Drug Ratings for NUVIGILAverage Rating: 3.3 (130 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from shortest to longest (with no time reported listed first) Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR NUVIGIL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 4 | depression | I started out on half a 250 mg Nuvigil once per day for depression and mild anhedonia but it made me feel very disconnected from what was happening around me and I could not sleep. I now split the 250 mg tablet into 62.5 mg quarters and take only one quarter in the a.m. This dose is just right for elevating my mood, keeping me very focused at work, and I sleep normal at night. | M | 39 | 250 mg 1X D | 2/12/2010 | 2 | osa, narcolepsy | M | 53 | 250mg 1X D | 12/12/2010 History | 3 | Very effective in keeping me awake and alert all day. Unfortunatly it also kept me awake most of the night. Experience -first day. | M | 73 | 1 days 1X D | 6/10/2010 | 3 | fibromyalgia narolepsy | Jittery dizzyness dry mouth faster heart rate and speech problem i started to studder when i was talking problems with focus | F | 33 | 1 days 150 mg | 3/22/2013 | 1 | Hypersomnia | nausea, no appetite, headache, jaw clenching, dizziness, jittery, dry mouth, sweating, body aches, insomnia | I will preface this by saying that I am very sensitive to drugs and have had very similar side effects from anti depressants. I took 1 pill (150mg). That was yesterday morning. Tonight, I am still suffering the side effects. First of all, I didn't feel any increase in energy. I still felt very tired all day. The first noticeable side effect is no appetite, I mean NONE whatsoever. I literally ate nothing at all yesterday. I tried to eat a salad and couldn't do it. And if it weren't for the other side effects, I'd probably continue taking it for that alone. Next was nausea and dizziness. I am still super nauseous, almost 36 hours later. I was jittery and felt like my nerves were shot. My head was very cloudy. Several hours later the headache kicked in and jaw clenching. By night time, I was having obsessive and paranoid thoughts (minor but annoying). I was sweating. Dry mouth was noticeable but not a big deal, I drank a sweet tea and that was all I consumed the entire day. Basically I feel like I have the flu x 10. I went to bed 11 hours after taking it, feeling very tired. I literally laid in bed ALL NIGHT LONG, from 10pm to 9am. If I slept at all it was only a few short bursts after 6am. It was absolute torture. I was able to eat today but still no energy, very sick feeling, very nauseous, headache, and jaw clenching. Plus added body aches. I still feel like I have the flu and it has been almost 36 hours. | F | 32 | 1 days 150 1X D | 2/10/2013 | 1 | depression/cfs | None yet!! Ihope I don't get any. | I am a mom of 7 that is depressed andtired all the time.I hope this med works.I need to be able to have the muster to get out of bed.Body hurts allover,sweats,headaches,memory loss.I have ahd every test known to man!Nothing wrong with me.Blood tests,ekgs,ultrasounds,MRI,CAT scan,they can't find anything.I want to feel normal. | F | 35 | 1 days 150mg 1X D | 6/18/2010 | 5 | Shift Work Sleep Disorder | Tension headaches that last for about four or five hours. | The trade off for the headaches is so worth it! I have put on so much weight and have felt so useless for years of not having any energy despite how much rest I had. I now am alert, able to stay awake at work, feel rested when I wake up, and have hope for a normal life again. The insurance fought it every step of the way but my doctor and his staff didn't give up on getting it through for me. They are my heroes! | F | 42 | 2 days 150 MG 1X D | 1/25/2011 | 5 | Narcolepsy - EDS | Headache that goes away with aspirin, increased thirst, increased urination. Also, I'm a smoker, this drug has made me chain smoke, badly. I was recently diagnosed with narcolepsy, so this has been my only treatment. Unfortunately, I can't compare it to other treatments. | Miracle drug! I hope I don't develop any reactions to it that'll force me to go off of it. I've spent 1/2 my life (15 years) using all the energy I could muster to stay awake. I didn't remember what it was like to be awake until yesterday and today. The bags underneath my eyes are gone! I stopped slurring my speech! I can speak and not trail off to nowhere. I'm not achy or grumpy! I'm just awake, effortlessly! I'm amazed. A normal sleeper will never be able to fully relate to a narcoleptic; that's fine, this pill lets me relate to a normal sleeper and I'm happy about that. | M | 30 | 2 days | 8/19/2009 | 4 | Narcelespy | just a different feeling of anxiousness and the some tension in my jaw...energy(almost an over drive | I was surprised to experience a difference after day one...IS THIS NORMAL? It felt like everything was clearer and brighter in my mind...felt like someone had cleaned all the smudges off my glasses...I had energy all day long and was engaged in conversations and took care of all the tasks of the day...The day actually felt longer and that I had "bonus" hours added to my day...53 and have just been diagnosed with the hassle of Narc...now maybe I can be more productive and not be dragging my ass through life! Thanks for all the R&D that goes into that pricely little pill that that can give you a new lease on life...ain't science