Provigil: The wake-up pill

There have been days when we have been lazy like a sloth. This happens in the life of every man. And why not? People have become so much more busy than usual. Their life starts with a workout session, has breakfast, goes out to work, comes back from work, has dinner, spends a little time with family and then goes to sleep. The life schedule is so busy that even I am getting tired thinking about it. Anyways, it is normal for such person to feel that he/she needs some rest. But if things are just the opposite i.e. a person gets all the time to rest but sleep sleeps during the day. If this person has this in his routine regularly then it is a case of an excessive daytime sleepiness disorder and he definitely needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will most probably prescribe for the use of smart drugs like Provigil to promote wakefulness.

Smart drugs are cognitive brain enhancer. They work on the brain cells and make it really active. In medical terms they are called eugeroic or nootropic because of the ability to promote wakefulness. These drugs are increases concentration by making the mind awake in cases when it prefers to be sleepy. This medicine has found its use in the case of university students who use the drug mainly to stay awake during exam preparation time. One of the features of this medicine is to increase the ability to think more and be a brighter student. This is the main reason why these pills are given the name "smart pills".

Provigil is the brand name of the smart pill Modafinil. It was the first medicine to be recognized as a smart drug and is also called to be the father of smart pills. Just because these medicines are widely used by the students as an off-label drug, they are also called a student's pill. This generic form of the drug is Modafinil and it received an approval from the U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used as a smart drug. The FDA has specially mentioned the use of this drug in matters related to excessive sleeping disorders like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorders. About 1 in 2000 people of the world is affected by any kind of Narcolepsy symptoms like excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis etc. These people sleep at night but their mind has to remain awake to regulate their actions. Sleep apnea is a more common disease but very few even know about it. It is most common in people who snore and has affected around 20 million people in the U.S. alone. Here people stop breathing occasionally while in sleep. This happens at regular intervals of time and even though the person is asleep the brain remains awake. Shift work sleep disorder is the disorder that is common in people who work in night shifts. They feel sleepy when they need to work.

How to take Provigil?

Provigil is a prescription drug and needs to be taken only according to the guidelines provided by the doctor. This drug should not be self-medicated.

The usual dosage is to take 1 pill of 200mg Provigil a day. This can be taken once in the morning on a daily basis or divided into two dosages of 100mg each and can be taken two times a day. In the case of elderly people, the dosage is usually lowered to 100mg of Provigil in a day. This also can be divided into two dosages of 50mg each and can be taken two times a day.

Provigil is available in the form of capsules and has to be taken orally and you can also buy Provigil from any of the online pharmacy sites.

What are the side effects?

Side effects of a medicine become prominent on the patients who do not make use of the drug well. This is why the side effects are never universal and varies from a person to a person. Whenever you notice any kind of side effects in the body after taking this medicine, stop the medication immediately and consult the doctor as soon as possible. Also, if there is any case of a drug overdose get some help immediately. Some of the common side effects of Provigil are:

• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Skin rash
  
• Sore throat
• Body pain
• Indigestion
• Body weakness etc.

What precautions should I take?

To have the perfect benefit of a medicine take the medicine on the basis of the instructions provided by the doctor or the pharmacists. Also, read the directions mentioned in the box. If you have confusion, do not hesitate in asking any kind of question. Some of the precautions of using Provigil are:

1. The Provigil smart drug should not be given to people below the age of 18 years.
2. These medicines are not given to people who have got some kind of long-term illness. It is better to seek a doctor's advice before taking this medicine.
3. Tell your doctor if you are undergoing any medications. Also, tell him about your medical history as well as your allergies, if you have got any.
4. If you are allergic to Modafinil or Armodafinil, tell your doctor about it. Also, if any kind of changes occurs in your bodies after taking the medicine leaves the medicine right away and consult the doctor as soon as possible.
5. Provigil can react with other medications. Clinically it has been proved that this medicine reacts with nitrate drugs. This is why it is necessary to tell your doctor if you are having any other medications. This can save you from any case of harmful drug interactions.
6. Avoid taking caffeine products while under Provigil medication. Any substances having coffee and its products can react to this medicine. This medicine can also react with carbonated products like soft drinks, soda water etc.
7. Do not take Provigil along with Modafinil and Armodafinil. These are all smart drugs and can case cases of serious overdose.
8. Avoid taking alcohol along with Provigil. There can be harmful side effects to it.
9. Keep the medicine away from the reach of children and also from those who have got a history of drug abuse.