Which are the known side effects of Modafinil?

We certainly live in a tireless and fast-paced society. It’s estimated that approximately 70 million people suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Some people only experience mild issues such as occasional insomnia. Other people, however, experience more severe problems such as sleep paralysis, chronic insomnia or sleep apnea. 

But there is one medication that may lessen the severity of certain sleep disorders by hindering unwanted sleepiness during the day and allowing one to have their mental and physical energies spent at night. That medication is modafinil. 

Before going into the main topic of our discussion, which is understanding the side effects of modafinil, here’s a bit of info on modafinil and armodafinil, its most popular analogue:

What is modafinil?

Modafinil is an oral medication that is used to help people stay awake. To be more precise, modafinil is a stimulant that treats symptoms caused by hypopnea, narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, modafinil stimulates levels of histamine, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine in a person’s brain. 

Note, modafinil is not a cure for sleep disorders. In addition, it can only be obtained with a prescription from a medical professional or online pharmacies that sell generic modafinil and armodafinil brands manufactured in India.

As of 2020, modafinil, as well as its enantiopure analogue Armodafinil, are widely used as substitutes less heavy on side effects than the popular stimulant known as Adderall. 

In recent years, modafinil is regarded as the world’s first safe smart drug, and Armodafinil takes it a step further. Uses of modafinil and armodafinil are varied across professionals, entrepreneurs, students, doctors and even military personnel. The main reason is, of course, their surprising effectiveness combined with their relative safety.

What are the common side effects of taking modafinil?

Modafinil, like most other prescription medications, does come with its fair share of possible side effects. 

Below are the most commonly experienced side effects of modafinil:

  • Headaches
  • Feelings of anxiety
  • Feeling agitated
  • Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • An infection of the upper respiratory tract
  • Insomnia

Other than the upper respiratory tract infection, these side effects aren’t a cause for alarm. However, if you experience more than one for a prolonged period of time, contact your doctor. 

There are other extremely rare side effects that warrant immediate attention from your prescribing physician. These include the following:

  • Hallucinations
  • Arrhythmias
  • Random bleeding or bruising
  • Feelings of depression
  • Sudden fever
  • Chest pain
  • Sudden mood swings
  • Confusion
  • Thoughts of suicide

Should you experience any of these, contact your doctor or 911 immediately. Furthermore, do not mix modafinil with alcohol, a large quanities of chocolate or caffeine. It may cause abnormal reactions such as blacking out or a dramatic increase in alcohol tolerance.

Who are candidates for modafinil?

The type of sleep disorder does dictate whether someone is a suitable candidate for modafinil. In most cases, modafinil is only prescribed if the sleep disorder is too severe and impedes daily life. Regardless, people still heavily use both modafinil and armodafinil for cognitive enhancement. It’s simply that effective when compared to any other nootropic on the market.

Oftentimes, people can improve their sleeping habits by changing their lifestyle habits. For instance, avoiding screens for at least one hour prior to bed, not exercising late at night, and following a bedtime routine may help. Pregnant women should never take modafinil as it can cause serious side effects to the mother and possible birth defects to the unborn fetus. 

Are the side effects of Modafinil worth the risk?

Anyone suffering from ongoing sleep disturbances needs to reach out to their family physician. From there, proper followup with a sleep specialist may be warranted. And while modafinil does show positive results in treating certain sleep disorders, it should only be considered when all other therapies have been exhausted. 

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