I currently use Modafinil. I first heard about this drug about a month ago and decided it was worth looking into. I wasn't interested in staying awake for days at a time. Instead I was interested in just plain staying awake during the day. Yes, I am fully aware that getting a good night's sleep will allow me to stay awake during the day. However, I actually like doing things during the time I am not at werq. Sometimes that cuts into a good night's sleep.
I talked to a pharmacist about the drug and got his take on it. Obviously, he recommended not taking anything that wasn't prescribed, and not talking a doctor into a scrip that wasn't needed. Having covered his butt, he also told me that most OTC meds are much harsher on our bodies than Modafinil. This chat gave me enough information to base a decision on.
I got some. For those of you out there wondering how...I will only say that a credit card and an internet connection can get you just about anything.
So I have been taking it daily for about a month now. What do I get out of it? Not much. The biggest difference is that I don't spend all day wishing I could go for a nap. I just don't think about sleep anymore. I have also noticed that I tend to be more focused on what I am doing at work and have even started staying at work until I have completed a task, as opposed to leaving as soon as the clock hit the end of business hours.
I missed a dose last week. I went home for lunch, as I usually do, and slept for two hours. For those of you screaming that it happened because I was sleep deprived, hold on a moment longer. Since starting on Modafinil, I have paid a lot more attention to how much sleep I am getting. I get about 8-9 hours most nights. The short nights are about 6 hours. This is hardly sleep deprived.
I did try, half heartedly, once, to make an endurance run on Modafinil. I took my normal daily dose, a booster at lunch and then another in the evening. I finished up a project I was working on at about 0200 hours. I got bored and went to bed. At the time I felt like I could stay awake, if I wanted to, but I didn't want to, a didn't try.
The benefits of Modafinil, in my experience are: Being alert during the day, but not hyped like with caffiene, taurine etc. Working for a full day, resulting in higher job satisfaction and less stress No 'crash' when the sugar, caffiene, taurine etc. have finished hyping me up. Improved mood The bad stuff: I can't get this stuff legally.
So, there you go. Another opinion based on experience. I haven't addressed the long term side effects issue. I only have an opinion about that. For now, I'm not concerned. My quality of life has really improved from this. It may not sound like much, but it is a lot to me. For those of you concerned about controlling our bodies through chemistry, I challenge you to give up caffiene, nicotine, sugar, or any other of the fantastic things we use to get through the day, then you can talk about how bad controlling our bodies through chemistry is. I have given up caffiene as a requirement. I drink coffee, sometimes, socially. The sodas are gone too. The only other stim I still use in nicotine. I'm afraid I'm hooked on that one.
Hope this satisfies some of your curiosity about Modafinil.
Slashdot Mirror
I posted my experience a bit higher up.
I currently use Modafinil. I first heard about this drug about a month ago and decided it was worth looking into. I wasn't interested in staying awake for days at a time. Instead I was interested in just plain staying awake during the day. Yes, I am fully aware that getting a good night's sleep will allow me to stay awake during the day. However, I actually like doing things during the time I am not at werq. Sometimes that cuts into a good night's sleep.
I talked to a pharmacist about the drug and got his take on it. Obviously, he recommended not taking anything that wasn't prescribed, and not talking a doctor into a scrip that wasn't needed. Having covered his butt, he also told me that most OTC meds are much harsher on our bodies than Modafinil. This chat gave me enough information to base a decision on.
I got some. For those of you out there wondering how...I will only say that a credit card and an internet connection can get you just about anything.
So I have been taking it daily for about a month now. What do I get out of it? Not much. The biggest difference is that I don't spend all day wishing I could go for a nap. I just don't think about sleep anymore. I have also noticed that I tend to be more focused on what I am doing at work and have even started staying at work until I have completed a task, as opposed to leaving as soon as the clock hit the end of business hours.
I missed a dose last week. I went home for lunch, as I usually do, and slept for two hours. For those of you screaming that it happened because I was sleep deprived, hold on a moment longer. Since starting on Modafinil, I have paid a lot more attention to how much sleep I am getting. I get about 8-9 hours most nights. The short nights are about 6 hours. This is hardly sleep deprived.
I did try, half heartedly, once, to make an endurance run on Modafinil. I took my normal daily dose, a booster at lunch and then another in the evening. I finished up a project I was working on at about 0200 hours. I got bored and went to bed. At the time I felt like I could stay awake, if I wanted to, but I didn't want to, a didn't try.
The benefits of Modafinil, in my experience are:
Being alert during the day, but not hyped like with caffiene, taurine etc.
Working for a full day, resulting in higher job satisfaction and less stress
No 'crash' when the sugar, caffiene, taurine etc. have finished hyping me up.
Improved mood
The bad stuff:
I can't get this stuff legally.
So, there you go. Another opinion based on experience. I haven't addressed the long term side effects issue. I only have an opinion about that. For now, I'm not concerned. My quality of life has really improved from this. It may not sound like much, but it is a lot to me. For those of you concerned about controlling our bodies through chemistry, I challenge you to give up caffiene, nicotine, sugar, or any other of the fantastic things we use to get through the day, then you can talk about how bad controlling our bodies through chemistry is. I have given up caffiene as a requirement. I drink coffee, sometimes, socially. The sodas are gone too. The only other stim I still use in nicotine. I'm afraid I'm hooked on that one.
Hope this satisfies some of your curiosity about Modafinil.
If you are going to bring up "Bob" you may as well link to the subsite: http://www.subgenius.com/
Not quite, if you look at the ads next to that one, you will find this: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTool s/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1645242
It has memory and is less than half the price.
pbbt