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#1
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Does anyone here have any experience using the prescription drug Provigil or its Generic equivalent Modafinil to treat Excessive Daytime Sleepiness???

RattHuh
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#2
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
Try Here

Coffee
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#3
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
(04-14-2013, 03:47 PM)Pete Wrote: Does anyone here have any experience using the prescription drug Provigil or its Generic equivalent Modafinil to treat Excessive Daytime Sleepiness???

RattHuh

I took Modafinil for about 30 days. The usual dosage is 200mg in the morning. It lasts for about 11 hours.

You feel "wired" but not hyper. Just wide awake. No side effects in my case. Only made it a little harder to fall asleep at night but not really a problem.

after 4-5 days, the boost seemed to taper off. It was just not as effective but still somewhat.

Gene
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#4
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
I've been taking Provigil on an as-needed basis for the past 3 years. In addition to sleep apnea I have some insomnia and hints of narcolepsy so excessive daytime sleepiness is a real problem for me. I try to only use the Provigil on days when I am really sleepy which seems to average about one day a week although if I'm having a bad week it is more frequent.

Pros:
It definitely works. Some days I crawl out of bed exhausted like I've been fighting a battle all night but I can't stay asleep (and I need to go to work). The day stretches before me like a canyon and I don't know how I'll make it through. On days like these I take a small dose of Provigil - about 75 mg (I have to cut the pills which are 200mg each). Within an hour or two I feel perfectly normal and wide awake. There is no risk of my falling asleep while driving or reading a book - I am fully functional.

Cons:
- Even though I'm not tired I still have all the side affects of sleep deprivation - memory loss, trouble concentrating, easily distracted, etc.
-About 30% of the time I take Provigil I end up having heart palpitations called Atrial Fibrillation. This is a condition I have in general and I have many triggers including caffeine so any stimulant (such as Provigil) is a likely trigger.
- If I take it on a day when I'm "sorta" tired but not completely fried then I find I am noticeably wired, anxious, and tend to talk really fast.
- Sometimes the dose lasts a long time. Even if I take it at 6:30am I have a hard time getting to sleep by 10pm so I end up having to take an Ambien or Melatonin which knock me out but tend to make my sleep apnea worse which means I'll end up having to take Provigil again the next day. As you can see it is easy to fall into a downward spiral which is why I take it sparingly.

I know that sounds like a lot of negatives and I do wish there was a gentler alternative but the fact is that it *does* work and I can't imagine getting by without it.

Your mileage may vary Wink
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#5
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
I just joined this forum and I too would like to know others experience with the provigil. I have been taking it since October 2012 and taking 200mg at 8am and 200mg at 1pm. I agree the initial effect is great but over a period of about 6 weeks it is less and less effective yet if I do not take it I will fall asleep as soon as I sit down. For me I found when I tried not taking it I realized how much it still helped but just not as well as in the beginning.
I worked with a company for over 10 years and had to go out on disability due to memory, concentration, focus, comprehension, and and falling asleep issues. Part of my job included over seeing 10 offices and traveling to those offices, reviewing legal contracts and extracting important information out of them, and staying on top of federal, state, and local regulations in the healthcare field. When I went out on DI it would take me hours to review one contract when in the past it work take me 45 min to an hour. To do this posting I am coping from where I originally put it together because it takes me so long to put it together and correct all mistakes.
Anyway I am very frustrated and being patient as I go through testing and feeling like I need to take things into my own hands more in the area of being educated about my equipment and treatment. This forum I hope is the beginning of that- just doing the registration showed I have a lot to learn. The only thing I know about my machine is that it is a bipap and has a card in pull out and take to my doctor every visit.

Thank you,
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#6
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
(04-21-2013, 11:29 AM)Sgtparmley Wrote: The only thing I know about my machine is that it is a bipap and has a card in pull out and take to my doctor every visit.

You can find the model number for most machines on the bottom. (Take the water tank out of the humidifier before turning it over!) Having the make and model of the machine in your profile helps people give you better answers and suggestions.
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#7
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
Welcome Sarge!

Welcome

You came to the right place! We work all the time to find out stuff. Smile
"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." - Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Cool
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#8
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
(04-21-2013, 12:59 PM)JJJ Wrote:
(04-21-2013, 11:29 AM)Sgtparmley Wrote: The only thing I know about my machine is that it is a bipap and has a card in pull out and take to my doctor every visit.

You can find the model number for most machines on the bottom. (Take the water tank out of the humidifier before turning it over!) Having the make and model of the machine in your profile helps people give you better answers and suggestions.

Thank you-I was able to find the information as you suggested and have updated my profile. Hope I am doing this the correct way, Thanks
(04-21-2013, 10:21 PM)Shastzi Wrote: Welcome Sarge!

Welcome

You came to the right place! We work all the time to find out stuff. Smile

Thanks!
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#9
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
Hi Sgtparmley, welcome to the forum!

You want to might contact Philips Respironics and give them the serial number of your machine to see if a recall applies to your unit.

I found the announcement below on another forum.

Take care,
--- Vaughn
Edit: Meant "You might want to contact..." Funny how the brain works (or rather doesn't work) sometimes.



Re: Blinking blue light on M-series heated humidifier??
by Amigo on Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:42 am

This information is probably too late to be meaningful for most M-Series users, but I thought I'd post it just in case.

The following M-Series models have been recalled, and will be replaced/fixed free of charge:

1051158, 1051157, 1049124, 1049110, 1049109, U1049110, U1049109, R1049110, & R1049109


The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
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#10
RE: Information on Provigil or Modafinil
(04-22-2013, 01:07 AM)vsheline Wrote: Hi Sgtparmley, welcome to the forum!

You want to might contact Philips Respironics and give them the serial number of your machine to see if a recall applies to your unit.

I found the announcement below on another forum.

Take care,
--- Vaughn



Re: Blinking blue light on M-series heated humidifier??
by Amigo on Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:42 am

This information is probably too late to be meaningful for most M-Series users, but I thought I'd post it just in case.

The following M-Series models have been recalled, and will be replaced/fixed free of charge:

1051158, 1051157, 1049124, 1049110, 1049109, U1049110, U1049109, R1049110, & R1049109

Thank you sooooo much! My model number is on the list and I will give them a call tomorrow.
Deb
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