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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 49. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 12:48:24
Hi All
My pdoc just wrote me a prescription for provigil(modafinil) Would anyone who has tried this please tell me what they thought of it. Also, does it have a generic. It is very expensive!
Thanks
Blondegirl
Posted by utopizen on July 7, 2003, at 13:41:29
In reply to provigil, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 12:48:24
> Hi All
>
> My pdoc just wrote me a prescription for provigil(modafinil) Would anyone who has tried this please tell me what they thought of it. Also, does it have a generic. It is very expensive!
> Thanks
> BlondegirlNo on the generic, not until 2013 unless one of the generics is very good in court before then. For now, it's good for 2013, and even by then there's an extended-release version to tempt you with (where, like when Adderall XR came out, they start claiming everyone needed to take it 2x/day before).
Provigil is a cool med. I haven't tried it, but I will likely do so in a couple of days at my next appt. Free samples, lots, so ask your doc if price is really that much of an issue. For me, it's a $30 co-pay, which is highest, but not too bad. Also, if you qualify, Cephalon offers a prescription assistance program. But unlikely if you have a condition other than narcolepsy.
I just have tiredness during the day. Like lots of people, and some meds make it worse. good med if you get tired, some even try it for depression and ADD. also good if you get tired as a side effect from your other meds, so you don't have to stop those.
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 13:48:31
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by utopizen on July 7, 2003, at 13:41:29
Thanks for the info. I am going to call my pdoc to see if he will send me some samples.
I thought I read somewhere that they might be able to do generic form in 2006. I will go back and check my facts.
Thanks again, Blondegirl
Posted by Jack Smith on July 7, 2003, at 14:06:54
In reply to Re: provigil » utopizen, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 13:48:31
Provigil could conceivably go generic before 2006 because it already has a longer-term protection on it because of special laws for "orphan diseases." Modafinil was discovered over twenty years ago so it should not even still be protected.
As for the 2013 figure--there's no chance it will stay protected that long. Cephalon has a method patent on the way provigil is made. This is a bogus patent that won't hold up. It's essentially a way to get a patent on something that already has been discovered. Method patents are valid but they usually involve very complex engineering techniques. I have never heard of one for the method of creating a molecule.
Lilly tried the same thing with prozac. It got a patent in 1991 for the method of using prozac in humans. It therefore tried to stop generics based on that patent. Lilly did tie up the generics in litigation but ultimately paid a price for it as the court sanctioned it for bringing a frivolous claim.
JACK
See articles below for more info.
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/02/03/daily33.html
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 14:25:23
In reply to Almost Certainly Generic in 2006 if not Before, posted by Jack Smith on July 7, 2003, at 14:06:54
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 14:27:06
In reply to Re: Almost Certainly Generic in 2006 if not Before (nm) » Jack Smith, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 14:25:23
oops, clicked on wrong box. Great info Jack.
Thanks
Blondegirl
Posted by Viridis on July 7, 2003, at 15:03:50
In reply to provigil, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 12:48:24
I had a positive experience with it -- energizing but without the anxiety that some stimulating meds cause. Plus, I had no trouble with insomnia. I switched to Adderall because it didn't help enough with ADD, but would definitely take it again. Many people find it a good antidepressant too.
Jack is right (based on what I've read) that it will almost certainly be available as a generic in about three years. And, as Utopizen pointed out, free samples are widely available, so you should be able to get some to try before you commit to a prescription -- I'd ask the doctor.
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 15:10:07
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by Viridis on July 7, 2003, at 15:03:50
Thanks, Viridis. How long did it take to work?
Blondegirl
Posted by Viridis on July 7, 2003, at 15:42:07
In reply to Re: provigil » Viridis, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 15:10:07
It worked pretty much immediately, although I was cautious with the dose -- first I tried 25 mg, then 50, then settled on 100. Some people take 200 mg or more. The tablets are easy to break, so you can experiment with dosing. I always like to try a small amount of a new drug first, because I've had very bad reactions to a few (SSRIs and Wellbutrin).
Good luck!
