3 ms·

As someone with a real Rx for ADHD/Narcolepsy, I noticed the same thing after several years. After being on it for ~5 years it lost its magic and efficacy, so

As someone with a real Rx for ADHD/Narcolepsy, I noticed the same thing after several years. After being on it for ~5 years it lost its magic and efficacy, so I ended up introducing lifestyle changes in the form of a 5-color-a-day smoothie, exercise & sleep. Lifestyle changes were helpful, but not quite enough. When I recently started back up, I noticed that Provigil was a bit too stimulating for me. And I've found a good balance in doing a 1/4 to 1/2 a pill. About 50-100mg dose + caffiene (coffee/tea/energy drink) instead of the typical 200mg. And that's been quite a nice boost. Adderall on the other hand is a massive dump of dopamine and focus, so the focus is there, but it's easy to become a stimulated zombie.

xkcd-sucks 3y ago
Someone, um, very close to me, who has an d-amphetamine RX, in grad school that found modafinil to be excellent in staving off psychosis caused by staying awake for several days in a row. However they also found developing better working habits and leaving academia to much more significantly improve quality of life.
- Aurornis 3y ago
  Modafinil is a DAT inhibitor. Taking it will reduce the amount of amphetamine getting into neurons, effectively reducing or blocking the effects of the amphetamine because it can’t access the parts of your brain that it uses to operate. Your ‘friend’ was probably into overdose territory and the Modafinil antagonized the d-amphetamine while also inducing a wakefulness effect. I really hope your friend realizes how bad this was.
  - twayt 3y ago
    This description is wrong on so many levels. Amphetamine is primarily absorbed through the plasma membranes and not DAT since it’s lipid soluble. Dopamine does not and thus relies on DAT. By inhibiting DAT (as both amphetamine and Modafinil do), you increase extracellular dopamine. Next, DAT does not “transport amphetamine around the brain”. It only transports it from the post synaptic cleft into the cell. Also Modafinil is a much weaker DAT inhibitor than amphetamine itself as far as we know. Lastly, drugs don’t “antagonize” other drugs. That word is a specific term used for the action on the receptor level. The dopaminergic effects of Modafinil aren’t well known and are thought to be mild. It’s simply misinformation to claim that modafinil was somehow blocking the effects of amphetamine on the dopamine receptors.
    - AstralStorm 3y ago
      It's highly likely that modafinil is a reversible DAT antgonist to boot, so anything binding stronger will "kick it out" of the receptor.

xkcd-sucks 3y ago

Someone, um, very close to me, who has an d-amphetamine RX, in grad school that found modafinil to be excellent in staving off psychosis caused by staying awake for several days in a row. However they also found developing better working habits and leaving academia to much more significantly improve quality of life.

Aurornis 3y ago
Modafinil is a DAT inhibitor. Taking it will reduce the amount of amphetamine getting into neurons, effectively reducing or blocking the effects of the amphetamine because it can’t access the parts of your brain that it uses to operate. Your ‘friend’ was probably into overdose territory and the Modafinil antagonized the d-amphetamine while also inducing a wakefulness effect. I really hope your friend realizes how bad this was.
- twayt 3y ago
  This description is wrong on so many levels. Amphetamine is primarily absorbed through the plasma membranes and not DAT since it’s lipid soluble. Dopamine does not and thus relies on DAT. By inhibiting DAT (as both amphetamine and Modafinil do), you increase extracellular dopamine. Next, DAT does not “transport amphetamine around the brain”. It only transports it from the post synaptic cleft into the cell. Also Modafinil is a much weaker DAT inhibitor than amphetamine itself as far as we know. Lastly, drugs don’t “antagonize” other drugs. That word is a specific term used for the action on the receptor level. The dopaminergic effects of Modafinil aren’t well known and are thought to be mild. It’s simply misinformation to claim that modafinil was somehow blocking the effects of amphetamine on the dopamine receptors.
  - AstralStorm 3y ago
    It's highly likely that modafinil is a reversible DAT antgonist to boot, so anything binding stronger will "kick it out" of the receptor.