great!!! | M | 53 | 2 days 150 1X D | 7/11/2010 | 3 | ms / fatige | nothing on the first day ,,,day two at 4pm my system went into overdrive....felt hot nurvous could not sit still.small headace | should i use a half dose for a week ? | M | 54 | 2 days 150mg 1X D | 6/26/2010 | 3 | EDS - CFS plus related issues | headache, some anxiety, sweaty palms, nerve sensations. Dry eyes? | This drug has definately given me more energy but not sure if I can handle the anxiety. It will go away if I don't focus on though. I seem to be sensitive to meds so I am willing to give this a try cause I am desperate for some energy, since alot of people say the anxiety goes away after a bit. My nerves seem to be on high alert, almost like goosebumps without the bumps. I am not very hungry or thirsty at all although my mouth is very dry. I didn't even finish my full cup of coffe this a.m. a little spacey too. | F | 33 | 2 days 150 1X D | 12/17/2010 | 3 | Narcolepsy | Extremely high and low levels of of energy, brain fog | I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy two days ago. The only side effect I am experiencing and worried about is the sudden onset of euphoria and crashing shortly afterward. This happens roughly 3 or 4 hours after taking Nuvigil in the morning, and lasts until I go to bed at night. I do not feel the need to sleep during the day, but don't know how I am supposed to function when fluctuating between extreme awareness/hyperactivity and brain fog or very low energy. If this isn't a temporary side effect, I will have to change medications. | F | 27 | 2 days 150 MG 1X D | 10/23/2010 | 3 | Fibromyalgia,Chron. Fatigue,PossMS | I was diagnosed with FM and CF but may also have MS or just MS. I have been sick for 2 years with pain and extreme fatigue amongst other symptoms. I had to beg to get to try this after reading it might help. It seemed to help the fatigue mildly but the headache it caused is horrible. I even cut it in half and only took 75 mg but still a horrible headache. Not sure the slight help in fatigue is worth the terrible headache. I don't think I'll take again. | Had wanted to try Provigil but the company now pushes Nuvigil. Couldn't afford Provigil but got a free 30 day supply of Nuvigil. That is terrible when money dictates what you can take. I've heard Provigil is more tolerable for some reason but until generic can't try. Anything else helpful? Is Provigil better? | F | 45 | 2 days 150 1X D | 7/31/2012 | 2 | Sleep Apnea - day time sleepiness | I only took this drug two days because the second dosage caused my blood pressure to spike to 198/110 and I had to call the EMTs. The first two days I did experience much less sleepiness but after the second dosage I was up from 5:30a until 2:30a. My heart started rapidly beating, sweating, and just unable to settle down for any sleep. I should say I had 8 cups of tea and 1 cup of coffee - perhaps if I left out the caffeine this wouldn't have happened. Or, perhaps a much smaller dose. | Why do people with day time sleepiness due to chronic sleep apnea use a drug such as Nuvigil to be more awake when obviously what they need is SLEEP?? I did like how Nuvigil kept me awake and alert but if it causes elevated blood pressure how is that going to effect my health? Now I am back to 2 cups green tea (using 4 tea bags) one cup black tea (using 1 tea bag) 24 oz green ice tea (using 4 tea bags) and sometimes one cup of coffee. I have tried to cut tea or caffeine use off at 2p and when doing so slept better. I also try to nap - but often if I let me self lay down my nap is 1.5 hours long - I awake feeling refreshed but that is not really a nap - that is someone who NEEDS sleep. | F | 54 | 2 days 150 1X D | 11/9/2011 | 2 | Shift work sleep disorder | Overwhelming need to suck or chew, jumpy, moody, nauseated | I tried Provigil, and I loved it! I have to play the insurance companies games, though; try and fail Nuvigil prior to using Provigil. I acted like a junkie. I kept licking my front teeth and chewing my tongue. I was paranoid and jumpy- I kept thinking people were sneaking up on me. I was itchy. I had waves of nausea, and couldn't get to sleep. I woke up this morning with a huge headache, and have no intention of taking the "legal crack" again. | F | 34 | 2 days 150mg 1X D | 5/29/2010 | 1 | Terrible sleepiness during the day. | 1)Sores in my mouth; 2)Tendency to create suction in my mouth; and 3)Waves of nausea which began on day 2. | I Suffer from sleep apnea and my dr prescribed this drug because I have trouble staying awake at work and during my commute. The first day I took the medication I was on cloud nine. I was euphoric. It reduced my hunger. I felt more optomistic than I have in years. I thought ... what a wonderful set of side benefits. I had a some trouble getting to sleep (even with medication). The second day, I decided to reduce my dose and took half a tab when I awakened and half midday. The waves of nausea started about 2pm. They didn't last long, but I felt completely incapacitated for maybe a minute or two. I probably had only 3 or 4 episodes but they were unpredictable and overwhelming. Much to my dismay, I stopped taking the medication. Based on the information I've read on this website, I asked the dr for Provigil to try. We'll see what happens. | F | 57 | 2 days 250mg 1X D | 4/30/2010 | 1 | Shiftwork Sleep