Posted by jannbeau on April 15, 2005, at 15:15:07
In reply to Re: Calling all provigil users, posted by bark2323 on April 2, 2005, at 22:45:41
Hi, Everyone. Long time no post (most on Effexor page, but I stopped Effexor XR very soon after starting it so don't post there anymore, or anywhere, actually. Back after a long hiatus. Hey, Dr. Bob, what research category does that put me into???? (Grin)! I do see a few names from other boards, like Dinah, whom I assume is still a moderator??
Anyway, thought I'd just give you all my take on Provigil--I started Provigil about 6 months ago after taking Fastin for YEARS. I intensely dislike the Provigil. Expensive and doesn't work very well for me at 200 mg qd. I was given it for "excessive daytime drowsiness 2ndary to treated sleep apnea. Decided to try Provigil because it's "cleaner" (fewer side effects) and it is approved for use with sleep apnea treated with CPAP (I use my CPAP machine nightly) which makes my doctor happy! I started with 100 mg qd, which made me SLEEPY, rapidly moved to 200 mg/day, which still makes me sleepy before it wakes me up and only lasts four to six hours. The T1/2 in my body is short (I can follow it's excretion because the metabolites make my urine smell like cat pee! My interpretation: an amphetamine in disguise, and not a very good one at that). Dinah, I can identify with your sleepiness with Provigil. I could take a nap right now and it's only been a couple hours since I had a dose! I am entirely frustrated with this medication. One GOOD thing, I've been able to cut back on my Ambien--probably because my body metabolizes the Provigil quickly. I haven't looked up the metabolic pathway, but I take some meds that rev up the P450 enzymes in the liver.
Provigil does not seem to exacerbate my ongoing anger, which also probably relates to its lack of effect.
On the other hand, my anxiety is much worse with Provigil than with Fastin--meaning I take more Xanax (I think it's the Provigil, but it might be changes at work, so not sure). The only medication I ever took that seems to work well with no discernable side effects is Lipitor--unfortunately, Lipitor is for high cholesterol; it does nothing for my CNS (LOL)!I think I'm going to go back to Fastin because I can control Fastin's effects by taking only part of the capsule; I can control the length of action by taking two or three doses a day, all while staying within the 30 mg I am alloted, while I cannot control Provigil in this way.
My overall review of this medication: lots of hype, minimal utility for me, and we don't know the long-term effects of the medication. Provigil, the next new miracle drug - NOT!!!!
Cheers,
Jannbeau
poster:jannbeau
thread:477606
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050413/msgs/484752.html