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ModafinilModafinil (Provigil; Vigicer; Alertec) is a stimulant drug produced by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon who own the Provigil trade mark. It is marketed as a 'wakefulness promoting agent' and is one of the stimulants used medically in the treatment of narcolepsy. It holds the promise of allowing people who suffer from unusual fatigue to remain awake without side-effects or impairment of job performance. However it does not live up to this promise in all cases, occasionally producing rashes, intestinal problems and other side effects. The usual prescription is for one pill to be taken shortly after waking; its effects last for most of the day, but do not usually prevent the person from going to sleep at a normal time. Dosage varies from once 100 mg/day to twice 200 mg per day (the second about 4 hours after waking), and is more effective on nave users. The half-life in the human body is about 15 hours. Of the many side effects documented in double blind studies only headache was statistically significant at an increase of 5%, however a number of other side effects were about 1% higher than the placebo. Modafinil's chemical name is 2-(diphenylmethyl)sulfinylacetamide. The molecular formula is C15H15NO2S and the molecular weight is 273.36. Its mechanism of action is unclear, although it does not work directly on dopamine receptors like other stimulant drugs such as amphetamine, caffeine, methylphenidate or cocaine and is thought to have less potential for abuse than other stimulants due to the absence of any significant euphoric or pleasurable effects. The central stimulating effect of modafinil shows dose and time-related features. The effect tends to be enhanced by chlorination but reduced by methylation. Modafinil blocks the reuptake of noradrenaline by the noradrenergic terminals on sleep-promoting neurons from the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO). Such a mechanism could be at least partially responsible for the wake-promoting effect of modafinil. On August 3, 2004 ten days before the 2004 Summer Olympics, Modafinil was added onto the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Modafinil is not indicated for complaints of lack of energy or fatigue; but it appears to be very helpful for some patients. Modafinil is currently classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance under United States federal law. In January of 2005, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania published the results of a small study, which found that modafinil may help recovering cocaine addicts fight their addiction. External links - http://www.provigil.com
- http://www.modafinil.com
- http://www.nootropics.com
- Modafinil synthesis
- http://www.cephalon.com
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