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Does anyone currently take medications to help with excessive sleepiness? I have been on provigil for about 2 months now. I started off with 1/2 of a 100mg pill twice a day. Then I bumped up to taking 200mg a day. I'm currently taking 400mg a day. Still feeling fatigued. My doctor prescribed me Nuvigil (my copay was $45- I'll be looking to get reimbursed). Tomorrow is day one of 250mg of Nuvigil once a day.

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I think I'll give the NuVigil another try - at a non-mental illness dose.

 

Marie

Har they fed me <G> We all got takeout. It was the weekend so I got to surf the net on their computers.  I did "fail" the test though.

 

Marie

Mary Z said:

The diagnosis for narcolepsy or hypersomnie is made of the basis of A Multiple SLeep Latency test (MSLT).  Usually on the morning after a sleep test they have you stay awake for two hours then up for 20 minutes.  The sleep Latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep) and how fast you go into REM sleep determine the difference if you have one or the other,  If you have narcolepsy you go right into REM sheep. If you have this test be prepared to entertain yourself between naps and bring food.  It's very boring. Expect a urine test that morning between the two tests.
provigil didnt work for me nuvigil did buof my plan wont cover it anymore  pretty upset about that they told me the equivalent to nuvigil is amphetamines.  dont think so.
If you reply to a post you ought to read the subthread.  Nuvigil at the dose I was given gave me panic attacks and paranoid delusions. I think you can find those in the DSM-I!~ Jeebus. 

Mary Z said:
Nuvigil is for Shift Worker DIsorder  and excessive daytime sleepiness.  There is no "mental illness dose".
Also, you likely need to address your Glutathione depletion. There are so many variables involved in fatigue in addition to OSA.   I'd be very wary of any pharmacological intervention to treat your health deficits.   It all starts in the ATP production of your cells.   The deficit begins there.
Thanks for the instructions.

Rose Marie Holt said:
If you reply to a post you ought to read the subthread.  Nuvigil at the dose I was given gave me panic attacks and paranoid delusions. I think you can find those in the DSM-I!~ Jeebus. 

Mary Z said:
Nuvigil is for Shift Worker DIsorder  and excessive daytime sleepiness.  There is no "mental illness dose".
hehe
I take Nuvigil. I find it's pretty effective. Definitely gives me a little more pep during the day. Years ago I tried Provigil and didn't really think it was all that great. Nuvigil is the same as Provigil, except one of the active ingredients has been taken out. The trick is to not take it every day. Otherwise you'll develop tolerance for it, and require higher doses. I usually refrain from taking it on the weekend. Unfortunately that means I'm pretty tired on the weekend.

Specifically, Provigil is a combination of two [active] isomers (same molecular forumala, but different structures).  Nuvigil is the isomer that stays in the bloodstream longer.

 

OTOH, with zopiclone vs eszopiclone (Lunesta)...there apparently is only one active isomer in zopiclone, and Lunesta is the isolation of the active.  Which has apparently meant that the patent for it has been denied in other countries.

 

While in the US, zopiclone is not available.  Forcing us to shell out lots of money for the refined version (Tier 4, non-preferred branded, on my plan....I pay 60% of its cost and it doesn't count towards my out of pocket max.  And, they keep pestering to switch.)  And, not be able to get zopiclone as generic.....for now.

 

I also tend to refrain from taking Provigil on the weekend, though sometimes I take one dose so I can run some errands and at least accomplish something and leave the house once.

 

There have been a couple times this year where I didn't set foot outside my home for 5 days.  First time I got sick, second time was due to weather...they canceled work for 2 days, and boss told me to just work from home for 2 more days...I went out Thursday because I was supposed to pick up prescription refills on Monday, but had delayed going out as long as I could.  On the second time, I had take a single dose of Provigil on the Wednesday....intending to go out that afternoon, but I didn't...but, did make it out Thursday using a single dose.....

 

There are other times where I try to make it through work on only one dose...makes it interesting to see if I can make it home without automatic behavior sending across the intersection at the wrong time.

 

Nunya Bizness said:

I take Nuvigil. I find it's pretty effective. Definitely gives me a little more pep during the day. Years ago I tried Provigil and didn't really think it was all that great. Nuvigil is the same as Provigil, except one of the active ingredients has been taken out. The trick is to not take it every day. Otherwise you'll develop tolerance for it, and require higher doses. I usually refrain from taking it on the weekend. Unfortunately that means I'm pretty tired on the weekend.

I do not have sleep apnea, but I do have disturbed sleep because of dysautonomia (an autonomic nervous system disorder).  My neurologist prescribed Provigil several years ago and I have had a good result.  I do have to split my dose for it to be really effective (2/3 when I get up in the AM and 1/3 just after lunchtime).  My dose is supposed to be 300mg.  I usually don't take the PM dose because I forget (this also makes my prescription last longer since I have "leftover" pills from not taking the PM doses consistently), but I end up compensating by overdoing caffeine and/or sugar many days.

 

My neurologist told me that Provigil will be offered in generic form soon, which will be nice from a money standpoint, but I wonder about efficacy of generics overall because they are copies vs. the original formula.  I know that a lot of generics are as good as, or even sometimes better than, the original brand, but you never really know until you try them...I was just reading about Nuvigil, which sounds good, but the postings here make me wonder if it's really so much better that it would be worth asking to try it.  Provigil has been wonderful for me, but not very long-lasting.  Any thoughts from people in my situation who have tried both?

I find the 250 mg dose of Nuvigil works better for me than 200 of Provigil (taken at the same time of the morning)  The Nuvigil lasts longer- I try to take it early so it doesn't keep me up at night.  I've never taken Provigil in divided doses, but if it's available as a generic I would try to switch to Provigil the way you  take it 200/100.  I don't mind the $90.00/month so much , but when I'm in the donut hole (I'm on medicare) the brands are very expensive.  The Nuvigil does hold me through the day.
Of course, this assumes you don't mind the possibility of
  • fever, sore throat, headache, and vomiting with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
  • bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
  • easy bruising or bleeding;
  • white patches

Your doctor DOES love you though because he's golf vacation tabs are usually picked up.  Consider NADH, B-12, Alpha Ketoglutaric Acid, Yerba Mate,  along with any exercise that moves your lymphatic system (i.e. rebounding)

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