Modafinil: the wake-promoting stimulant drug

Many people on the internet are talking about a drug nicknamed "Moda" – but they don’t take it for fun. They take it to work better, to be more concentrated, and to stay awake. “It helps me to type so very fast on the keyboard, oh my god I’m so fast so fast so fast so fast so fast so fast so fast,” commented a user on a Facebook page dedicated to the drug. "My brain has reached the ninja level" wrote another.

“Moda” is the abbreviation of Modafinil, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the American agency that deals with drugs, as a treatment for narcolepsy, and is sold under the trade names of Modvigil, Provigil, Waklert, Modalert, Artvigil, and some others. Some people take it without a prescription in hopes of improving their cognitive abilities.

These high quality generics can be ordered online without prescription and imported from abroad, mostly from India, where their use is not regulated by healthcare authorities and does not require a prescription. Modafinil online can be bought with safety guarantee on a number of trusted websites like Canadian Pharmacy referred to on Quora, Reddit, Bluelight and other popular forums.

The beauty of it is that these sites operate legally in the so-called grey zone. For instance, Canadian Pharmacy delivers quickly and anonymously – on top of quoting one of the lowest prices on the Internet.

Modafinil, a drug designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is popular on the online market because it exponentially improves concentration. But its long-term effects are not yet known.

Modafinil molecule is also used to treat narcolepsy. Any other use, including OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), is considered off-label. Modafinil is a powerful psychostimulant. In the United States it is widely used and sold online without a prescription.

The USAF (US Air Force) has promoted its use as “upper” and anti-fatigue for pilots who carry out missions lasting more than eight consecutive hours. In this case, the dosage indicated for pilots is 200 milligrams (one tablet on the market in Italy contains 100).

For missions exceeding 12 consecutive hours, the permitted and recommended dosage is 400 milligrams.

Modafinil High: what are the doses?

Modafinil confers a condition of overall well-being and a reduction in the sense of fatigue. At doses of 200 mg Modafinil it already has a euphoric effect. The interesting aspect of this drug is that, unlike cocaine and amphetamines, there is no rebound effect (“down”), or almost none. If taken on an empty stomach, and if facilitated by physical activity even very moderate, Modafinil acts already after a quarter of an hour-twenty minutes.

There is evidence shared by takers about experiencing these effects at very high dosages (megadoses: 2,000 mg in 12 hours). At these dosages, Modafinil is dangerous due to the excessive euphoric effect that can induce socially dangerous behaviors, and is highly cardiotoxic, due to the potential triggering of “torsade de pointes” (see web using “tip twisting” as keywords). Healthcare specialists strongly advise against taking such quantities in such a short period of time.

Users of Modafinil often take the drug in combination with methadone. Modafinil dramatically accelerates the metabolism of methadone (not buprenorphine), therefore it is indispensable to adjust the methadone posology in an augmentative sense, on pain of becoming abstinent from methadone a few hours after the concomitant intake of Modafinil. Driving under the influence of moderate doses of Modafinil is an experience to try.

Driving is smooth and precise, without the slightest hint of fatigue even after 10-14 hours behind the wheel.

Modafinil vs Stimulants

Modafinil could be useful to avoid drowsiness while driving in the car. If used at doses of 200mg maximum for an hour of driving, one could (it is only a possible theory that first obviously should be demonstrated), it minimizes the risks for the life of drivers and of any passengers. The lives of traffic participants cannot be safeguarded completely but to a greater extent. If it were really possible the limit could reach a dose of Modafinil equal to 400mg for a maximum of about two hours of driving.

A limit to reduce road accidents but to be taken into consideration only in cases of emergency or excessive tiredness or drowsiness. The best thing is still obviously a nice nap before driving to face a long or probably tiring journey. But if you fail to meet this condition, you might as well take Modafinil 2000mg instead.

Modafinil can also be used in combination with paroxetine (antidepressant) and lamotrigine (mood stabilizer). People taking the drug for the attacks of drowsiness point out that it helps in terms of mood, even though it is still considered an “off label” feature on the leaflet. There are thousands of experiences like this one.

Official sources like NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) report that Modafinil is a stimulant, not an antidepressant.

The association with paroxetine (antidepressant) and lamotrigine (mood stabilizer) is fundamental in order not to incur in devastating side effects, such as excessive aggressiveness, not resistance to (aggressive) impulses. For those suffering from neurosis and psychosis the drug is forbidden.

On the other hand, some studies have shown that Modafinil also has an antidepressant effect, so much so that they are evaluating the possibility of using it officially for this pathology. On each individual it acts in a more or less marked manner.

In some cases (and it is not a simple placebo effect) it is a drug that, associated with antidepressants, gets one high in an incredible way. To witness this, there are users reporting that nothing compares to the combination of Modafinil and antidepressants. Compared to this combo, a simple monotherapy of an antidepressant reportedly renders the user “numb”, and not “alive”.

In comparison to other eugeroic substances that produce slightly euphoric effects, such as caffeine, Modafinil molecule has similar action on SNS, but is much more potent and uses a different stimulation mechanism. The combination of the two substances is complementary, but should be performed with caution.