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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

A miracle known by the name of Nuvigil - will it last though?

S

sencha

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
15
I was recently given three weeks worth of samples of Nuvigil for extreme fatigue resulting from either/both major depression/medication. Despite all the antidepressants and anxiolytics I've tried/am taking, nothing has really touched the heart of my symptoms. I had read up on Provigil prior to going to the psychiatrist and figured, as I was at the end of my rope, I'd ask him for either this or one of the amphetamines (despite my prior drug addictions) in hopes it would help with fatigue foremost, as I was falling behind at work. I had slight hopes it would help depression, but my psychiatrist assured me it would NOT help with depression or anxiety--and may actually cause the latter.

Well, within two hours of taking 150 mg of Nuvigil the first day, I was completely blown away. My depression and anxiety had completely vanished. I felt as good as I did when I used to use marijuana (back in the days when I still could enjoy it), but with a COMPLETELY clear mind and ability to think. This lasted for easily over 15 hours, well into the early morning. I had the same experience the next day. By the third day, the euphoria had faded and I was left with simply feeling awake with still no depression or anxiety. While I would LOVE nothing more than to feel the same way I felt the first two days for the rest of my life, being a recovering addict, I know it's simply a side effect of the medication and it's counterproductive to chase it. As long as I take it on an empty stomach in the morning with a glass of water, it works wonderfully and I feel NORMAL for once in 5+ years.

My questions:

1. Will this antidepressant/anxiolytic/anti-fatigue effect last in the long-term? My psychiatrist won't prescribe amphetamines, even as a last resort, so this is really all I have left as far as I'm concerned. I've tried probably 10 different antidepressants without much effect, even when given plenty of time.

2. I've noticed a slight increase in fatigue after the first two "high" days of taking it. I hope my body is just adjusting to the medication, and this is not a trend. Do you think I'll need to escalate the dose over time? I think the highest dose is 250 mg, and I'm wondering if I should go right up to it since I'm not feeling as energized as I was, but again, I wonder if I should just stick to the current dose I'm on and put up with normally low energy in the evenings like normal people?

Thanks in advance.
 
^^ I haven't used nuvigil but I have taken provigil and if i'm not mistaken nuvigil is one isomer of the chemical modafinil while provigil is racemic. So they're close in action. I think the phamacuetical fatcats put nuvigil out so they can keep raking in the dough after the patent on provigil is gone.


Anyway with provigil it seemed to work for me pretty well, effects decreased slightly as far as stimulation with the same dose...it did help me overall with depression....that didn't seem to diminish. You at some point will probably end up having to take larger doses to get the same effect. A problem i noticed with provigil is that after awhile on it your memory goes to shit, like you forget stupid things, feel scatterbrained......hopefully nuvigil is better with that but it's doubtful.
 
I think as you're a recovering addict you need to be careful with the stuff and also believe in it continually working. I think a lot of tolerance issues stem from people thinking their last dose won't get them the desired effect etc. it's not ALL in the mind of course but I think partly. Also as its giving you a more "high" style of life, please, please I beg of you not to get tempted back into the demons you previously battled with. Any medication that elevates your mood can do it so easily to you so be careful.

In answers to your questions though:

1. Yes. If you believe it and stick to your allocated doses at therapeutic level, it will for sure. If you start messing around with yor dosing and go higher etc. then you're at risk. You also need to understand that this initial shift of mood you're experiencing is from the medication working very effectively to begin with. As you continue to take it, the effects will not alter but your mind set will, making you think you need more/something else to get that feeling back. If that happens I urge you to stop taking this medication.

2. No. Read above. You want to be tired in the evening not wired. Not being able to sleep will lead you to think you have chronic insomnia and now you need a sleeping pill. It will start with an anti histamine and gradually escalate. I promise you. Don't do it. You'll also start to lose the benefits of taking the medication therapeutically.

I say this as I have been taking dexedrine therapeutically for the past year. I haven't altered my dose, anything. I have all the benefits from it with no side effects. Tolerance has not built and I am confident I won't abuse it. I did when I first got it and oh boy do I regret that, but we all make mistakes.
 
IMHO with most medications the 'high' or pleasant effects as perceived by those who enjoy them tend to just be initial side effects. These will quickly fade as your body adjusts to the medication, but you should still be left with the therapeutic aspects if you keep the doses as recommended.

However increasing the dose to bring back the high will still only remain effective for a short period, and then even the therapeutic properties will fail to function as needed.

Already having a history of addiction, do what you can to stick to the dose you were Rx'd.
 
First, thanks for the quality responses. I really appreciate the help.

Before I received any replies to this thread, I actually called my psychiatrist and asked him in a voice message if it would be okay to take a second dose in the mid-afternoon (75mg: half a pill) as the medication only lasts around 12 hours at this point. I take it around 8 AM, and it starts wearing off around 8-9 PM and I definitely notice an increase in my depressive/self-defeating/anxious thoughts and fatigue. This wouldn't be a problem except that I work at night until midnight. I have school early in the morning, so I can't just take it later in the day. Plus, considering I'm using it for depression/anxiety, I would like it to work the entire time I'm awake.

