If you do anything consistently for a long enough period of time, your body and mind will grow accustomed to it and develop a tolerance to it.
This holds true for most things in life, whether it be food, drugs, or lifestyle habits. It's a natural survival mechanism that is built into every single human.
If you lift weights, and you follow the same routine for months on end without changing anything, your results will stagnate as your body adjusts to the load.
If you drink 10 cups of coffee a day, eventually your body will grow accustomed to the caffeine load.
If you take 10 mg of Adderall everyday for a year, your body will get used to the stimulus and cut down on receptors.
Tolerance can be a real bitch.
Tolerance can be a real bitch.
Tolerance can be a real bitch.
(if left unchecked)
At the end of the day, Modafinil is a stimulant. Just like every other stimulant on the planet, its effectiveness will continue to diminish over time if used daily. Compared to amphetamines like Adderall which have a much higher potential for dependency and tolerance, a Modafinil tolerance builds up much more gradually.
One day you'll wake up and realize that 200 mg isn't doing jack shit for you anymore. You'll think to yourself "its no big deal, I can just take another 100 mg and get results." Keep that mentality up long enough and eventually you may land yourself in a position where you will struggle to stay awake, even while under the influence of RIDICULOUSLY HIGH DOSES.
(true story: I once gave an aquaintance of mine a 200 mg dose to try out. He was a drug addict and a heavy amphetamine user. 200 mg literally did NOTHING for him. That's when you know you've got a stimulant tolerance)
The key to fighting tolerance is avoiding building one up in the first place.
As tempting as it may be, when you continue to up the dosage to get that extra little edge,
YOU ARE FUCKING YOURSELF IN THE LONG RUN.
I've seen it happen time and time again. Do a quick search on Reddit for "modafinil tolerance". You will find reports of people taking upwards of 2 grams just to function like a normal human being.
That's 2000 mg, or the equivalent of 10 full pills. Thats the result of YEARS of daily use/abuse. Its not something that just occurred overnight. If used properly 200 mg will be plenty.
The mentality that more is better doesn't apply when it comes to drugs. Jacking up your dosage isn't going to get you better results. If you aren't getting results through continuous use, more than likely your work ethic is the issue.
If that is you, I'll talk about how to handle that in a separate post, but for now, lets focus on prevention. Being safe and avoiding digging yourself into a pit is far easier than digging yourself out of one.
If you follow the guidelines I have below, tolerance and dependency will be non issues. These are just my personal guidelines that I personally use and continue to get great results from. You are welcome to experiment and tweak it to your liking, but if you stick to it the way I have it written out, I can guarantee the results.
1. Limit Use to 3 - 4 days a week
The Golden Rule for Keeping Tolerance in Check
Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe that this amazing site needs
a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more,
thanks for the info!
Thanks for the support, it means a lot!
Mate, when you said to avoid any supplements or pre-workouts or recreational drugs I was thinking, ” shit I did all 3 consecutively while on armodafinil yesterday…..” Hey at least I go a 5 min 30 sec mile run!
Dude I been on modifinil for 2 weeks non stop and switched to armodifinil for 3 days straight. All this straight no breaks. Since 3 days ago I been stacking it with a prohormone and a preworkouts. I have not died and I do not get all crazy hyper. Im reading this for research and will take a few days off. But I don’t think all this info is correct.
Consider yourself lucky. How many days a person can go w/o losing effectiveness comes down entirely to their genetics. Tolerance isn’t an issue at all for some people. This article is meant for those who didn’t win the genetic lottery (at least when it comes to modafinil tolerance). By the way, you realize that modafinil and prohormones have no relation whatsoever right? Bodybuilding drugs that work off testosterone have no relationship whatsoever to nootropics.
Which prohornone are you taking. I am stacking with Andro the Giant (4-andro) and I take pre work outs.
I added the darn thing to my pill box cause I thought it would make my life easier and lately come to find out I’m not deriving the same benefits I used to get from the drug. I hope I can reverse this tolerance. I’ve been taking 200mg for years due to sleep apnea. Any suggestions?
I just switch between Modafinil and Nuvigil each day. Problem solved.
That won’t work for many reasons.
Have you tried it? It works for me =)
nuvigil + modafinil = cover intolerance?
Do you think that could work for me?
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I have joined your feed and stay up for searching for more of your wonderful post.
Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks
Glad you like the information. I’m going to be uploading YouTube videos in the near future discussing the blog posts in depth, so stay tuned for that!
I am not sure where you are getting your information,
but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this information for my
mission.
I have a lot of experience through trial and error with nootropics so I have a pretty good feel for what works and what doesn’t work
My question would be, for someone with Narcolepsy I do need it every single day to function. You said what could you be doing that would require you to take it daily? Well I work full time as a teacher and I have three kids. If I don’t take my meds I litterally can’t stay awake. Any advice? Btw I was on 250 of nuvigil and recently got switched to 400 provigil (1 pill in the morning and 1 around noon) and a little back story, I can still sleep while taking my meds, which is insane to me, so maybe tolerance isn’t an issue I’m just broken all around..
Since falling asleep from narcolepsy is something you have little to no control over, its probably better if you just stay on them everyday. Its not worth risking falling asleep driving or while you’re at work.
invaluable general usage details which i will pass on to others. thank you.
glad you liked it. if there’s any more specific problems you want me to make a post on, I’m all ears
I have mitochondrial disease and it zaps all my energy. I actually have to nap after a shower.
The last 3 years my fatigue has gotten so severe that I’ve been sleeping 18-20 hrs a day, awake only to eat and maybe watch a bit of TV. That is no life.