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 15:44:45
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by Viridis on July 7, 2003, at 15:42:07
Thanks, Viridis. I had a bad reaction to welbutrin too. When I got up to level that worked I broke out in hives.
Blondegirl
Posted by Edgefield on July 7, 2003, at 17:30:31
In reply to Re: provigil » Viridis, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 15:44:45
Hey, at what dosage did you break out in hives? I'm at 275mg. and I'm thinking about asking my pdoc to increase it to 300mg.
Thanks
Posted by wingedcat on July 7, 2003, at 22:31:29
In reply to provigil, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 12:48:24
There may be a possibility of it interfering with hormonal birth control. Adrafinil (a drug related to it) does that, I just wanted to let you know in case your doctor didn't say anything. Sometimes they even give out antibiotics and forget to say that!
Anyway, I hope it works out for you as a good stimulant. :) I tried Adrafinil and didn't notice anything. I know that Provigil is way stronger, though.
> My pdoc just wrote me a prescription for provigil(modafinil) Would anyone who has tried this please tell me what they thought of it. Also, does it have a generic. It is very expensive!
> Thanks
> Blondegirl
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 8, 2003, at 8:18:36
In reply to Re: provigil » blondegirl47, posted by wingedcat on July 7, 2003, at 22:31:29
Thanks, Wingedcat. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about birthcontrol anymore. I'm in full pause :)
Blondegirl
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 8, 2003, at 8:21:49
In reply to Re: provigil » blondegirl47, posted by Edgefield on July 7, 2003, at 17:30:31
I believe it was 300. They were really weird hives too. It was almost like really red scaly skin. It took about a week of lots of lotion and aveeno bath to cure it.
Blondegirl
Posted by Craig Getty on July 9, 2003, at 0:53:51
In reply to provigil, posted by blondegirl47 on July 7, 2003, at 12:48:24
I don't think there is generic Provigil yet - at least not in the U.S.
I have been on it for several months. I added to Wellbutrin because I was frequently tired and had trouble focusing and getting stuff done. (Before Provigil, I had tried Ritalin, which didn't work consistently and eventually just made me very moody after a half hour speed-like effect). Provigil is nice because it's subtle. The main side effect I had has been upset stomache. I originally started at 100mg and now take 200 mg - sometimes 300 or 400 mg if I have a lot of work to do or if I am going to be up late at a party or something. The downside of the subtle effect is that there are days when I feel it doesn't do much more than a cup of coffee - and I just get an "awake, but still exhausted" feeling.
For the past month I have left Wellbutrin for Nardil. Nardil lacks the stimulating effect of Wellbutrin, so I think that I might at some point have to switch from Provigil to something stronger (perhaps Adderrall).
> Hi All
>
> My pdoc just wrote me a prescription for provigil(modafinil) Would anyone who has tried this please tell me what they thought of it. Also, does it have a generic. It is very expensive!
> Thanks
> Blondegirl
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 9, 2003, at 8:02:33
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by Craig Getty on July 9, 2003, at 0:53:51
Thanks for the info Craig. I am on adderall as well. My pdoc thought provigil would help with that coming down feeling when my short acting wares off. Does the upset stomach get better with time. I only too 100mg yesterday and my tummy was very upset.
Do you eat before you take it? I'm wishing I would have thought of getting samples from my pdoc before I paid 40 bucks for my prescription. I have read good stuff about provigil, like after a few months it can improve your memory...its also supposed to improve your mood. Does it do that for you?
Thanks
Blondegirl
Posted by Craig Getty on July 9, 2003, at 13:33:20
In reply to Re: provigil » Craig Getty, posted by blondegirl47 on July 9, 2003, at 8:02:33
Hey Blondegirl,
Have you heard of other people who are on both adderrall and provigil at the same time? It seems that if the provigil works for you should be able to stop the adderrall since they're both there as stimulants. I personally had stopped Ritalin completely before starting Provigil. Are your main issues ADD or is there depression and/or anxiety as well?
Give it a couple of weeks for your stomach to get better as your body adjusts. I find eating whole wheat and grains help the stomach - but I don't always follow that advice as I can often be a fast food junkie. As far as dosage goes, you might find that 100mg doesn't do enough for you. I started at 100mg just to make sure there weren't any adverse effects, then after a week switched to the 200mg.