Now that I've read what you've written, I'm not so sure this is a good idea, although it's not necessarily an unreasonable request in my opinion.

What are your opinions? This would put me at 225 mg per day.

Thanks again.
 
I think if you up your dose, then you won't be able to get to sleep. I used to take provigil and even though it's a different drug, I found that if I took it too late in the day I would have trouble sleeping. See what your doctor recommends.
 
I beg to differ, nuvigil is far from a miracle but anyways the first couple times I took it , I got stimulation and a nice mood lift, after a while this went away and I was left with slight stimulation
 
I figured out that the high I obtained from Nuvigil for the first two days was simply mania. I had the same thing (full-blown mania this time though) when I accidentally escalated the initial morning dose to 225mg from 150mg. The mania does not last longer than the duration of the Nuvigil, however, and I imagine it'll go away within a day or two.

Is it safe to continue using Nuvigil if it's cased an initial reaction (and subsequent reaction when the dose escalated) of mania?
 
^no, it doesn't sound like a good idea at all to continue using it if it's causing constant mania. it is only going to grow and grow as time goes on. time to find a more suitable component of medication to help your situation.

you must speak to your doctor about this.
 
Well, it only initially causes mania, apparently. For the first two days I took Nuvigil, it caused hypomania. Then the "high" subsided by like the third day and all I was left with was its therapeutic effects and baseline mood. Just recently my psychiatrist allowed me to take a second dose in the mid-afternoon to prolong the effects past its duration of 12ish hours. I had been taking it just as prescribed for several days like this, until one morning, thinking it was innocuous because it was already overlapping anyway, it would be okay to take both doses at once for a little bit of an extra boost. Only then did full-blown mania develop. I went back down to simply using one tablet (150 mg) once a day, and I'm normal. So what I'm wondering is if the mania subsides and all I'm left with is Nuvigil's therapeutic effects, is still safe to take it as long as I continue on the prescribed dose? i.e. if the mania is only an initial side effect of starting/raising the dose.

Mania feels greater than all the drugs in the world combined, but just like a high, I'm not going to pursue it. I get the feeling it should be okay to take if the mania is just an initial side effect that fades away quickly in two days at the same dose, but I'm going to talk to my psychiatrist about it.

Thanks.
 
sencha said:
My questions:

1. Will this antidepressant/anxiolytic/anti-fatigue effect last in the long-term? My psychiatrist won't prescribe amphetamines, even as a last resort, so this is really all I have left as far as I'm concerned. I've tried probably 10 different antidepressants without much effect, even when given plenty of time.

2. I've noticed a slight increase in fatigue after the first two "high" days of taking it. I hope my body is just adjusting to the medication, and this is not a trend. Do you think I'll need to escalate the dose over time? I think the highest dose is 250 mg, and I'm wondering if I should go right up to it since I'm not feeling as energized as I was, but again, I wonder if I should just stick to the current dose I'm on and put up with normally low energy in the evenings like normal people?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I hate to burst your bubble but....
1. IMO no. Eventually most everyone ends up having to increase dosage and then at some point just go off of it for a few months and then return to it for it to start really working on the fatigue again. Its unfortunate but I've seen this to be the case in more people than not.
2. It does seem to get you a slight buzz the first few times you take it. I think this feeling for most is just the new increase in overall alertness and focus. Once you get used to the drug though (and it happens quickly), this feeling disappears. That will be when you get a better idea of if this drug is REALLY working for you or its more the psychological effect of hey I'm trying out a new stimulant!

Just out of curiosity...has your primary care physician ever run you through the routine battery of blood tests in regards to the fatigue? CBC, iron and iron binding capacity, ferritin levels and vitamin B12 levels? I know it sounds odd but while, yes our depression definitely impacts our fatigue levels, sometimes there are some hidden physiological reasons for it as well. I just recently went through this myself and they discovered that I am suffering from a wicked case of iron deficiency anemia. Apparently its a relatively common cause of fatigue. I was also really low on B12 which can increase fatigue. Its something that I would have never even considered. My neurologist happened to check for it as part of a follow up with another treatment. So I finished up my bottle of Provigil and am now on a regimen of B12 and iron supplements. I dunno about you but if something as simple as taking a couple of supplements a day can get rid of even a fraction of the fatigue I am suffering from, its damn well worth trying. Especially at <snip> a bottle vs like <snip> a bottle for supplements. >.> It's just something for you to consider. This drug may not be your "last option". There may be some other underlying medical issue here that are making you feel the way you do. Don't give up! Exhaust all avenues. You owe it to yourself to be healthy and happy. :)
 
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Nuvigil/Provigil is a miracle drug... if you are constipated, that is. Great if you have done too many opiates, or if you want to experience the stomach problems only from heroin withdrawal. This simulated it quite effectivly for me, and that's all it ever did. Oh no, forgot the headache I got later. Whatever productivty this drug might have increased, didn't matter for me when I had to spend half the day on toilet.

I read about this drug and thought it sounded to good to be true. Of course it was. Glad it helps someone though. I find coffee much more effective and tolerable.
 
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