4 ms·
Preface this with whatever caveats necessary: adrafinil is a modafinil prodrug which is unscheduled in the U.S. In other words, it's effectively modafinil in vi
by nkozyra 5y ago
Preface this with whatever caveats necessary: adrafinil is a modafinil prodrug which is unscheduled in the U.S. In other words, it's effectively modafinil in vivo.
Secondary note: I was once prescribed modafinil for severe sleeping issues before I knew it had some street/techbro value (maybe it didn't then). My experience was not great. I only took it for three days and then stopped.
I would say the effect on wakefulness was very subtle. I think I stayed up until 11 or 12 each night wherein I'd normally be up until 2 unable to sleep. I suppose the difference is I didn't get the late afternoon crash.
However, I'd wake up at 4 or 5 with significant itching. To the point that it was hard to go back to sleep. There are some serious side effects to consider that are somewhat related to skin issues and when I reported this to my doctor he seemed concerned and told me to keep an eye out for another week. I just stopped.
I've worked hard on sleep habits and it's gotten a lot better naturally. Intuitively, better sleep = better wakefulness/happiness/productivity, but we all tend to fight these uphill battles sometimes. We think if we just put in an extra few hours tonight, we'll be ahead of the game. But instead we end up putting in low-value work and being exhausted the next day, starting the cycle anew.
I really didn't find much huge exciting value in my short foray into modafinil, though. If you can work on some natural sleep training or even 5htp/melatonin/whatever works for you, you'll be better off.
- zucker42 5y agoAdrafinil can be bad for your liver, which is a major reason to prefer modafinil despite the fact it's illegal.
- nkozyra 5y agoI did a lot of reading into this after learning my old medication had become the cool thing to do, and the difference between them is largely overblown. Yes, there's slightly more liver metabolism involved but both carry warnings about potential liver damage.
- Fezzik 5y agoIt looks like adrafinil is getting difficult to come by in the US. Mostly I’m curious if on my sluggish work days something like modafinil would give me a kick that coffee just doesn’t provide. Though I already have itchy skin issues messing up my sleep so if I had anything like the reaction you describe it would be a no-go.
- andai 5y agoYes, Modafinil (rarely) causes life-threatening skin conditions. I got some mysterious purple blotches on my skin and discontinued use.
- arc-in-space 5y agoThank you. Whenever I talk about modafinil with someone I always mention the potential skin issues and tell them to try low doses first. I wasn't sure how common it actually is but yours and the other's reports even being here suggests it's worth taking those precautions.
- the_only_law 5y agoAdrafinil has the hepotoxicity concerns, as well as the unpleasant taste and urine scent. There are other modafinil analogues/prodrugs, but I’m not overly familiar with them. Flmodafinil seems relatively popular.