Become more focused and effective without any side effects. Does it sound too good to be true? It probably is, too, but we will come to that later.
Modafinil: brain acceleration without consequences
In the movie Limitless, Bradley Cooper portrays a writer going through some sort of crisis who gets hold of NZT-48, a drug that allows people to use 100 percent of brain capacity. Bradley Cooper’s character Eddie Morra takes the drug and quickly becomes successful on all levels. He makes big bucks in trading stocks, writes a novel in record time, and even manages to clean his quarter. Of course, he also achieves enormous success with the ladies, which certainly has nothing to do with the fact that he looks like… well, Bradley Cooper, but just that he gets his smarts on like there’s no tomorrow.
NZT-48 is a smart drug from the class of nootropics, a drug that enhances a person’s cognitive ability, and the closest to this Zlatan of nootropics in reality is, right, Modafinil, which also can be found under a variety of other names: Modvigil, Provigil, its closest analogs being Armodafinil.
It is unknown how common exactly mental doping is. A few years ago, Nature magazine asked its readers about the matter. One fifth of those who answered in a web survey stated that they had at some time taken drugs to become brain-sharper. Of the drug users, 44% have taken modafinil.
The drug-rated variants of nootropics are also popular with students at the finer universities in the United States and England. Already in 2013, the British The Guardian reported that one of four students at Oxford had taken modafinil. Now it is also moving into regular workplaces – mostly in the US, but both the U.S. and neighboring countries report that it is becoming more common as we are speaking.
The real-life science behind Modafinil
Modafinil is a prescription drug that helps with fatigue in people with narcolepsy, a disease that, among other things, causes sudden sleep attacks during the daytime. There is also a grey market online with Modafinil retailing as “nootropic drug“. Simply put: mental doping. The doping works relatively well. That conclusion is drawn by researchers in the United States and the United Kingdom who have reviewed two dozen reports on modafinil published in scientific journals since 1990.
In simple standard tests on healthy and physically fit subjects, the effect is moderate, in some cases, moderately negative. But in more specialized experiments done in recent years, the medicine seems to strengthen attention, learning ability, memory and higher executive functions such as processing information and developing plans. “Modafinil may well deserve the title of being the first well-validated nootropic drug,” the researchers write in the European Neuropsychopharmacology journal.
The drug began testing for narcolepsy in France in the 1970s. It releases a group of signaling substances in the cerebral cortex (catecholamines) which in their turn affect a range of chemicals known to regulate sleep and wakefulness.
Among the usually mild side effects there are headaches, stomach cramps and difficulty falling asleep. Unlike amphetamines and similar substances, modafinil gives no euphoria or other effects on the mood – you do not become a “fun type” for a time.
However, there may be long-term risks that we are not aware of. There are precautions to be taken together with the drug, if you will. Let us remember the pop culture and some of the Hollywood blockbusters like Limitless or Lucy – true, they show us the dormant resources of our brain that can be activated with the help of congenial formulae, but they also caution us against the imminent dangers they bear.
In addition to any medical risks for individual users, widespread mental doping can create problems in society. Students who try to cope with mentally demanding tasks without illegal drugs may find it difficult to keep up with their doped classmates.
A throwback to the history of Modafinil: fun facts
A throwback to the history of Modafinil: fun facts Modafinil was developed by brain scientists in France during the 1970s as an alternative to amphetamines for patients with narcolepsy, but its uses have become more numerous. The US Air Force has studied and recommends it for longer missions. Navy SEALs and other special forces are said to use it. Recently, it has been noted that many executives at startups in the US are cracking modafinil. There is even a concept for those who take smart drugs to cope with more work: extreme workers.
Where does one buy Modafinil in this real-deal life of ours?
It is a classified drug and must be prescribed by doctors in the United States. In Mexico, on the other hand, you just have to check in at the first best pharmacy to get it, and it is a loophole for many users with their street-smarts handy. You can also buy the drug from Canadian Pharmacies.
You do not need to cross either of the borders to get the drug: Modafinil can be ordered online quite legally. Still takes some legwork to figure out which online pharmacy will not sell you a dupe, but with a little help from our friends like 4chan and other popular places on the Web to read feedback about e-drugstores. We, for one, ordered from a bunch of different pharmacies just to receive chalk pills from most of them – and the real deal pill form [THIS] and [THIS] this little hole in the wall. Goes to show, you never know till you give it a try.
A few take-home tips on how to use Modafinil safely
If you really want to get down and dirty, scan through a handful of forums to read what your fellow-shoppers have to say on the matter. Learn about the dosages recommended for your age, gender, general health condition, purpose, body type, etc.
The dose range is 100 mg – 400 mg per day. Most often you step up the medication gradually so it can be good to start the medication during the period away from your routine activities like work or school / college so that you “have time” to be a little tired.
Start from 100 mg (or 200 mg split between 2 intakes, at the most). For instance, during the first week, administer 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg after lunch at some time. You might experience few to very few side effects – most commonly reported are moderate dry mouth, nausea or headache. Some point out that coupling Modafinil with coffee does the trick of minimizing side effects; sounds doable, right? Some also report decreased appetite, which plants an idea of using Modafinil as a weight loss drug into some hot heads. The appetite returns after a while, you can trust us on this one, so don’t get your hopes too high, if you had any.
Gradually work your way up to 300 mg and 400 mg, if you feel that this dose is required. Now, this is where you should exercise a little extra caution, as the ice gets thin: in order to avoid the dreaded Modafinil tolerance effect, you should not take the maximal dose on each and every day. Skip a day or two, leave a few days out every week in order to keep your body wondering.
Regarding Modafinil and alcohol, it worked great for some, but you have to be careful. Take a small glass of wine, feel for it, increase if needed. Alcohol can increase the side effects of your drug. The health effects can also be augmented, which is a ground one should tread with extreme care, as it can all spin out of control all too fast. That said – be careful, and let your body tell you how it works.
Modafinil is not a slimming product and will not make you slim, whatever you heard. This said, Modafinil can inhibit your appetite, this is a side effect and not necessarily a positive one. You should see this as a mere side effect and pay attention to it.
Modafinil has proven to trigger anxiety feelings. On the other hand, it can be the other way around, as fatigue is often a source of anxiety. Once again, you should be aware and attentive.
Forewarned is forearmed, as they say, hopefully this information will help you accrue nothing but positive effects with the use of a great tool that Modafinil undoubtedly is!