One of my doctors put me on the 200 Nuvigil tabs, but it did nothing. I’d take it and then go back to sleep for 6 or 8 more hours, until I either needed to go to the bathroom or was hungry/thirsty enough to wake up. I added caffeine pills and there still was no noticeable difference. I already have daily headaches from a Chiari Malformation (my brain stem is being compressed.) The resulting Intercranial Hypertension gives pressure headaches from cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) build up. The compression blocks CSF flow too much and pressure builds.
Sorry to go on and on, but my point was that I have no way of even knowing if it is adding to my headaches.
2 months ago, I was switched to Modafinil. The first month on 200mg a day was almost the same, but I did have a couple of days that I was awake for 8 hours or so.
My muscles are so deconditioned now that any day of doing more, results in a day or two of intense muscle pain.
But it’s worth it, to be productive (OK, not actually productive, more like “conscious”) for a while.
This month, I am taking 300 daily, again with limited success, even with caffeine added. I’m going to try taking it sporadically, as you suggested, and hope for the best.
How long have you been on it? And is there any way to enhance its effectiveness, besides adding caffeine?
Thank you. Your site here gave me something to try!
The best thing to make it last longer – other than a stimulant – is grapefruit juice. Or eating a grapefruit. It contains an enzyme called CYP3A4 which slows down the breakdown of modafinil in your body. Grapefruit juice reacts with a lot of drugs, so keep that in mind if you’re taking anything else.
As far as headaches, this stuff can make your head hurt a little bit more. Drinking lots of water (I’m talking a gallon a day) helps significantly with energy and reducing headache. A lot of times I’ll feel tired, drink a cup of water and feel a huge surge of energy from the modafinil kicking back in. This stuff dehydrates the hell out of you. Also, it would be in your best interest to keep your body as alkaline as possible for optimal performance and feeling good all day long. The best way to do that is avoiding cheap sugars and grains and eating a lot more fruits and veggies (especially veggies).
Thanks for such a quick reply!
Grapefruit juice interferes with some other meds I am on, unfortunately, so I am always being reminded to avoid it.
But the added hydration would probably be a great help. I am on Diamox to reduce CSF, (basically a diuretic) because when the intercranial pressure gets bad, I leak CSF out of both ears. I could get a shunt, but realistically, why bother with another surgery?
But I have been less thirsty lately. I usually drink a lot of water, but I probably have not been drinking enough, of late. That might also account for the severe muscle tightness and cramps in my legs. I’ve already added more magnesium and potassium, which made no difference.
I hate to bump up the Vicodin or cyclobenzaprine, because like you, I have found that when it quits working, taking more is not what I want to do. I go off the Vicodin 2 or 3 hellish times a year, for 2-3 weeks to “reset” my tolerance to it. I’ve been on 3 per day, Vicodin 10’s for about 15 years now, and refuse to take more.
I do it cold-turkey even though it’s not pleasant, because if I taper it down, and then stop, I have to go without adequate pain relief for a much longer period in total.
I’m going to drink a ton more water and hope that helps. If nothing else, I’ll get a little excercise, getting up to get to the bathroom more often!
Thank you for your help. Chronic pain and dysfunction leads to an awfully lonely existence!
-Kay
Hey great post i love all of this and your youtube vídeos too. Now i have a couple questions about dosage , i’ve bought modiodal this week first i started with 200 mg in two 100 mg doses. This had little to no effect on me. I felt more awake but thats it. Now the next day i tried the 200 mg all at once , and it felt like a mild caffeine rush but that about it nothing special i tried and failed on both times to just sit and concentrate on my work but failed to, I im obese (250 pound / 5.9 ft) so i know that affects the dosage but i dont know how much more i should/can take, so what would you recommend? Also i smoke weed almost every day. Mostly just a little before going to bed. Does that affect the modiodal dosage too? What would you recommend.?
I have smoked weed with modafinil so I can relate to what you’re talking about. When you take it with weed what happens is the Modafinil takes away that dumb/discoordinated feeling the weed gives you, but you still have the marijuana high. I want you to have at least one good experience so you know what it feels like just by itself. Don’t smoke for a couple of days (or avoid smoking before you to to bed the night before you take a Modafinil if that’s too much to ask). When you take it in the morning, brew coffee along with it. Have coffee and water with you throughout your day and just keep drinking it.
Another good thing is it acts as an appetite suppressant so you may not feel like eating until later. If you can keep from eating for as long as possible, do it. Avoid high calorie carbs on that day as well.
Again, I’m not saying you need to do this every single day (although it would certainly help). Just try it out for one day to give yourself the best possible chance of getting the benefits. Good luck!
Yea, I have been taking modafinil for a few months now. I am an avid weed smoker, and I have also experienced the same effects when I combined them. Like with weed, I usually get this initial euphoria where my mind is all over the place but I can’t concentrate on one thing and do a lot of sloppy mistakes. Keep in mind I only take modafinil to code, as it gives me a really good boost(but I become too much of a perfectionist when am on it), but when I used to smoke weed without modafinil I couldn’t do shit.
I don’t drink alcohol except for like 4-5 times a year, but I smoke weed pretty regularly like 3-5 times a week.There has been plenty of times weed and modafinil have overlapped on the same day, but I find that weed helps me eat when modafinil suppresses my hunger and the bad effects on weed(lazying, not concentrating, and dumb/disoriented) are counter-effected with modafinil while the good effects are still there(creativity and optimism and good euphoria).