Disorder | numbness(Right Leg) for 24hrs,Insomnia, Depression, Anxiety, Heart Palpatations, Panic attacks, Headaches, loose stools, shortness of breath, dry mouth,no appetite, extreme fatigue | The first day I took the med it worked great. The second day the numbness started in my leg 2hrs after i took the second dose. The palpatations started about 10pm didnt sleep all night slept 2hrs the next day. that evening the palpatations got worse. My Heart started racing felt like i was going to pass out, Extreme chest pain, fingers and lips were tingling had to go to the ER. Dr said med sped my system up... weeks later im still dealing with the depression and anxiety. Never felt any of the emotions until i took this drug | F | 22 | 2 days 150mg 1X D | 2/7/2011 | 5 | fatigue and depression | insommnia,loss of appetite | I have felt better the last three days than I have in a very long time. I take 150mg Nuvigil in the mornings with food. So far no bad side effects. I even like the loss of appetite since I am very overweight. my doc prescribed it for depression I was experiencing since losing both my parents 7 months apart. I could not seem to make myself do anything productive. Now that problem is gone and I am getting things done like I did when I was a lot younger. I hope that I do not experience any of the side effects other people have had because I really like being able to do things again. | F | 59 | 3 days 150 1X D | 8/31/2010 | 4 | MS fatigue | Diagnosed with MS 5 years ago. Fatigue has come to be my only major symptom. I never asked my doc. about fatigue relief, but finally did. On day 1, I tried 150 msg. The first thing I noticed was a mental clarity of years past... My mind seemed to be clear & I finally realized I WAS experiencing mental fatigue and didn't even realize it. This alone, makes me feel healthy again. I would say this is the best effect, but it's not everything. I painted my backyard fence and vigoursly swam laps and slept well that night. The next 2 days were the similiar. I read books and never got tired of reading... I will cut my next dose in half because I don't want to become dependant. Today I will check to see if Medicare will cover this. | M | 45 | 3 days 1X D | 9/17/2010 | 4 | Depression | headache a few hours after taking it, trouble sleeping, even 9 hours after taking it. Nausea. | I was given this to help me focus in school and it did its job. The first day I got so much done, I didn't sleep at all that night however. Now I'm almost afraid to take it because it keeps me up no matter how early I seem to take it. I've not tried taking it right when I get up yet.. | F | 26 | 3 days 150 1X AN | 4/22/2010 | 3 | Narcolepsy | I had quite the headache and it may have made me depressed when I first started with it. I also had extreme nausea and was not able to eat much of anything--almost zero appetite. | I am not going to continue taking it as my Ritalin does a much better job for me without the health impacts. Since I am bipolar, I have to watch for drugs that cause mood disorders or exacerbate them. This drug in my experience affected my mood in a negative way and given my history of suicide attempts, I don't need anything else to potentially bring me down. | M | 43 | 3 days 150MG 1X D | 8/26/2010 | 3 | extreme daytime sleepiness | muscle pain; mood changes, depression, fatigue | Pros and Cons. It does help me think more clearly part of the time, but also a little paranoia in there. People, if you are lactose intolerant, be sure to take Lactaid tabs with Nuvigil or Provigil. For some weird reason, the formula for both includes lactose. I also feel less stomach discomfort if I take Nuvigil with food. | F | 55 | 3 days | 12/17/2009 | 1 | Fatigue, counteract "morning after" | Psychosis, severe mood swings, suicidal thoughts, lost sense of thirst/hunger. Emotion and physical numbness | My doctor prescribed this drug to counteract morning after drowsiness from a sleep aid. I was skeptical of this approach and the medication. In 3 days, I went from extremely happy/manic to a suicide attempt to not feeling anything (anger/love/pain/pleasure/hunger/thirst). After only taking it 3 days, it took 2 weeks for this garbage to "wash out" of my system. Make sure a loved one watches you for reactions to this garbage. Also be leery of prescription regimens that just don't seem right or of free samples of powerful meds like this. I attended a lecture by a respected NIH researcher that showed the predecessor drug (provigil) reacts with your brain similar to cocaine. Just food for thought. | F | 34 | 3 days 150 1X D | 8/3/2010 | 5 | Fibromyalgia - Extreme Fatigue | Hard to fall asleep at night | Been on Provigil 200mg twice a day for over a year & it helped tremendously for a while, but found it wasn't as effective as it had been. Instead of increasing dose (and because there was a great offer to cover $50 of the co-pay for Nuvigil), I started Nuvigil this week & can say that I haven't felt this productive (work & home) in 2-3 years. Hope I don't get any side-effects, because I'm loving being the person I remember being! | F | 37 | 4 days 150 1X D | 5/27/2010 | 5 | Narcolepsy & Idiopathic Hypersomnia | headaches, loss of appetite, short bouts of nausea, some anxiety and increased irritability | I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 19. After many years of taking