Provigil?

[sleepyWI]

Anybody using provigil? Comments on effectiveness or side effects? My doctor wants me to try it but it is expensive and I'm not sure my insurance will pay (requires prior approval).

thanks!

[pipesmell]

Doc started me on 200mg/day. I did not really feel a difference. Bumped me up to 300mg/day, still no change. Going in this afternoon to seek alternative method. All in all, not impressed with provigil.

[Wulfman]

Anybody using provigil? Comments on effectiveness or side effects? My doctor wants me to try it but it is expensive and I'm not sure my insurance will pay (requires prior approval).

thanks!

Do a "Search" on it......you'll find about 3 pages of threads to sort through.
I don't do any of that stuff, so I can't make ANY comments about ANY kinds of drugs.......legal or otherwise.
(didn't have access to the "otherwise" when I was young)

Den

[penelopepanda]

I love provigil! 200 mg works great for me. I get more done, I don't need to nap and I'm tired at night! Let me know if you have specific questions.

Pen

[sleepyWI]

thanks for the very helpful reply wolfy. Of course I had already done what you suggested and did not want to wade through three pages of old posts looking for any vague reference to provigil.

[lvwildcat]

I was on Provigil for 2 months-didn't take it when I was off from work. When I was working(12 hr. shifts) I took 200mg in am and another 100 mg at noon. It did make me slightly jittery and I would have to remind myself to eat(a good thing-lol).You're right about the expense-my copay for meds is usually $2;it was $70 for a month of Provigil. My MD recently asked me if I needed a refill;I decided to see how I feel now without taking it

[Runny]

I received prior approval and my Blue Cross paid for mine. Unfortunately, I could only stand being on it for a few days. It made me dizzy, sleepier during the day, and nauseated. I am also extremely lactose intolerant, and Provigil contains lactase.

I was certainly hoping that it would help, but it did not. It's too bad the drug company does not give enough samples to the docs so you could try titrating it for a couple of weeks before spending that much money. I have about $700 worth at home that I have not yet discarded. I don't know why. I can't use it.

[Lyza]

If you are at all hesitant and you have a kind dr, ask for a couple days samples..

I've been on it for a month and I LOVE it... 200mg in the am. The first 2 days I felt a bit jittery, 'over-caffeinated'.. but thats it... I only take it on the days I work, it does not keep me from sleeping at night, and feel if I wanted to take a nap on it, I could. It clears the 'fog', keeps me alert, yet does NOT make you all speedy, manic like. I've had no other side effects other then the inital 2 days I mentioned.

It is very expensive and would really only get it if your plan includes copays on prescriptions. Insurance will ONLY approve it for narcolepsy/sleep disorders.. They will not approve you until your Dr. provides them with proof or date of your latest sleep study and/or results.

I love the stuff, and my insurace copay for it is 50bucks... When i forget to take it, i CONSIDERABLY notice a big big difference at work...

One more side effect to consider , which may or may not concern you... Provigil WILL mess with the effect of birth control pills....... hehe

[sleepyWI]

Thanks Lyza. My copay is $35 per month (30 200mg) tabs...not so bad.....and it ended up not needing the prior approval. My Dr. is starting me out on 100 mg and I am free to up it to 200 if that does not work after a week. We'll see. I feel better about taking it now after a little research.

[josh]

I am afraid to go back on provigil...

Just before I was diagnosed with OSA, my psychiatrist put me on provigil because I was complaining that I was tired...(wonder why)...

Anyway, at first it was great...I mean it was like a wonder drug for me. But after two weeks, I became more tired than I was before the provigil. That was when I almost drove my car off the interstate because I was sooo tired. And that was how I found out that I had OSA...after a sleep study of course.

So, my thinking is that provigil was keeping me up during the day...like it was supposed to, and my apneas were keeping me up at night...like they were supposed to, so theoretically I did not sleep for 2 weeks.

That's my 2 cents...

Josh

[kteague]

Josh, I'm with you on your thoughts. It always makes me uneasy to hear of products being used to stay awake with the root cause of the sleepiness not yet addressed. Ideally their use would be to accompany residual sleepiness, not to replace sleep. That's a formula for trouble, in my books. What little benefit one may derive could give a false sense of security, as in if the brain is not restored with sleep, thinking and reaction time is probably still compromised. Just my two cents.
Kathy

[sleepyWI]

Kathy, this is exactly the root of my uneasiness about doing this. After almost 100 days on cpap (I'm 100% compliant) why do I still feel worse than before I started cpap? My Dr. prescribed Ambien to help me sleep and tolerate cpap (I don't take it anymore as it made me a zombie) and now something to keep me awake. I feel a bit like Alice if you know what I mean. He won't hear any talk of another sleep study or apap or anything but "stay the course." Yesterday he said "at least you are protecting your heart." True enough but its made my life pretty miserable.

On the other hand I cannot afford to be so sleepy at work. I teach and last semester I was starting to make major screwups in class which is personally embarassing and appears unprofessional so I feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

Guess I'll go eat som worms .......

[Wulfman]

After almost 100 days on cpap (I'm 100% compliant) why do I still feel worse than before I started cpap?

You may not know until you get a machine that records sleep data and the software to interpret it. You should have started seeing some improvement by now......somethin' ain't right. You need to find out what it is.

Best wishes,

Den

[kteague]

Don't stir-fry those worms yet!

Is this doc a sleep doc or your GP? I think in an earlier post you said that the titration split night study didn't go well and determined that you didn't tolerate cpap well due to centrals. Do you have a copy of the full study that shows how many centrals occurred at what pressures? And what is your pressure? Was there even enough sleep for them to legitimately determine a therapeutic pressure? If you are in a place where the amount of pressure needed to stop obstructive events causes centrals, how is that being addressed with your prescribed treatment? Without the actual numbers, it's hard to know, but if your case is not the garden variety OSA, you should not be getting standard OSA treatment. Most insurances cover getting a second opinion. If your doc can't satisfactorily answer these questions, that's an answer in itself.

I wasted 8 months blaming myself when my treatment wasn't working. You've diligently followed their instructions for a substantial length of time. Although it is not unusual to not be fully recovered at this point, you have legitimate concerns that merit them proving to you the course they want you to stay is going to take you where you need to go.

Keep us posted.

Kathy

[Runny]

Oh, dear, SleepyWI, my heart goes out to you. My doc prescribed sleep meds also. I was on Lunesta for about 3 months. It finally dawned on me that I was losing my mind and my memory. It was affecting me cognitively and emotionally also. I decided to get myself off the sleep meds and just deal with one day at a time no matter how many hours of sleep I got.

I began a new job right at the point where I was diagnosed with OSA. It's the toughest job I've ever had to learn, and the sleep meds were making it worse.

A few years ago, I tried Ambien. My doc (not a sleep doc at that time) gave me 10 mg. to try first. I am quite petite, and I never touched a 10 mg. again, because it gave me parasthesia. I could hear everything my daughter was saying to me, but I was unable to move or respond in any way. What if there had been a fire in my house?!!

I guess I am one of those people who do not take well to medications. The fewer I take, the better I feel. But, yes, hypnotics can affect your memory, and it is frightening. I am doing better without any of them.