The times that weed have overlapped has been mostly at the end of my modafinil trip, which I use it to fall asleep and get some food in my system.I don’t get crazy munchies like when I only smoke weed, but I can eat better though. The other times that I have smoked it is between breaks, I find that it gives me a weird effect almost like the weed reacts with modafinil and gives me a new perspective and takes me in a different direction(sometimes for good sometimes for worst).
On your advice about not taking modafinil consecutive, I have to say that is fucking spot on.There were a few instances where I took modafinil back to back and I was completely out of energy the next couple of days(not one but for a couple of days). Now, I usually take it after 2 days(average) between each dose, sometimes 3 days and barely 1 day apart.The big reason is because, I still feel a little burned out the next day with a lingering feeling that modafinil is still there If I smoke weed or drink coffee the next day.
My dosage is not high though, I always take no more than 100 mg.I split my pills in half and only take half of it, and that has been more than enough. It has been the same dosage since I started. However, the first week on that dosage I had the worst fucking leg cramps that I couldn’t sleep.
Also, I can remember my dreams perfectly well when I go to sleep on modafinil is like my brain never shots down and it still working, I could never do that when I went to sleep high.
Eventually, I stopped getting those cramps after the first 2 weeks, and I have noticed that the modafinil effects aren’t as super strong as the first week. However, am okay with it though. I am even thinking of splitting my pills into 4 parts(50 mg) and take only 1 part at the time as I see fit.
I hope that I won’t have to be taking 400-600 mg of modafinil just to get the same effects as what I am getting now.
Comparing modafinil to adderall, makes modafinil a better choice since you don’t get those ugly side effects that you get with adderall. I haven’t really lost weight though with modafinil as I did with adderall. I lost 25 pounds with adderall in 3 and a half months when all I was doing was drinking coffee, and taking adderall .
Overall, am really happy with modafinil, but I try not to over use it. My rate has been taking it every 2 days, and I avoid the weekends. So, in reality am only taking it like 2-3 times a week, hardly 4 or even 5.
What are your thoughts about taking modafinil and doing exercise, the other day I ran for the first time on modafinil and I noticed that I could run while concentrating on something else. I don’t really want to do heavy exercise while at its peak, but I feel it is tolerable while am on it.
For me personally, it helps out with cardio (takes away the boredom and increases my endurance).
Thank you so much for your advice , I’m new to modafinil after only medicating with cannabis, I have ME and while cannabis helps I like in the uk so indica is my only choice as it’s still illegal. I have been having great success with modafinil and have also stopped using cannabis through the day which used to be the first thing I did and am only using it at night to settle me .
I have found if I get a bit jittery that taking a vape calms me and focuses me but the more I use mod the more the jitters go away and that initial anxious felling that comes with it away also .
It’s great to read comments and get advice from fellow cannabis consumers as I was a bit worried and you’ve reassured me .
Much love.
Great article. I am 67 and have been taking modalert & waklert for about 3 years. Definitely makes me feel and act younger. I totally agree with your thinking. My moda motto is “less is best”. Sometimes I have trouble skipping a day or two. I found an item on amazon called Kitchen Safe. Basically it is about a 2 qt container that you can program to lock from one minute to ten days (and anywhere in between). It works like a charm for us with weaker willpower. Not a cheap item ($60)….but seems well made and perfect for controlling one’s use. Thanks again for your wisdom!
Glad I could help! I had no idea they even had a device like that out on the market, it sounds like a safe.
Hey, thank you for this useful site. Found a lot of necessary information from here.
However, I have a question. I am new to Modafinil, literally took my first pill today. Unfortunately I did not get the results I was expecting (took 200mg). Note that I’ve never used any stimulants like that before. No improvement on focus at fist, but then I drank a cup of coffee and noticed better focus when trying to concentrate on a task. I also felt a tad bit more positive or motivated, whereas I have been very unfocused and unmotivated for past 6 months. I can’t say I noticed any significant change, though. Maybe my expectations were too high, I am not sure.
So, I don’t know whether I should increase my dosage.. even though I can see that you do not recommend that. Another thing is, I had to wake up very early this morning and therefore was rather tired.. could that reduce the efficiency of the pill? To be fair, I would usually feel knackered in this situation and would not be able to go through the day without a nap, however today I only feel faint tiredness but it doesn’t stop me from doing things. Have you come across many people who do not experience significant improvement the first time around? What would you recommend me to do?
I have finals in a week and was hoping that using Modafinil would get me through the revision.
Sorry for the long post, I am a freshie in this and desperately need some reliable advice. Thank you in advance!
Hi! From what I’ve seen, some people are predisposed to respond better or worse to modafinil. You mentioned that you weren’t on any powerful stimulants beforehand so its unlikely that tolerance is the issue. Instead of increasing your dosage, drink more coffee while you’re on it. Personally, 1 cup just doesn’t do it for me. I like to have a mug of it alongside me and will keep drinking out of it while I’m working. Eventually, you’ll hit your “sweet spot” and it will last for several hours before you need to add more coffee to get it back up there. The only thing to keep in mind when you’re doing this is keeping your coffee intake proportional to your water. So for every 1 cup of coffee, drink 1 or 2 cups of water. Go ahead and implement that, and let me know how it goes for you
I’ve been using it for couple of days now, and I’m starting to understand how it works a bit better. The effect isn’t as obvious as I thought it would be, but I can definitely say it is working now. I’ve been able to study the whole day on full focus which is awesome. Coffee has helped, but Ive only had a cup a day.. will try and have more of it through the day and see how it goes.
I did already make the mistake of increasing the dosage yesterday. It didn’t increase the intensity of the effect, but rather the length. I didn’t sleep until 6am, haha, won’t be doing that again.
