studied the correlation between anti-histamine use and the development of ADHD.
As someone with allergies, I can tell you that it doesn't really aggravate any of my symptoms. Its pro-histamine effects are mostly observed in the CNS, and not in the rest of the body.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#14It's apparently also been shown to have positive effect on depression, when taken with anti-depressants[1]. That alone makes it very attractive to me. Who knows, maybe I'll try it some day if it gets proven safe but I can't bring my self too at the moment.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#15I tried Provigil two years ago and it came in powder format and I had to mix it. It tasted bitter and had no pronounced effect me. I had better response to coffee but then again they say placebo is hell of a drug.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#16Not so smart: getting busted for plagiarism: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jan/20/johann-hari-qui...
[deleted]
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#17I tried Provigil two years ago and it came in powder format and I had to mix it. It tasted bitter and had no pronounced effect me. I had better response to coffee but then again they say placebo is hell of a drug.
Sounds like you might actually be thinking of Piracetam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam)
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#18I tried Provigil two years ago and it came in powder format and I had to mix it. It tasted bitter and had no pronounced effect me. I had better response to coffee but then again they say placebo is hell of a drug.
That doesn't sound like modafinil at all. I've never heard of it being sold outside of pill form. Typical dosage is 75-150mg, making a powder easy to mis-dose. Although overdosing on modafinil isn't possible, too much would result in unpleasant side-effects: stomach pains, headache, nausea, insomnia, etc.
Also, the effects of modafinil are obvious. In addition to being coffee++, the metabolites make your urine and sweat smell weird. If someone says modafinil didn't work on them, it's probably because they ordered it illicitly and got counterfeit drugs.
Are you perhaps thinking of a different nootropic? From your description, piracetam seems much more likely. It typically comes in powder form, and its effects can be charitably described as subtle.
Side note: If you're interested in nootropics and modafinil, I highly recommend gwern's articles on the subjects[1][2].
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#19You know what the worst thing is? I'm depressed, on antidepressants, can't sleep, can't concentrate, always tired, unproductive, unfocused. I fall asleep in meetings. I am not quite the target audience for this drug (I'm not actually narcoleptic) but I'm pretty darn close.
And, as far as I can tell, it doesn't work on me. Ordered some from an online pharmacy, took it for ten days straight... no detectable change.
:(
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#20The wikipedia article on Provigil[1] mentions toxic epidermal necrolysis[2] and Stevens-Johnson syndrome[3] as possible side effects. That's enough to scare me off trying this particular drug. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provigil [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_epidermal_necrolysis [3] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens-Johnson_syndrome
This was found as a part of an ADHD study of close to a thousand young children, in which one kid may have had SJS, and another kid had a non-serious suspicious rash, and that was enough to kill the whole study with no such repeat studies being done since.
So yeah, 1/1000 chance going by that study alone, which doesn't say much since the drug has been prescribed millions of times in the US and abroad with no significant mention of SJS outside of the study. In short, it's just ass-covering medical paranoia.
What has been shown is that modifinil can mess with liver enzymes over time, and that should be scary enough to tell people not to use the drug long-term.
My own experience with the drug is pretty similar to the article's, but without the strange addition-like component this guy seemed to have. I was able to quit cold turkey after a month without so much as an after thought, and I still use it from time to time when my autoimmune disorder flairs up and causes fatigue and brain fog that not even ten cups of coffee can cut through.