naps after sleeping 12+ hours and falling asleep during meetings, classes, or driving, I had a sleep study and was diagnosed with Narcolepsy and Hypersomnia. I hate meds (I only take IB Profen for the fibro), so I was leery of the Nuvigil. The first day on Nuvigil I felt like I had never felt before: My mind felt awake for the first time in what seems like forever. I had no jitters, extreme energy, or shakes. I did not feel any more energetic, instead I just felt clearer and more focused. I did not want to nap throughout the day, and I have little problems falling asleep at night. The few side effects are headaches (some mild, some sharp "ice pick" headaches. I've had severe migraines for years so they do not bother me much), loss of appetite (I have to remind myself to eat. Usually the headaches are relieved by eating), and short bouts of nausea throughout the day (I have severe IBS and my stomach is very sensitive. Also dairy products make me nauseous and I've read this drug contains lactose). Some anxiety and irritability as well, especially during stressful situations at work. After day 4, still the same. Overall this drugs benefits outweigh the side effects for me. I feel my age for the first time ever! My worries are developing a dependency and the fact that it interferes with any hormonal BC. Neither doctor or pharmacist told me this, so I'm glad I read up on the drug before I began it! | F | 22 | 4 days 150 MG 1X D | 7/23/2011 | 4 | MS fatigue | better then Provigil with less side effects....can sleep at night. Don't feel drugges on Nuvigil | F | 52 | 4 days 250 mg 1X D | 11/7/2010 | 3 | EDS, CFS, FMS | Muscle tension in head and neck causing bad headaches. Extreme dry mouth. | Bottom line? Not sure what I think yet. Day 1: 1/2 pill (125mg) Had tons of energy! ZERO appetite. Got stuff done for a change, but wound up with a killer tension headache by late afternoon. I always get headaches anyway, so no biggie. Day 2: 1/2 pill again - didn't notice anything like the first day, but didn't nap. Another tension headache. Day 3: 1 pill (250mg) felt pretty awake, no naps, but didn't want to do much. Felt anxious and had to lie on heat to ward off the tension headache. Also had such a dry mouth that I could hardly speak! All my meds say dry mouth, but it's never that bad. Day 4 (Today): Back to 1/2 pill. Awake so far with just tight head/neck muscles. If the headaches get better, this would be pretty good for me as I sleep night and day and am unable to do anything. My biggest issue if it DOES work out? I have no insurance and am on a 7 day free trial. I seriously doubt I could afford it, even with the special card discount promo. Oh well, I'm always willing to try anything to help get back to a normal life! | F | 41 | 4 days 250 1X D | 9/14/2010 | 3 | fatigue | My family Doc gave me a sample pack after I saw here for severe fatigue. I have sleep apnea, I suffer from depression, and I wear a CPAP at night. I take Ambien 10mg nightly. Day 1- More energy than I've had in the past 15 years. Almost euphoria. Greatly decreased appetite Day 2- I woke up at 3:30AM. I started working around the house. I didn't stop until 9:00PM, but I wasn't even slightly tired. Only ate a very small amount. Day 3- Woke up about 5:30AM. I cut my dose by 50%. I was suppose to take my Daughter's truck to Firestone for brake work. Instead, I decided to do it myself (I do a lot of my auto maintenance). I worked on her truck for 12 hours. I didn't stop to eat, but my wife insisted I eat. I ate 1 doughnut. I drank a lot of water, tea, and soft drinks. After I finished, I ate a small dinner even though I wasn't hungry. Then it hit- nausea, dry heaving for a few minutes....Odd thoughts. I can't exactly explain them, but anxiety. Day 4 (today)- I woke up at my normal wor | I love it so far.....except for the headache. | M | 57 | 4 days 250 1X D | 8/9/2010 | 3 | Depression | Headache shortly after taking, Nausea several hours after taking, Agitation | I'm hoping that the side effects will decrease with time. I'm going to take half a pill for awhile (psychiatrist said it was OK to do this) and see if that decreases the side effects. The only positive effect that I've seen so far is that I'm not sleeping so much. However, the agitation is keeping me from being more productive with my extra time awake. | F | 42 | 4 days 150 mg 1X D | 6/27/2010 | 5 | anxiety, depression | urinate more frequently | I've tried 44 anti depressants and only got about 25 percent relief, Nuvigil obliterated my depression and eased my anxiety by about 60 percent | M | 24 | 5 days 75 1X D | 5/27/2011 | 4 | significant muscle weakness | some nausea | I can really notice a difference before I take it and when it has worn off at night, so it seems to decrease the weakness during the day. Before I take it or at night my muscles feel so weak, it feels like an effort even just to hold a book. | F | 40 | 5 days 150 mg 1X D | 4/8/2010 | 3 | Neuropathy & excessive sleepiness | Horrid nightmares with intense sur-real feelings when waking up, acne break-out all over my back, difficulty sleeping thru the night, jittery, nausea & loss of appetite. | 47yo male that was given Nuvigil by my Neurologist treating me for continued nerve entrapment pain and assist with treating the feeling sleepy/tired all day long from taking Lyrica, Fentanyl Patch and Oxycotin