Thank you for the tips, I will keep trying to get the best out of this thing!
Also, when ever you have taken it daily for few weeks, is it hard to come off it? I’m not planning to keep taking it daily in long run, but maybe until the exams are done, because I really need to make the most of the days left.
I’ve had periods where I’ve used it for a couple weeks straight. If you use it every day for an extended period like that, you will probably feel a little more tired/drowsy than usual for a couple days afterwards, but its not a huge deal. As long as you’re not skipping out on sleep, you’ll be completely fine.
you are doing a great job man.please keep doing it.It is an extremly helpful site.THANK YOU
Glad I could help
Advice given, best I’ve seen after hours of trying to find an experienced user.
My question,
I’m like a stimulant freak. I take pre work 5x a week with my work outs and drink an espresso/modafinil(200mg) in the morning. First couple of days, but then I started taking 100 mg doses half way through the day to keep working. I’m 16 days on it and when I take it, I feel it for an hour then it just drops and feel no affects. I switched over from adderall which I was taking 30mg mix with 30 mg of Vyvanse.
Any suggestion? Going to start breaking my dosing periods but I have exams and really need to get these guys working, maybe more coffee? Cut the pre workouts? Let me know and great review again
Been there, done that. You said it yourself, you’re a stimulant junkie. Realistically, you have two options. You can keep increasing whatever you’re taking until you reach a milestone (or crash from adrenal fatigue). Or you can slowly start to taper down on all the stimulants. Tapering is not fun. You don’t feel miserable like you would from going cold turkey, but you feel a little less active with every passing day. In the long term, it’s the only real option though (unless you want to become a lifetime drug addict). Better do it sooner than crash painfully months or years down the road. Read my quitting Adderall/Ritalin series. Apply the same principles to whatever you’re taking, let those receptors recover, and you will feel better over time.
http://www.modafinilexpert.com/quit-adderall-ritalin-1/
Hey Joel,
I’ve always been tired as a kid. Basically if things didn’t interest me in class I was asleep on the class table. Terrible grades, terrible concentration.
Got diagnosed with ADD.
I’m not a hyper person, unless I eat loads of sugar and even then (now) it doesn’t really happen. I’ve just got zero energy.
Was prescribed dexamphetamine and it worked great. For ages, then tolerance kicked in. I only started taking this as an adult.
After years (probably about 3) years of taking it or maybe closer to two. I found I wasn’t willing to go any higher dose (parkinsons risk and so forth) so took a huge break.
Now supplements I found worked such as L-Tyrosine etc, no longer work for me. Modafinil which I have tried, worked somewhat, but wow, within a month it just has stopped working. And that includes with breaks. After a week or two of using it every day (I’m at uni currently) I’m back to my half asleep self.
I find I have a very high tolerance to everything it seems. Most people say they’ve been taking x for so long and now its not working. I wish it was like that for me, at least I could finish my degree. 2nd year in and I’m already falling asleep now during the day.
I’m thinking adrenal fatigue is to blame. I can have a double shot, 2 cup coffee and I’ll just go to sleep. And the more I have the more tired I seem to get.
How to reverse Adrenal Fatigue then is my question, even though docs don’t believe in it as they only believe in Adrenal insufficiency via a cortisol test, so again comes down to fixing myself.
Nothing works anymore, and I highly doubt I’ll be able to finish my 7 year degree.
“I’m thinking adrenal fatigue is to blame. I can have a double shot, 2 cup coffee and I’ll just go to sleep. And the more I have the more tired I seem to get.”
Bingo. Degree or no degree, this problem isn’t going to just disappear if you go do something else. No matter what happens it will either stick with you or you’ll beat it. I would go so far as to stop taking stimulants altogether. The first week or so will be very lethargic but it becomes more manageable after that.
A few months ago I switched to drinking tea because of the influence of some English friends. I would drink cups of coffee on the regular before that but I’ve been having tea the past few months. I tried a cup of black coffee yesterday. Just a few sips and my heart was racing. It was too much for me to handle. I used 100mg of modafinil today for the first time in like 3 or 4 months and it feels incredibly powerful.
Your tolerance and your worn out adrenal glands is the issue. For what its worth, I also think you would benefit from not having sex for a week or two when you cut it off cold turkey. It allows you to retain a lot more energy which you will need when you’re already feeling like shit.
Thanks for the blog!! Awesome tips. 🙂 As Mod is a stim– with a wicked long half life, do you have any suggestions for vitamin/health supplements to counteract side effects and replenish the body when food alone just isn’t enough? Was wondering if youve tried whey protein or b12 injections possibly…? Something that would temper the lingering Mod effects (100mg 2-3x/wk) in the same way Vit C does with adderall? Tried multivitamin tablets w/out much luck after starting Mod. Thanks again for sharing!!
I don’t believe in protein powders, they just bloat me and I get better results from eating regular food anyway. As far as supplements go, I honestly don’t take much at all other than zinc and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil at night for sex drive. I don’t even use multivitamins anymore… I feel its kind of unnecessary
What are your thoughts for people are not large coffee drinkers but lean towards red bull and and monster for morning pick me up?i recently just started using saw mild increase in focus and production at work. however i am looking to find my so called sweet spot if not redbull or monster what else do you recommend
I just recently started taking modafinil and I noticed that I was way more awake and concentrated on just about everything. I take 200mg. The next day I took 100mg when I woke up and then it didn’t do anything and then took another dose of 100 like 5 hours later. I got a massive migraine when taking the 200mg at once but not the 100mg 2x. I take it cause I have narcolepsy. The doctor told me I could take one to two doses of the 200mg a day. But she didn’t tell me how far apart they have to be or anything. Also worried about if I take two then I’ll get a horrible migraine but maybe it was from drinking the caffeine that day? What do you think?
