PROVIGIL

rjgreen3 · Post by **rjgreen3** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:23 pm

I went to see my Dr./clinican and informed him that I had problems with drowsiness around 11am and again around 2pm. He told me that my numbers were great and he had no idea why so let's try Provigil. I was informed that this was non-addictive and it would help me to stay alert; has anyone used this drug or know anything about

rjgreen3

IBTeri · Post by **IBTeri** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:44 pm

I tried it and it works great for me at 400mg instead of 200. But its $13.00 a pill. At 26 dollars a day. I can feed my family a nice dinner for that amount each day. Not only wont my insurance cover it. I can't afford it.

Moogy · Post by **Moogy** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:44 pm

I used Provigil for a while about the time I was diagnosed with apnea. It was a real life-saver on long car trips. Before I started my bipap therapy, the Provigil improved my ability to function, but I was still somewhat sleepy. I kept using it for a few weeks after I started the bipap until I caught up on my sleep debt.

I used it for long car trips for a while after I stopped taking it daily. The last time or two I used it for driving, it made me jittery and kept me from sleeping that night, and I took that as an indicator that I no longer needed it.

I don't think it is a terrible medicine, if you need it. Watch out for side-effects like jitteriness. Provigil only treats the symptoms, so figuring out what is causing the sleepiness might be more helpful. Did you have anything else that hasn't yet been treated, like restless leg syndrome, etc.?

Moogy

rjgreen3 · Post by **rjgreen3** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:53 pm

I will find that out tomorrow. Two weeks ago I had a sleep study using my personal machine.

rjgreen3

fujiinator · Post by **fujiinator** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:41 pm

I have been using it for about 1 month. I am splitting the pill in half for a 100MG dose and that works on most days for me. When I have had a bad night I will use a 200MG pill in the morning and will try not to take another for the last part of the day. I even am using it on weekends because I am tired of that tired feeling during the day, even if i have had a really good night of sleep I can really get tired. My sleep doctor had not problem proscribing Provigil for me once I explained what steps I was taking in treating my apnea. I will use it as it. Hopefully in the future I will not need it any longer. Till then it does seem to be the little push I need to be more alert during the day.

wabmorgan · Post by **wabmorgan** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:24 am

I tried it. Found it had little effect for me.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:23 am

man $13 bucks a pill!!! $26 a day??? wow

back when I was in High School, that diet pill or beans was the popular thing, truckers loved em, you could get a quart mason jar of them for next to nothing.

inflation I guess. Come to think of it ever since they made it a $780 a month prescription drug the obesity level in the US has absolutely skyrocketed

sleepyWI · Post by **sleepyWI** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:07 am

My doctor also gave me a prescription .... waste of money. It did nothing for me.

KeziasPurr · Post by **KeziasPurr** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:13 am

I also take Provigil. 200 mg twice a day (morning and around lunch). I don't notice that I'm "stimulated", but I do notice when I don't take it. I become much more fatigued than when I do take it.

For years my insurance wouldn't cover it, so I had to rely on samples from my p-doc. After being diagnosed with sleep apnea, my insurance agreed to pay for it. Thank God! All I had to do was fax them the diagnosis.

I just started bipap therapy 3 weeks ago, so I'm hoping that once I get my sleep disorders figured out and remedied that I can stop taking the Provigil. But for now, I will continue.

It's worth trying out. It may work for you and it may not. Just be sure to let your insurance know that you have OSA.

Lisa

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:05 pm

Insurance will cover it .. Provigil is made for narcolepsy and sleep disorders.. OSA is a sleep disorder. All your insurance will need is a date of your sleep test and/or copy of your sleep test.

I love the stuff. It keeps me alert for work and if I forget to take it, I notice a considerable difference. While I wish I didn't have to take it, because we all would like to have to take less pills everyday, until this pap therapy kicks in or I get it all adjusted properly, It's helping me do my work and GO to work.

I've had zero side effects except from the first 2 days of feeling a bit jittery, then my body became adjusted to it.

jrgood27 · Post by **jrgood27** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:14 pm

How does provigil's effects compare to those of caffeine? I've been relying on caffeine until I get this CPAP things worked out. But I'm curious about with Provigil would be better/worse.

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:25 pm

Depends on how much caffeine you are taking.. Once you stop taking the caffeine you are going to have some serious rebound headaches. And how long the caffeine lasts for you. One dose of Provigil works well for me for a good 10 hours or so and does not interfere with my sleeping at night.