for the management of the pain caused by the nerve entrapment. He has done a couple radiographs with cool water laser and the pain remains constant. The challenge has been I suffer from TIA and have to remain on Plavix; and stopping the Plavix days before surgery and then re-starting it each time has increased the frequency of small TIA attacks. Thus, I'm living with this daily pain because I don't want to increase the risk of having another TIA attack. I also take Wellbutrin-XL and Buspar daily for anxiety and depression. Getting the Nuvigil approved thru my insurance was more complicated than moving a mountain. Finally got it approved but concerned with the side effects and if they will lessen in the long run. If anyone has been taking this medication while treating nerve pain and depression at the same time, I would really appreciate feed back and insight to what you may have experienced. I'm trying to decide if continuing this medication is beneficial in the long run while dealing with the side effects mentioned above. One of the posts from another person mirrors my description of taking the Nuvigil--it's like taking an approved form of crack or strong dose of some stimulant. Any comments and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! | M | 47 | 5 days 250mg 1X D | 6/6/2010 | 3 | Narcolepsy | Unfocused, periods of zoning off (several times a day) | I've noticed everyone on here has many years on me but being diagnosed with narcolepsy at 19 hasnt been very easy. Especially when no one understands what it's like. It's truely a relief to know I'm not crazy or a freak of nature because other people do have and live with narcolepsy also. I've been through 4 different medications over the last year. Each time hoping "this is the one!". First Methlyn ER (Ritalin),2nd Dexadrine 15mg CR, then dexadrine 10mg tabs, and for a while the Dr. had me on a cocktail taking both forms of dexadrine. I have been taking Nuvigil for 5 days now and I feel good, yesterday I woke up extremely agitated with everything and very anxious. I do wake up much easier and earlier than my normal 2:30pm regiment. The only way I can explain how the nuvigil affects me is saying it makes my body feel awake but not my mind. My brain seems very foggy and not so concentrated. I'll be seeing my Dr. today for a follow up. I still have my training wheels on when it comes to being narco, if anyone has any advice that could help me living with this I would greatly appreciate it. | F | 19 | 5 days 250mg 1X D | 12/6/2010 | 3 | Excessive daytime sleepiness | Jaw clenching, trouble sleeping at night because I felt very wired, heart palpitations, baseline level of relatively high anxiety | I am still trying to figure out if this is the right medication/dose for me. It is great to not be sleeping 10+ hours a night and then needing 1-2 naps of 2-3 hours as well. However, the heart palpitations are really bothering me and make me feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack. I also can't fall asleep at night and though I have seen that it helps other people focus, it has done nothing for my attention span. | F | 21 | 5 days 150mg 1X D | 2/9/2011 | 3 | sleep apnea | No side effects | It has helped me stay awake during the day. I think when this sample is finished I am going to ask for the 250 MG as I am still having a bit of trouble staying awake at work. | M | 54 | 5 days 150 MG 1X D | 2/21/2011 | 2 | fatigue | headaches, nausea, dizziness, rage, and, believe it or not, increased fatigue. Can't stand to take it more than the 5 days I have. | Going back to Provigil for now. | F | 36 | 5 days | 9/20/2009 | 4 | Excessive sleepiness, sleep apnea | Very alert, a bit jittery, headache, tension in neck. | I take Ambien 12.5mg nightly, and Norco 20mg daily. I complained to Doc about loafing around during the day and he came up with Nuvigil 250mg in the morning. Wow, this stuff is powerful and it lasts a full 12 hours on me (almost think you're on an illegal substance or something). No more feeling lazy or tired during the day. I have energy like crazy when I take it. I do not take it every day however. Not sure I could handle that. I'm sure tolerance will kick in but not after a week. I don't sleep more than 6 hours after taking Nuvigil and that 6 is broken. | M | 41 | 7 days 250 MG 1X D | 1/8/2011 | 3 | Falling asleep during day (sleep ap | Itching, cant sleep at night | First day was great (started ar 150 dose) then falling asleep during day. Increased to 250, didn't fall asleep during day but very nervous and couldn't sleep at night. Going to breakup dosage to see if that helps | M | 37 | 7 days 250 1X D | 7/7/2010 | 2 | Narcolepsy | Initial headaches and jaw clenching/pain. One day developed chest pain that came-and-went for hours, getting worse, and radiating up in to my neck and jaw. | Had to stop taking it because of the chest pain. 250 MG worked nicely otherwise, and didn't have the ups and downs Ritalin gave me. Tried 150 MG after the heart issue, but that didn't really do much to keep me awake. | F | 21 | 7 days 250 MG 1X D | 5/31/2011 | 1 | Fibromyalgia/exhaustion | Day 2: I felt anxious so I started taking 1/2 tablet (125 mg). Day 7: Awoke with severe nauseau, vomiting, shivers, feeling like I was dying. | I'm not trying to be overdramatic here, but I felt like this med was poisoning me. It is now day 3 