When do you think I should take the second dose?
Also, did you experience eye twitching?
Anything to do to reduce side effects?
I have to take it every day…so I’m starting to wonder if I build a tolerance if I’m going to end up like over 400mg or something. I don’t know what to do! Any suggestions?
Btw, great posting. Very informative.
I can’t believe your doc suggested you start off on 200mg twice a day. That is an absolutely insane starting dose even for men with quite a bit of size on them, let alone a girl. As far as “side effects” go, theres a couple things to keep in mind… Ive been using this stuff for years now and I’m still able to get great results from just 200mg. I can also function just fine on days that I don’t take it. What you want to keep in mind is LONGEVITY. You don’t want to be the girl who 5 years down the road requires an enormous amount of stimulants to just function as a human being. You don’t want to be the girl who can’t go on vacation or take care of business without her pill bottle handy. Modafinil is a lot more compassionate on your body than amphetamines like Adderall, but it is still nonetheless powerful. If you take this everyday, several things will happen. As time goes on, you will find yourself feeling continually less and less energetic. It won’t happen right away, but eventually it will catch up to you. Bumping up your dose will help you stay awake longer, but you will gradually feel more and more shitty with every passing week/month. Regardless of what anyone says, its never a good idea to become dependent on a CNS stimulant. You want compounds to enhance your life, not become a slave to them. Since you’re just starting off, I would try and limit it to 4 or 5 times a week. Schedule your “off days” when you have a lower workload and give your body a chance to recover. If you do it right, you’ll still be able to get great results off moderate doses a year or two down the road.
@joel- first of all thanks for creating this discussion. because it gives us the clear view about how to take when, how much to take… when i am compared to you i am a kid in Modalert. finished 4 tab till now.
is that true that modafinil decreases some neurotransmitters because i have seen some youtube video especially GABA. is there any way to decrease?. because i miss my first feel after 3 doses.
As far as exactly what neurotransmitters it works on, nobody knows for sure 100%. If you want to get the most out of it every time, you have to be on it less than you’re off it.
thanks for the reply. I give 2-day break now. can I take L-Glutamine and L-Theanine in the day off? why am I asking is because I felt sleepy after 4 hours of 100gm moda. although I took 3 cups of green tea on that day and had a break for 1hour.
I’m don’t personally use them but theres no harm in taking something mild like that. Another thing to keep in mind is that coffee and tea will take away additional water from your system. I keep saying it b/c it makes all the difference in the world. Drink 1 gallon+ of water on days that you’re on it.
@JOEL- sorry for the late reply I was on the exam schedule.Thank you, bro. I was bit confused when I was taking the 2nd strip. I couldn’t tolerate myself at some time after some pill, as well as I felt sleepy after every 3 hours when I am on. I thought about your suggestion and started to follow your instruction to the core, which gave me an optimum use of moda. I started to give a break for every two days after taking 200mg.
Wow. Is everyone here PRESCRIBED Modafinil? And for what? I would love to know !! Seriously. Is Modafinil the exact same as Provigil?
Are they stimulants? Or just anti-sleep/like-non-narcolepsy meds.? Anyone?
OK. OK. Thanks, thanks very much!!
I have many auto-immune syndromes with side effects of “fatigue, malaise, depression, sleep disturbance, ” and I just never have any desire to DO anything, plus…..I sleep all day without the Modafinil!
With the Modafinil, I have energy to DO things, like walk the dog, do the laundry, clean the house, do some yard work, etc.
However, today, was the 2nd day in a row for the first time…..NO ENERGY. Now I read your article and can understand why!!
Hmmmm.
OK…….. thanks!!!
Hi- just a thought, have you had an over night sleep exam? I was recently having fatigue for about a year. Whatever caffeine I drank, I could fall asleep after. blood tests came back normal, and after a sleep test was diagnosed with narcolepsy. It’s rare but I would have never thought. And now I feel so mucj better on armodofinil. Both nuvigil (armodofinil) and provigil ( monodofinil) are stimulants but not amphetamines like adderal, which means they are less likely to be abused if you are not prone to addiction. Provigil and nuvigil are prescribed for narcolepsy, sleep apnea, ( which both will be diagnosed with an over night sleep exam. Just google sleep specialist in your area. See if they take your insurance, and explain to them your fatigue symptoms. After they schedule an over night sleep study, about 1pm to 1pm the next day, you will at least rule out narcolepsy/sleep apnea and more, or get treatment and live a happier life ). My question is, I have to take armodofinil every day in order to function, therefore will this mean I will build a tolerance for sure?
If you take it everyday of course you’re going to develop a tolerance thats just a given. Personally, I think 3 days a week is the best scenario. You can split that however you want, just try not to take more than 2 days in a row.
Thanks! Unfortunately I have to take it every day or I cannot stay awake during the day on a day I do not take it. That means no driving or going to work. Also, it took 6 to 7 days for it to feel alert and focused for me when I first started , I don’t know if this happened to anyone else! The first week I had bad headaches and ear pain side effects, and after the first week no side effects since, and it worked.
Hi ! I’m using Modafinil (Provigil) for the narcoleptic form of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) . In september i’ll check hypocretine/orexine levels to see if I also have classic narcolepsy.
The problem I have with Provigil is quite rare. It only works on the first day . I need to wait 2-3 days in order to dose it again , or symptoms of histamine intolerance in hands and glands appears .