I don't have a set pattern of whether or not I eat before I take it. I haven't kept any records, but my thoughts are that if I take it with food, then it's better for my stomach. However, I believe that I feel the stimulating effects more when I take it on an empty stomach. So it's a toss up.
I don't think it has had any significant effect on my memory but that's hard to quantify. Because I don't get as sleepy during the day, I am able to concentrate better so maybe that's what they mean. These meds all come with their bag of *magic* claims so take it all in stride. As far as mood, I haven't found that it works as an antidepressant - I'm on Nardil for that. However...Provigil allows me to not have to nap as often during the day and it gave me more energy to get more work done and socialize more - and these factors lead to more self-esteem and less beating myself up for being lazy.
The free samples are a great idea, I hope my doc has them. I think I'm now paying about $30 for it, but, because it's not something that is *regulary* covered by my plan, I actually have to shell out $180 up front and then wait several months for my insurance company to reimburse me. And for the initial $360 I wasn't even reimbursed because I had to reach the deductible. It sucks!
-Craig.
Posted by fallsfall on July 9, 2003, at 18:56:56
In reply to Re: provigil » Craig Getty, posted by blondegirl47 on July 9, 2003, at 8:02:33
My nausea has gone away with time. But it did take a while. You can get Ginger capsules in the health food store which help a lot. I still take mine after food, but I haven't tried in a long time to see if it still matters.
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 10, 2003, at 10:58:01
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by Craig Getty on July 9, 2003, at 13:33:20
Hi Craig
Thanks for your post.
It was the doc's idea to keep taking my adderall. I have noticed feeling a little edgy. Its weird, can you be wired and tired at the same time. I seem to be functioning ok. Except every once in a while, I can't think of certain works when I talking...thats probably a menopause thing. :O
This week I will take with food...I don't think 100mg is enough. Maybe tomorrow after lunch I will try 200 and not take my adderall.
How long do the dizzy's last. I hate that feeling, thank goodness its intemittent.
Thanks again for the info
Later Blondegirl
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 10, 2003, at 11:00:48
In reply to Re: provigil » blondegirl47, posted by fallsfall on July 9, 2003, at 18:56:56
Thanks for your post fallsfall. I will give it a while. I would like to try it without food to see if it kicks in better.
Later Blondegirl
Posted by fallsfall on July 10, 2003, at 15:56:46
In reply to Re: provigil » fallsfall, posted by blondegirl47 on July 10, 2003, at 11:00:48
The dizziness has also gone away, but it did take a long time for that to disappear.
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 10, 2003, at 16:00:01
In reply to Re: provigil » blondegirl47, posted by fallsfall on July 10, 2003, at 15:56:46
Good to know that goes away. What dose do you take?
Blondegirl
Posted by fallsfall on July 10, 2003, at 20:03:12
In reply to Re: provigil » fallsfall, posted by blondegirl47 on July 10, 2003, at 16:00:01
I take 200mg in the morning.
Posted by jemma on July 11, 2003, at 8:57:38
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by Craig Getty on July 9, 2003, at 13:33:20
Actually, provigil and adderall are very different drugs. I take 200 mg modafinil to keep me awake, alert and energetic, but it does nothing for my concentration - in fact, all the energy scatters me. I need ritalin to calm my brain enough to let me focus. My pdoc says they're not additive, they're complementary.- Jemma
> Have you heard of other people who are on both adderrall and provigil at the same time? It seems that if the provigil works for you should be able to stop the adderrall since they're both there as stimulants. I personally had stopped Ritalin completely before starting Provigil. Are your main issues ADD or is there depression and/or anxiety as well?
>
Posted by blondegirl47 on July 11, 2003, at 10:01:45
In reply to Re: provigil, posted by jemma on July 11, 2003, at 8:57:38
Thanks Jemma. Did you experience upset tummy and dizzyness. I am finding this hard to take. I took 200 mg an hour before my 20mg adderall and my head in really dizzy.
Blondegirl
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