since I stopped taking it, and I'm still as sick as 3 days ago. I can hardly keep anything down. I am so depressed because this med was supposed to increase my energy. I'm now looking at being sicker than ever for at least 4 days. How am I supposed to be able to hold down a job when meds make me so sick? Please email if you have any encouraging words. | F | 53 | 7 days 250 mg 1X D | 5/23/2010 | 3 | None | I had been on provigil 200mg twice a day and it really helped keep me awake. My doctor (a shrink) told me I probably had narcolepsy although no formal testing or sleep study was done. Last week he put me on Nuvigil 250mg one in the morning but it is not as effective as provigil. | M | 59 | 8 days 1X D | 5/4/2010 | 2 | Narcolepsy | Anixious, suicidal ideation, jittery, dry mouth, tinnitis, loss of interest in food, weepy. | The first day was Great! The fog had lifted, I wrote for hours and had a thousand creative ideas. Cut the dose by 1/2 after that as I did not sleep. 2nd day the tinnitis started. Constant, even at night. This is now the 9th day and I won't take it anymore. I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. I was so hopeful. | F | 55 | 9 days 150 mg 1X D | 3/31/2011 | 5 | fibromyalgia | Upset stomach, but I also have ibs | F | 37 | 10 days 150mg | 9/13/2012 | 4 | S.A.D.: Seasonal Affective Disorder | Stomach upset. Some difficulty sleeping. Must take it first thing upon awakening and no added stimulants like caffeine--no more than 1 weak cup of coffee, also in a.m. First day taking it is a big "high" but after that just feel more awake. | Suffered horribly for decades with depression beginning with low hours of winter light AKA S.A.D. disorder. Felt tired even if I slept all night; couldn't seem to get "off the couch." Nuvigil 1/2 of 150 mg. gets me moving but not hyper. And this is antithetical to stoking depression -- the getting up and going keeps me from ruminating about feeling worthless b/c of doing nothing and subsequently becoming more depressed. And I don't need to take it every day. I'm not slap happy (didn't expect to be) but I'm productive. | F | 53 | 10 days | 12/17/2009 | 1 | depression | RAGE. I have never in my life experienced rage; impatience; irritability; crying; screaming into my pillow or in the car; hitting the refrigerator. Craving to drink alcohol. Suicidal thoughts. After stopping Nuvigil it took more than 10 days for these uncharacteristic moods to leave me. | F | 55 | 10 days 50mg 1X D | 11/9/2010 | 5 | Idiopathic Hypersomnia | Nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, headaches, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping at night | The majority of side effects I only experienced the first day or two. Headaches went away by day 3 (but were really extreme first 2 days). I still have a little difficulty sleeping because I don't feel sleepy when it's time for bed (unless I didn't get much sleep the night before) but I found that if I just try to relax and fall asleep, I can. The only side effect that has stayed throughout is the dry mouth, which is bearable (just annoying at times). At least it gets me to drink a lot of water, but it never goes away. Overall, the drug helps me feel very alert, functional, and (best of all) normal. After the first 5 days, the drug didn't seem as effective and I was falling asleep all day. However, I think it's because I was having trouble sleeping the first few nights so I was really sleepy. During the 2nd week, I was able to fall asleep better each night and stay at the 150mg dose for the most part. I took the pill at 5:00 AM each morning and if by 8:00 or 9:00 AM, I still felt a little drowsy, I took 1/2 of another 150 mg pill to total 225 mg. It seemed to help. The next day, I just went back to 150 mg and was fine. The drug isn't perfect but it's definitely better than feeling sleepy all day. | F | 29 | 14 days 150-225 1X D | 10/29/2011 | 3 | Excessive daytime sleepiness | Prescribed 1 x in am for excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea with CPAP. Awesome first day. Felt like I was 25 again. Unbelievable miracle pill with high energy, concentration, and clarity. Almost like being on a slight dose of LSD(college flashback) but evenly controlled and sustained throughout the day. My cognitive skills and mental accuity became sharp as a tack. Felt so good I fixed every square foot of the entire backyard landscaping, analyzed the entire curriculum and registered for and started Grad School all in the same first week! Then, during interpersonal interactions requiring high concentration, I started to catch myself with uncontrollable jitters, shaking, and racing thoughts. | I caught people looking at me oddly in conversation and I would think to myself "I am walking/talking/shaking too fast, whats wrong...slow down, contain your composure...something is odd...that was wierd" I felt so good I would wake up at 5am and go non-stop till midnight, go to sleep wake up at 2am and work for a couple hours and get up again at 5:30am to start all over again. During the second week, I forced myself to stay in bed on regular hours but would wake up at 3 or 4am ready to run a marathon. Over the last several days I thought I might be having symptoms of sleep deprivation although I struggled to get 5-6 hours worth. I had odd periods of severe anxiety, severe depression, and racing