TREATMENT DATABASE

Provigil (modafinil) is a stimulant that operates strictly in the brain. Although the precise mechanism of modafinil is still the subject of debate, it is believed that it works by activating brain peptides known as orexins. Orexin neurons are primarily found in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that helps regulate sleep, but the neurons also project to many different parts of the brain, including several areas that regulate wakefulness. The activation of orexin neurons increases dopamine and norepinephrine in these areas, as well as increasing histamine, as compound known to produce wakefulness.

Modafinil has been approved for the treatment of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that produces excessive daytime sleepiness. But, it has also been used off-label to treat depression, sleep-phase disorder, jet-lag, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. In these instances, modafinil is used as a palliative measure to reduce fatigue, rather than as a primary mode of treatment.

Side effects include: skin rash (discontinue if rash appears), anxiety, headache, nausea, stuffy nose, dizziness, insomnia. Modafinil is contraindicated for those with a history of heart or liver disease. Do not take with alcohol.

Treatment rating for Provigil (modafinil)