Provigil for me is very effective , I only take 100mg which for me is the best but since my hypersomnolence and CFS is terrible, i cannot stay at work because of sleepiness.
Your article is vaulable even if …i’d like to use it more often , at least in the working days. I’d like to know if anyone has my own side effects and if someone managed to solve them . Thank you !!
Hi Joel,
I dose 50mg daily of modalert from Monday to Friday and have 2 rest days Saturday and Sunday. I’ve been on modalert for 2 months and was wondering if this dosage is good for tolerance levels or would having a break of 1-2 weeks cycling then back to 5 days on 2 days off dosage for a month?
Its your call. Try different ways, see how your body responds and find what works best for you and your body.
Sound advice. Thanks Joel.
I took Piracetam(2x800mg x day) and Modafinil(1st day 50mg, 2nd day 100mg, 3day 200mg), for 3 days, and smoked some weed, on the 3rd day, will never do anymore very high and different than the usual high, couldn’t control it, very scared or fill at sleep, had to stand or lay down, and I could fill the blood rush from my legs to my head, my harms, etc, plus since I just used Modafinil or Piracetam for the 1st time, I did not really know what was happening, may had been a stronger weed than usual and was time that I did not smoke, but I forget I took Modafinil and Piracetam.
Better dont mix…..for me…
Today I took piracetam only, in the morning, and I start to fill similar symptoms like yesterday but very mild.
I will stop taking for a few days, and start with the next week, but I get lots of stuff done, great…
Yup… crazy unpredictable shit can happen when you mix multiple psychoactive drugs (modafinil and weed in this case). Most people who do that combo just get really high and fucked up and enter into a blissful zombified, more productive than usual state for the rest of the day, but it can easily leave you feeling like shit if you overdo it. Tread with caution and don’t do anything stupid like go out for a drive or operate a chainsaw.
I’m 18 and a new modafinil user, I took 500mg on my first try!! Wish I read this first! Will take this great advice in the future 🙂
Haha thats insane, hopefully you got something done
I have to disagree that 500mg is an insane amount. I realise that it might be for yourself Joel but for me 600mg is the sweet spot. (I have had more in the past with no problems) 400mg is simply a guideline and obviously they have to provide some sort of guideline but as you said everyone will react differently to this drug.
Yeah you’re right man everyone has their own sweet spot. But after talking to a lot of people and their experiences, the vast majority of people respond very well to 200mg and lower. Even after using it for years, taking 400 – 600mg at a time is a massive dose for me and would give me huge migraines. Looks like you’re part of the minority that needs a larger dose than most to get the same effect and that’s totally okay. Do whatever works for you.
Hi, I am taking modafinil since about two months.
Previously I was on fluoxetine 20 mg Od, self prescribed for apparent depression, which was helping me on and off, but gave me absolutely terrible backaches, stiff back,I couldn’t get straight upright from sitting position. And another serious trouble it was causing was that, I couldn’t interact with females normally. I would see them in a sexual way,which they would notice, and both felt awkward, making it difficult to work together. I got extremely shy and childish in between doses, maybe whenever the plasma level decreased below critical level.
So,I wanted to stop fluoxetine. First I tried to take alternate day dosage, but it was awful. So,what I did was,I just stopped.fluoxetine COLD TURKEY, and put myself on modafinil. It.was.very smooth. I never missed fluoxetine again.
Now it’s been 2 months, I take modafinil 100 mg daily. In first two weeks, I felt superb, but with severe cramps, later cramps gone but modafinil is bit less powerful since then. My female interaction thing is getting similar to like fluoxetine, but much.much milder,but is definitely there. I am a shy guy with shyness towards females, but it’s just increased,and uncomfortable. (For this issue I actually need a seperate discussion though )
I am inclined towards taking ‘some’ drug before I start my work,like I was taking fluoxetine daily, I just replaced it with modafinil two months ago. I can’t bear the concept of taking 2-3 times a week. I feel it’s awful for me. I ‘must’ take something confidence booster drug DAILY. I also take propranolol CR 40 mg on and off,which actually was for Fluoxetine anxiety,now I not much need it,but still take occasionally when modafinil gives me terror (actually, this also has vanished now,so I may stop propranolol altogether) .
I don’t want the tolerance of modafinil, but must take something equivalent daily…what do I do now? ?
Yes! I actually have something thats perfect for you. Antidepressants are no joke, I’ve known people who’ve had their lives ruined because of them. I’m currently in the works contacting suppliers, so stay tuned. Modafinil is not something that people should be taking everyday as a “mood enhancer”. What I have coming out on the other hand is absolutely phenomenal for “mood enhancement” and its not a controlled substance (hint hint; I can almost guarantee you’ve never heard of it).
So,what’s it bro? I m curious to know..if it could blend well with modafinil, then nothing like it! Plz educate me further in this regard.
It’s called phenibut. Its basically the best supplement on the market for anti anxiety. You could blend it with modafinil but its not necessary. And you definitely DO NOT want to be taking it every day. Even though its classified as a dietary supplement, its more similar to a nootropic because it acts on GABA receptors in your brain. Should be limited to twice a week since tolerance builds a lot faster and unlike modafinil, has a higher potential for addiction if you abuse the shit out of it.
You may be tempted to google it or search it on amazon and grab some but just hold off on that… Most of what you find is overpriced and has filler and other unnecessary bullshit in it. I’m looking into a good source thats ~99.99% pure.