thoughts that led to unexplainable impaired decision making, confusion, and judgement. Spent all day yesterday stuck reanalyzing the same information over and over again thinking to myself racing thoughts and "is there something wrong with me...or am I just tripping..." Got up this morning exhausted, anxious, mentally confused and found this website. Surprised by what I have read as I was really stuck on deciding if I was just scared, stressed, anxious, or if I was in need of mental help...today. From what I have read, people can't make this stuff up! So glad I read this site as it seems other individuals may have had similar experiences. Taken 1 x in am, no drug or alcohol addictions, no mental health history, no other major medications. Now I am stuck | M | 45 | 14 days 1X D | 8/26/2010 | 2 | Excessive Daytime Sleepiness | Clenching my teeth - feel really strange, shaky and overall out of sorts I am not falling asleep at work but feel so weird and wired that I need to find something else | M | 49 | 14 days 150 1X D | 10/9/2010 | 1 | Sleep Issues | Dry mouth, mouth sores, sever stomach cramps, sever diarrhea, joint and muscle pain, depression, thoughts of suicide, extreme loss of appetite, weight loss and loss of concentration. | M | 25 | 14 days 250 1X D | 9/27/2011 | 1 | Obstructive Sleep Apnea | No side effects | Not only no side effects, but no effect at all. I may have well taken a breath mint. | M | 61 | 14 days 150mg 1X D | 2/4/2013 | 1 | Narcolepsy | Light-headed, dizzy, sleepy, lack of focus, forgetfulness, diarrhea, decreased depth perception, dry mouth, loss of balance, prickly sensation all over skin, slurred speech | I started taking Nuvigil 19 days ago because my insurance will no longer cover Provigil. I started taking 200-400 mg/day of Provigil about 10 years with no problems at all. About 5 years ago, I switched over to Ritalin because of a drug interaction and took it for about 4 years. After taking Ritalin long term, I developed high blood pressure and went back to Provigil. Again, no problems at all for the past year. 19 days ago, I was put on Nuvigil 150 mg/day. After 7 days, I felt that I needed a higher dosage because I was still sleepy and lethargic. I then changed to 250 mg/day and felt a little more awake, but then everything hit the fan and I thought I was losing my mind. At first, I blew it off as stress, but when Nuvigil really got into my system, it was clear that it was the culprit. I stopped taking Nuvigil 3 days ago and am just now beginning to feel close to sane. My doctor has now prescribed Vyvanse, but I am afraid to take it because it sounds the same as Ritalin. What a mess. Nuvigil really did a number on me. I am now afraid to take anything and am suffering to make it through each day. | F | 40 | 16 days 250 1X D | 7/19/2010 | 2 | UARS | Eyes twitch, I'm dazed, awake enough not to sleep but to out of it to really do anything, dizzy, constinatly feel like i'm falling, Imobilized, stiff body, confused, not hungry, depressed, | Started out great but that last only a day or so. Day by day the effects (being awake) wore out sooner and sooner, the awakness for me lasts about 2 hours then for the remaining 10 hours of the day its down hill. Feel sick, dizzy and all the side effects I listed. | F | 42 | 25 days 250 1X D | 8/15/2011 | 5 | OSA and Circadian Rhythm Disorder | Nausea, skin crawling, headache & irritability. Concerned because I didn't expect to have any side effects since I thought Provigil and Nuvigil were so similar from a chemical perspective. Took Provigil for 4 years prior to Nuvigil. | I was on Provigil for 4 years & it profoundly changed my life. I am healthy but diagnosed with mixed sleep apnea and circadian rhythm disorder at 26-couldn’t wake in AM & had to be physically woken by co-workers. I was AD military instructor and fell asleep while teaching! I lost time, couldn’t think, moved in slow motion-lived in a fog. Still sleepy with CPAP-started Provigil200 and felt transformed. It reset my clock. Gave me life! 6 m after taking Provigil, I hit a wall at 2PM- extreme sudden tiredness-increased dose to 300/day-split. It helped but got headache & stopped feeling hunger-had to set alarm to eat after losing 30+ lbs. Medically retired from AF after 12 yrs. Last month Dr suggested Nuvigil250. First day was great. No wall & wakefulness was gradual, unlike Provigil. First night-thought bugs were crawling all over me and felt crazy! Next day I felt hungry and wanted to smoke-quit 6 yrs ago. Haven’t felt hungry in 4 years. Bug sensation stopped, but started clenching my jaw and chewing my cheeks, then came headache and irritability. That passed but 2 w after starting- nausea like clockwork-3-4 hrs after taking pill. Nothing will alleviate it. I hope it’s temporary-trying to decide what’s worse-this nausea and my sleepiness are debilitating. If it doesn’t improve I may have to go back on Provigil. Aside from the nausea, I think that Nuvigil is a great drug-an upgrade to Provigil. It is doing what it’s supp | F | 32 | 26 days 250 1X D | 7/12/2010 | 5 | idiopathic hypersomnia | excessive talking, excitability | Began Nuvigil due to strong sleepiness during the day. Sleep study was conducted which led to prescription. Would fall asleep anywhere and any part of the day, including while standing if I were leaning against a wall, sitting across