Have you taken modafinil (Provigil)?

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pamwagg

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I have narcolepsy and believe it or not, Provigil did not do much for me. But "normal" people claim that it helps them perform better, and I wonder if it wouldn't actually be quite helpful in ALS fatigue. Columbia is studying it for this purpose, but I'm interested to find out anecdotally if anyone here has experimented with Provigil, as I'd like to share their experiences both positive and negative with my friend with ALS. If you have taken the drug, can you tell me how it went for you?

Thanks,
Pam W
 
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Hi pamwagg, You could check with Leo Greene, he just brought this up recently. I believe he tried it and said it gave him more PEP. Hope this helps, it's a start. My Best to you, Beebe
 
I might have the wrong drug, but my friend tried something recently for fatigue that sounded a lot like that and it gave him very bad diarrhea. They are now trying Ritalin (but keep in mind that Ritalin is not approved for this use - they are simply trying it and it's too early to tell if it is working).
 
Hi Pam. Use the search feature and type in provigil and Leo Greene's thread is there to read. AL.
 
Hi Al, Yeah, I've done a search, seen Leo's post, hoped for others...I've wondered about Ritalin. It's what I take right now for Narcolepsy. But I don't think my friend with ALS would try it and it's pretty strong, though a carefully monitored low dose might work just fine. It does work wonders on my energy and I know plenty of "normal" college students take it to give them an "edge," so it isn't that unusual to find people without the usual medical indications taking it...Pam W
 
Really?! I have never heard of anyone taking Ritalin to give them an edge so to speak. They seem to want to give it to every kid in school now to keep them quiet and under control. I thought I'd heard all the weird stuff. Only in America you say? LOL.
 
Ritalin for an edge

Hey y'all,

Found out some years ago that in children Ritalin has a calming affect, but works the opposite in adults. Don't know why or how, but that's what the doc told me when we had to give it to our daughter in the 4th grade. I jokingly asked him to prescribe some for me, and that's when he told me it would work just the opposite since I was an adult. Weird, huh?! :?:
 
Exactly, if the patient (adult or child) NEEDS it for ADD, it has a focusing, calming effect. For the patient that doesn't need it for ADD, it has a stimulant effect (sometimes in a helpful way, sometimes in a negative way - as will all meds, it depends on the person and especailly with all the other medications that people with ALS tend to be on, they should be monitored for any interactions, ect...) Plus, again, ritilan has NOT been approved for this use offically , it's just something that some physcians are willing to give a try.
 
Provigil

My dad takes 100mg of Provigil daily and says that it gives him "physical and mental" energy. He has not experienced any negative side effects.

Leslie
 
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