Joel,
You definitely seem to know and have experienced a lot on Modafinil. I would like to paste a question I ask on a forum, and would like to have your feedback as it is of utmost importance:
Upon my suggestion, my mother (age: 76) started taking 100Mg Modafinil every 2 days (orginal – not online) for daytime tiredness. Not only does she feel awake, but also she also felt a good mood as a nice bonus (I guess may be a kind of euphoria or hypomania? She did not tell – but it can be. Or an additional effect on wakefullness).
The reason she takes it once every 2 days is the same reason discussed here frequently, as I came across on other forums and platforms too. We are a bit concerned that she might develop tolerance and the nice mood she feels would diminish in the future.
I know all the tolerance theories on Modafinil tolerance are hypothetical. But I would like to have some points clarified in order to determine the best route on what to do further.
First of all – is the tolerance likely to be from CNS or CYP3a4? The reason I ask is – if the reason might be due to CNS same tolerance would occur in lower dosages – reason being that she has the same chemical effect in her brain where other people have on higher doses.
But if the reason is CYP3a4, then lower dosages, although taken daily, might create lower tolerance. Not dependent on however she feels.
I guess my above assumptions would make sense if I got the main point correct, but these are only my assumptions as per what I guessed from the brief information I retained. But if there is a logical error – please correct.
Secondly – which one would create more tolerance: 100 Mg once every 2 days, or 50 Mg every day? And would taking it daily bring the mood and wakefullness effect on a higher level cumulatively (serum level or other parameters.). I mean – May be taking 50 Mg everyday might bring the same effect as if she is on 100mg every 2 days. The same effect on the day she takes 100Mg but everyday on 50mg.
If 50Mg daily is achievable, then daily consumption is much more preferable due to consistency. (Who would not want to be fine everyday instead of once in every 2 days?)
We might even go as low as 25 Mg, as feels very well on 100mg – depending on how she feels on daily 25 Mg after we test it.
Anyone here taking 25Mg or 50Mg everyday for years or heard anyone without tolerance or diminishing effect?
She does not take any other nootropics – as she is not interested rightfully, and due to her age she can not – I am the one who motivated her using Modafinil actually. And I am glad that it works very fine for her and she started to feel really good. (But once in 2 days, unfortunately.)
In addition to these – taken daily or not (please advise which of them, when making a suggestion) having drug holidays regularly will restore tolerance level? How long and frequent should it be? Although even if we make drug holidays, if there occurs a tolerance would the tolerance reset after not using Modafinil for (e.g.) a few (how long) months?
Any other comments any of you make to make more years long ahead better for her without the effects are lost?
Once in every 2 days of 100Mg is also OK as it is also very good to feel fine once in 2 days. But would tolerance occur?
As far as whether or not the fact that its a CNS stimulant or the CYP3A4 enzyme that causes tolerance, I can’t say for sure. To this day, nobody knows the exact mechanisms for how nootropics work on the brain. I’m inclined to believe its because of the fact that its a CNS stimulant, because of the decreased effectiveness I’ve noticed in people who have never taken modafinil before, but take a lot of other stimulants regularly. In practicality, you want to know whether it would be better to take it every day or once every other day.
The best way to know for sure is to try it out. Start taking 50mg/day for several weeks and see how the body responds. As far as being afraid that tolerance will spike, its not that big of a deal because you can just take a small break and your tolerance will go back to 0. There are no bad withdrawals and you don’t have to wait too long to reset it at such low dosages. On a side note, if you want to prolong the duration of modafinil, drink plenty of grapefruit juice. It extends CYP3A4’s ability to breakdown modafinil and allows you to get more out of each pill.
Thank you, Joel.
One more thing, Joel. In fact I do not want to bother you with question after question. However these will help to other people too. In respect to exact possibility of resetting tolerance I should have guessed that from your experience of your trial and error and forthcoming success. However I still have concerns. As you know a lot on Modafinil, I read somewhere that somebody used it for years and after tolerance occured, it never resetted. I can not find it now – but I believe as I might remember in that “holiday” period, he used armodifinil, that might be the exact cause. Because both are the same nearly. But I am not exactly sure I remember he used armodofinil or whatever else he used, and I can not find it. You would have researched on this Modafinil issue on the net much more than me (I am only less-then-a-week old researcher on Modafinil tolerance). Have you ever seen someone not able to reset the tolerance level back to zero? Actually we do not know what else they use further, if they do that holiday correct or if they are telling the truth. But what are your feelings on that? I am a bit concerned that she will not feel the same Euphoria or Antidepressant Effect and will not be able to reset. If there is a possibility of not having the tolerance back – that is a real concern for me even if it is a low chance. Now to make to picture easire for me, I am trying to look other way round: It is like comparing apples to oranges, however, in Amphetamines are people able to reset tolerance after a waiting period, even though longer? This does not mean if they can not, Modafinil will be the same because Modafinil is different and a lighter one in terms effects. However if even they are able to reset, then it is nearly certain that Modafinil users will be able to do that. Sorry for the headache. But your article and responses help a lot. I know you are doing this willingly. I guess we would try 50Mg daily then every 2 month period, we can have a 2 or a bit more weeks holiday to be exactly sure.
I don’t think losing the slight euphoria and pro social feeling is much to worry about. I’ve been using it for almost 3 years now and I still get that feeling. I wouldn’t it to amphetamines though, because the feelings brought about by amphetamines are MUCH more powerful, to the point where I don’t really feel like myself when I’m on them. The euphoria, fear, pleasure from sex, and the way you respond to situations is completely different on amphetamines. Over time with long term use, it leads to permanent brain changes that have much more far reaching implications on tolerance.
