RCs How Much Modafinil?

[Michael_25]

How much do I need to stay awake? I don't use stimulants often. Is 200 mg a good starting dose. By the way, I take Clozapine and Sertraline. Are there any contradictions with these drugs?

 

[Zerwas]

I dont know about the contraindications but I think it would be generally very unwise to take stimulants (even the weaker modafinil) while being on ADs and Antipsychotics.
I guess you take the medication for a good reason and especially if you need Antipsychotics you should avoid all kinds of stimulants.

Did you get a prescription for it?

 

[Hodor]

Modafinil is an extremely gentle stim, less dangerous than caffeine IMO. It's neither a potent releasing agent like amphetamine, nor is it a potent NDRI like Coke, Ritalin or the Pyrrolidinophenones. Its mode of action hasn't been fully elucidated, but it seems to have a very mild effect on dopamine reuptake, so it may actually be used as an antidepressant in patients who do not respond to typical antidepressants. Really, "wakefulness promoting agent" is probably a more apt description of Modafinil than "stimulant".

Though I'd avise you to always consult with a medical professional, I doubt much harm will come to you if you take it within the recommended dose range (i.e. between 100 and 300 mg per day, preferably starting with 2 doses of 50 mg).

That said, if you're bipolar you might still want to stay the hell away from this stuff, as staying awake for too long might cause a manic switch... also, if you have an addictive personality, I'd advise you to exercise caution as it is possible to catch an ever-so-slight buzz from Modafinil.

 

[Listening]

I've tried armodafinil a handful of times. It felt like a stimulant, even if less potent and less euphoric. I even got bad jaw muscle tension (which someone noticed before I did).

Obviously this doesn't say anything about the safety of it, but claiming that it is less dangerous than caffeine is ridiculous. Caffeine has a proven historical track record and can't really be absued by most people. Modafinil, while not as abusable as other stimulants, certainly can be abused. Even forgetting this, it's not at all obvious that it's as safe as caffeine. Maybe it is, but no one can say that with any confidence right now.

 

[SixBuckets]

I have bipolar and take meds for it. I'm also prescribed modafinil for fibromyalgia related fatigue.

I haven't noticed any interactions and the half-life of modafinil is short enough that taking it in the morning doesn't interfere with my (admittedly medicated) sleep.

Modafinil doesn't produce a high and I can't really see any abuse potential for it at all, unless you consider "taking something when you're not prescribed it" to be abuse.

 

[Coviekiller5]

Modafinal comes in IIRC 200, 100 and possibly 50 mg tablets, so if you are unsure where to start a safe dose would be 50 or 100 mg, but 200 mg is not a really high dose IMHO. I would not exceed 1200 mg in a day although I have myself a few times to no harm. I would not take more than 400 mg at once either.

 

[SixBuckets]

It has a ceiling dose at 400mg, so you're going to get serious diminishing returns (if any increase in effect at all) above that dose.

I take 300mg as my therapeutic dose, but my spouse finds as low as 100mg keeps him awake and alert.

 

[Coviekiller5]

I can confirm it is of little benefit to exceed 400mg per dose.

 

[Kittycat5]

I canjot even distinguish much difference between 100 and 200mg. Both seem to do the job for me. But seeing you are on other meds and have some psychiatric conditions, I would start lower just to be safe.