Modafinil – the uses of modafinil include:
• To treat excessive daytime sleepiness
• To treat problems in breathing while asleep (sleep apnoea)
• To treat shift work disorder
All medicines can cause side effects, but many have no or minor side effects. If you have side effects consult with your doctor.
The side effects of modafinil include:
• Back pain
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Stomach upset
• Stuffy nose
• Trouble in sleeping
The severe side effects include:
• Severe allergic reactions with rash, hives, itching, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, face, lips or tongue or unusual hoarseness
• Abnormal thinking
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Dark urine
• Fever, chills or sore throat
• Irregular heartbeat
• Anxiety, depression, exaggerated sense of well-being
• Hallucinations
• Mouth sore
• Mouth sores
• Red, swollen, blistered or peeling skin
• Shortness of breath
• Suicidal thoughts or actions
• Unusual bruising or bleeding
• Unusual weakness
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
You must seek medical attention immediately if any of these severe side effects occur.
Warning: Drug Interactions – Modafinil can affect the enzyme activity in the liver. Thus it can decrease or increase the activity of enzymes in the liver which metabolize other drugs. The blood level of these medicines can be decreased or increased so that the drug can lose its effectiveness or can be accumulated in toxic levels. Therefore, you must contact your doctor; inform him about all your medication including oral contraceptives before taking modafinil.
Students and workers have been abusing stimulants for decades. At present Ritalin and modafinil are more effective than the previous drugs if you want to feel sharper and work for longer. It is purposely given to soldiers to keep them awake up to 7 days. Thus, the abuse of Ritalin and modafinil is becoming a major problem. They can make your work so interesting and you can become a workaholic.
The biggest problem is that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to bring medicines to the market which is meant for healthy persons to increase their efficiency to concentrate and work for almost the whole day. Their calculation is very simple. Even if it costs only few cents the sum is very huge when 4 billion persons are taking every day. Research papers are coming already on these topics. This is a very bad development in our world. These drugs can make us real slaves to our work one day if not properly or strictly guided by lawmakers.
A programmed human being is good for the industry to make more profit. Many dictators have tried to make us slaves without success, but these drugs are more dangerous than all these dictators together. It is in our hands to be happy and healthy without these mood enhancers.
Pregnant woman and lactating mothers must talk to their doctor before taking any drugs as there are almost no clinical studies with these groups.