from someone talking for an extended period of time, bathroom stalls, watching tv, etc. This drug has made me feel more alert and not sleepy during the day. For as long as I can remember (I'm 44), I never knew what it was like to not be extremely SLEEPY and walking around half dazed bec I was. Love Nuvigil; however, am experiencing extreme excitement and continuous talking. I CANT shut up!! Just tooooo bubbly as I was told by someone today. It's weird bec it's an abnormal happiness...too giddy and out of control! Will see about halfing my dosage, but in the meantime, I feel great! | F | 44 | 28 days 150 mg 1X D | 8/10/2012 | 5 | MS-related fatigue | dry mouth, tight jaw, occasional trouble falling asleep | I cut the 250 mg in half and take one as soon as I get up -- but only on days when I know I'll need energy or have a lot of things to do. I take it about one to three times per week. It really helps my stamina -- my muscles still get tired and my balance is off, but I don't have the feeling of increased gravity and soul-numbing fatigue that I usually get. I feel much more clear-headed, which I love, and just a tiny bit "jacked up," which I don't like but am willing to put up with for the good effects. | F | 65 | 30 days 250 mg 1X O | 7/31/2012 | 4 | Narcolepsy with Cataplexy | Mild headaches and a cloudy mind after 12 hours. A tiny bit of dizziness but went away after a week. Memory Loss. Weight loss. | I got diagnosed with narcolepsy a month ago, my doctor placed my on Nuvigil (I have never been on a prescription medicine and have never taken any form of birth control). Every day I have been awake the entire day without needing a nap (unless I thought it was a great idea to get less than 6 hours of sleep, then I would be tired during the day but still awake.) At night the first week or two I still woke up constantly but after that I have been so exhausted when I go to bed I cant even remember if I wake up or not, and I cant remember my dreams like I normally can. A really nice effect of Nuvigil (at least for a young person like me) is that Nuvigil removed my hunger almost. I still make sure to eat three meals a day but I don't have hunger cravings all day and if I do get hungry my stomach complains but it doesn't hurt like it normally does. The bad thing I want to complain about is the memory loss. Its really important for a student like me (studying for a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering) to be able to study and memorize things. I pay attention in class, take good notes, and study like i always have but even in my easy classes I failed every exam. I could tell you things the day I studied them but the next day I would go back to study and not remember a thing or how to do it. When I needed to study in the evening I would get headaches and like fog or fluff would cloud my mind. | F | 20 | 30 days 150 1X D | 3/4/2012 | 2 | Incapacitating sleepiness | Tearing in one eye (assume this is due to Nuvigil) | I am writing for my husband who suffered a stroke last November. Other than partial paralysis, he has had unremitting sleepiness which, unfortunately, seems to be getting worse. He started taking 150 mg of Nuvigil a month or more ago. The first 2 or 3 days were awesome. He was much more awake and able to do things he hadn't been able to do for a long time. Then everything shut down again. He tried halving the dosage, taking it twice a day. Then, with a neurologist's approval, even doubled the dosage. He is now taking 250 mg once a day but has had no apparent relief. We are even wondering if Nuvigil is making his sleepiness worse. We will see a sleep specialist later this month to see if he has any insight into this. In the meantime, my husband, who has enough problems trying to recover from the paralysis, has no life because he sleeps all the time. We're very disappointed that the Nuvigil isn't helping at all. | M | 74 | 30 days 250 1X D | 7/13/2010 | 2 | MS related fatigue | Nausea, sleeplessness | I began my Nuvigil at the full dose which was prescibed, but could not tolerate the jittery feeling, the nausea and difficulty sleeping. I tried cutting the pill in half. It still gives me nausea, but the jittery feeling is not present. Sleep is better. I am sensitive to medications and it is not unusual for me to do better at low doses. | F | 66 | 30 days 150 1X D | 2/5/2011 | 5 | Depression | No side effects | Before taking Nuvigil I would sleep 10-12 hrs. at night plus take a 3 hr nap during the day. Now I sleep 7-9 hrs. at night and only occasionally nap for 1.5 hrs. during the day. | F | 37 | 45 days 125 2X D | 1/13/2011 | 3 | Depression | Sweating more than normal with anything physical. Nervousness if I take it without food. Minor Nausea. | Nuvigil 150 mg definitely wakes me up but does come with some baggage. There are times when I feel a little paranoid or a little jittery and emotional. I have also lost about 8 or 9 pounds but this was during a time when we moved and I was doing a lot of physical activity. During the move, I would have excessive sweating during physical work. I would also have some rapid heart rate. I will prefice this by saying that I am a smoker and I have no doubt that the smoking could be contributing to the rapid heart rate as well. I have also had the urge to smoke more than I normally do. | M | 40 | 45 days 150mg 1X D | 6/28/2010 |