Modafinil is an FDA-approved drug used to treat sleepiness associate with shift work. It also has been shown to improve wakefulness in patients with narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.
In this study, we tested the effect of modafinil on shift work-related excessive sleepiness in healthy research volunteers. We found that modafinil decreased symptoms of extreme sleepiness, as well as performance measures.
How it Works
If you work nontraditional shifts such as graveyard shifts, early morning shifts, or rotating shifts, you may have a condition called Shift Work Related Excessive Sleepiness. This disorder can cause you to be too tir to perform everyday tasks. It can also affect your ability to function at home and in other areas of your life.
Fortunately, there are treatment options available to help you cope with this problem. Among them, medications such as modafinil can be useful to boost your alertness and improve your performance during the day.
You can take modafinil by mouth once a day with or without food. It will typically start working about an hour before your shift begins. You should not change the time you take it unless directed by your doctor.
The main advantage of this medication is that it can reduce the excessive sleepiness associated with shift work. The drug can also increase your overall alertness and enhance your cognitive function.
In a clinical trial, patients who took 200 mg of modafinil before each work shift show improvement in their alertness and reduce lapses in concentration when they were teste with a variety of test. However, they did not show a significant improvement in their circadian adaptation to night-work schedules, which was a limiting factor for the study.
Medication isn’t a substitute for lifestyle changes, which are essential to improve your sleep and alertness. Other options include melatonin, which can be taken to promote normal sleep patterns and can help you fall asleep at the right time. You can also use hypnotics or sedatives, such as zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta), but they should be used sparingly and only for short periods.
Side Effects
Modalert 200 Australia is a wakefulness-promoting medication used to treat excessive sleepiness in people with narcolepsy, shift work disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. It also can help you to be more alert when you’re driving a vehicle or doing something that needs quick reactions.
It can be taken as a tablet, capsule, or liquid. It’s a controlled substance, which means it has an accepted medical use but may also cause physical or psychological dependence and may be abused.
The most common side effects of modafinil are headache, dizziness, drowsiness, or fatigue. These can be serious or even life-threatening, so talk to your doctor about them if you have any of these symptoms. You should also avoid alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) while taking this drug.
A study compared the effects of modafinil with a placebo in people with shift work-related excessive sleepiness. It found that patients who took modafinil had less sleepiness during their night shifts and were less likely to have drowsy driving accidents or make mistakes on the way home.
These results are important because excessive sleepiness from shift work is link to a host of negative consequences, including drowsy driving accidents and dangerous workplace errors. It can also lead to the development of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Researchers
Researchers at Stanford University, Columbia University, and other universities in the United States randomly assigned about 145 men to receive 200 mg of modafinil, 300 mg of modafinil, or a matching placebo for 12 weeks. They were reassessed monthly during an overnight shift to measuring changes in sleepiness, alertness, and performance.
After three months of treatment, the amount of time that participants were awake and alert increased, and their ability to perform tasks that required fast reactions improved. However, they were still tired at the end of their day-shift work, a sign that modafinil did not restore sleepiness to normal levels and that additional therapy is needed for these patients.
Despite these results, the use of modafinil for night-shift work is not recommended. It does not have the same beneficial effects on alertness and performance as other wakefulness-promoting medications.
Dosage
Modafinil has been approved for the treatment of narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS). It is also used to treat other conditions, such as chronic fatigue.
A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controll study was conduct to assess the efficacy of modafinil on cognitive/psychomotor performance and mood in adults with excessive sleepiness associate with SWSD.
After 12 weeks, participants had their cognitive/psychomotor performance assessed using the DAT, DSST, and RIT. They also completed a mood assessment, the DEQ, and daily patient diaries.
Results showed that modafinil improved performance on the DAT, DSST, and RIT (Figure 2) during the night-shift condition. Both the 200-mg and 400-mg doses improved tracking speed, increased the number of correct responses, and decreased total misses (p0.02) on the first day, while the 400-mg dose significantly increased total hits and decreases in false alarms (p0.008) on days 1 and 2.
Effects of modafinil
The effects of modafinil during the day-shift condition were less dramatic than those observed during the night-shift condition. Nevertheless, both doses improved performance on the DAT, DSST, RIT, and DEQ (Figure 3).
Although the results suggest that modafinil improves functional performance and quality of life in shift workers with SWSD. This may not be enough to meet the medical needs of these patients. The short duration of the trial is an important limitation and further study with longer period are need to evaluate the effectiveness of modafinil on functional status and quality of life in these patients.
Because of the risk of abuse and addiction, Armod 150 mg should only be administer as prescribe by your doctor. It is habit-forming and should be take in a small amount, for only a few days at a time, or no more than a few weeks.
Precautions
Modafinil is a prescription medication use to treat excessive sleepiness cause by certain conditions, including narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and shift work disorder (SWD). It comes in tablet form as 100-mg and 200-mg oral tablets.
The drug belongs to a group of medicines called stimulants, which increase the activity of parts of the brain. It also increases the amount of certain chemical messengers in your body that help you stay awake, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.
Taking modafinil with other medications may cause unwanted effects or make them less effective. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications, including those that are use to treat depression, heart disease, or high blood pressure. Your doctor may need to change your dose or monitor you carefully for side effects.
How to take it?
Your doctor will tell you how much to take and when to take it. You should take the medication on a regular schedule and at the same time each day. This way, you can get the best possible effect from the medication.
Do not drive or perform other activities that require alertness until you know how this medication affects you. Then, you will know how to use it safely.
You should not use this medicine if you have a history of mental illness, such as depression or hallucinations. If you have a history of psychosis or manic-depressive disorder, talk to your doctor about how this medicine may affect your condition. It is important to tell your doctor about any other drugs you are using, including non-prescription or over-the-counter products.
If you have a skin rash or allergic reaction, stop taking this medication and call your doctor immediately. It can be dangerous and life-threatening if you don’t get medical treatment.
To minimize the risk of withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking this medication. Your doctor may gradually lower your dose over time. If you suddenly stop taking this medicine, you may have severe withdrawal symptoms, which include shaking, sweating, chills, nausea, vomiting, and confusion.
Getting enough sleep is essential for good health and performance. The best ways to get more sleep are by practicing good sleep hygiene, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, and not starting a night shift with too little sleep. You can also try taking a short nap before or during your shift to boost your wakefulness.
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