WeRSauron:
Provigil is an “awareness drug” with CNS stimulating characteristics much like amphetamines such as Ritalin; but the mechanisms are different. It is FDA approved for the treatment of narcolepsy, ADHD and certain forms of obesity. I don’t know how old you are, but there are important considerations with age, and especially hepatic and renal function. Metablolism of the drug is affected by age, making dosage adjustments compulsory. Also, if you have hepatic function deficiency due to age or disease, this will also affect your dosage. If you have renal function deficiency, you would probably have been prescribed something else. So I assume you are relatively healthy and young.
Your primary concern, of course, is “what can this chemical do the biologicalness of my body?” As with any foreign chemical you introduce into your body, it can have varied and pronounced effects. Any effect the drug has related to you can be totally different and contrary to someone else. Any other chemicals introduced concomitantly into your body (especially alcohol or any other medication you may be taking) can potentiate any or all of the effects.
Cardiovascular effects can include chest pain, heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
CNS effects can include visual and auditory hallucinations and insomnia (of course). Provigil has a slight potential for chemical dependecy. For this reason, the pharmaceutical industry “controls” Provigil, much like Morphine but to a much lesser degree. You have to sign for the drug to pick it up from the pharmacy and, like all prescription medications, you cannont share it with anyone.
These are the more common effects. To list them all would be nearly impossible in this forum. I say “more common,” but to assuage any anxiety, if only one out of 10 billion patients taking Provigil report a perceived side effect, the drug manufacturer has to list it as a possibility with everyone. So even though these are the most common effects, they may not be (and are not) common overall. In fact, Provigil is well tolerated overall. The most prominent effects are the ones true with almost any medication someone takes, including head ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Heck, these are the most common side effects of waking up everyday. And, as with any medication, if you are now or, in the future, become pregnant (I cannot determine sex from your screen name) see your physician immediately. In short, the benefits do outweigh the disadvantages…for most. You must take the drug to know how it will effect you; but overall, most people have no major problems with Provigil and enjoy the benefits it produces.
The most important item, however, is to talk to your healthcare professionals. I know the purpose and function of SDMB, and I understand why you inquired herein; but it has its limits. The best information you can attain will come from both your physician and pharmacist. Each will have different and relevent information for you. They will also know relevent clinical information about you which you cannot find here or on any website. The info you get from a website, or even here, can be from some crackpot who wants to be aggresively helpful and actually know very little to nothing. I am a recent PharmD graduate, and have a fair bit of knowledge and resources available to me; but you have know way of knowing that.