Modafinil, especially at low dosages, won’t jack up your brain chemicals too far out of normal. Even so, I always think its a good idea to take longer breaks every once in a while because I don’t like the idea of being dependent on anything for the long term. That being said, I’m also young and plan on living another 70 years. Since your mother is as old as she is, I really wouldn’t worry too much about it, especially if she gets a lot out of it and it keeps her satisfied.
I don’t think losing the slight euphoria and pro social feeling is much to worry about. I’ve been using it for almost 3 years now and I still get that feeling. I wouldn’t it to amphetamines though, because the feelings brought about by amphetamines are MUCH more powerful, to the point where I don’t really feel like myself when I’m on them. The euphoria, fear, pleasure from sex, and the way you respond to situations is completely different on amphetamines. Over time with long term use, it leads to permanent brain changes that have much more far reaching implications on tolerance.
Modafinil, especially at low dosages, won’t jack up your brain chemicals too far out of normal. Even so, I always think its a good idea to take longer breaks every once in a while because I don’t like the idea of being dependent on anything for the long term. That being said, I’m also young and plan on living another 70 years. Since your mother is as old as she is, I really wouldn’t worry too much about it, especially if she gets a lot out of it and it keeps her satisfied.
Thanks a lot, Joes. All the best from here.
Hey Joel,
Thanks for running this site- all this information is really helpful!
I was just wondering if you had the time to answer a quick question more specified to my situation. I’m currently in my exam period and taking Modafinil to make the most of the day (trying to study as much as possible). I have played around with various doses every day (ranging from 100 to 200mg) taken early at 7:30am. I have taken it every day for the past 7 days (a week ago was the first time I took it) and have been really productive so intend on continuing. I have roughly two weeks to go before all my exams are over and I intend on not taking Modafinil again after that. I’ve started to feel the effects lessening after the week of use and I presume this might be tolerance building up? (I actually sometimes start feeling tired towards the end of the day now…)
I was wondering, from your experience, what dosage cycle do you recommend for me to maximise the benefit from modafinil in these final two weeks? Should i be taking breaks to reduce tolerence (I was thinking of taking a break tomorrow)? Or shall I just up my dosage slightly every 5 or so days? I’m not having much trouble with sleep- I find it easy to stay up, but I still get 8 hours sleep a night. Most of your advice on dosage cycles seem tailored to long-term usage but since I only plan on continuing usage for 2 weeks, I wonder if perhaps you would suggest another dosing strategy to squeeze out as much benefit in a shorter period of time?
Cheers dude!
Been there, done that! Id say try to take 2 days off out of the week and use as much as you need right up until exams. You’ll feel more tired than usual if you stop cold turkey after two weeks. That will last a few days or so but its worth it if it means getting good grades. I would take it every day leading upto exam week and sometimes take 400 – 600 mg to stay up for a day and a half leading right up to the test studying (study ahead of time, dont be like me)! After exams ended I came off completely and slept a lot for a couple days and felt completely fine afterwards. No “cravings” or excessive prolonged tiredness or anything.
Sweet! Thank you- will follow your advice.
On a side note, I do professional sport and Modafinil is on the banned substances list (If I am tested, they WILL test for it). I don’t plan to use it to increase my performance- only for studying now. There is a very very low probability of me being tested until around 1.5 months (start of competition) after this two week period of my exams. I don’t know if you have much knowledge on whether it’ll will stay in my system at a detectable level for that long? I presume if I use it following your advice for 2 weeks (relatively heavily), the quantity will stack up. 1.5 months should be more than enough for that all to go right?
If you want to play it safe you only need to stop 2 weeks in advance. At 6 weeks, there won’t be a trace of it anywhere in your body
If I used Kratom (10 grams daily) do you think I would have a tolorance for 200 mg of Modafinil ? Even after a 2 week break?
Not at all man. Thats actually a pretty good idea to use kratom on breaks and off days. Your tolerance would be no problem. That being said, its still not a bad idea to schedule breaks where you use absolutely nothing drug wise, even limiting caffeine just to give the brain a break. That would be ideal but if you cant do that then kratom is fine
Hey Joel, thanks for the quick response. Just wanted to know because I have used Kratom every day for 2 yrs. Five grams in the morning and 5 more in the evening. Since I’m looking to try Modafinil soon, I’m on a 2 week break from kratom. I’m not experiencing any withdrawals other than I runny nose BTW. Good to know that tolerance may not be a factor. If meshedding more light helps you clarify your response any different, im all ears.Thanks again!
Its been a long time since Ive used kratom. Got any recommendations on good strains for energy?
Respectively:
FOR ENERGY:
Thia white veins
Meang Da white veins
Thia green veins
FOR EUPHORIA / ENERGY
Green Malay – but it’s more euphoric/energizing
Elephant green – moodandmind.com has the best elephant
Green strains in general are energetic also
Some of the best overall quality is from kratomeye.com because their strains are fresh and potent and they focus on nootropic strains with great customer service.
Thanks for the heads up. I think I’ll give it another try. How much of a difference does this stuff actually make for your productivity and mood? Is it like a small buzz that goes away after an hour or does it make a huge difference throughout the day?
First starting out it made a huge difference because my brain was a virgin. But as you know tolerance is a bitch. Now a days it good for a few hrs tops. Thats why I’m on this blog… LOL looking to improve performance even more! I got shit to do and great ideas/ plans but not enough focus and drive to do it all…feel me
Energy lasts as long as 4-6 hrs per dose. Euphoria 2-3 hrs. 2 doses a day can give energy all day long. 3-5 grams per dose. Best on empty stomach then eat 1 hrs later for best results. No problem. LIKEWISE THANKS!
Hey there!
It’s been 4 days since I started the Modafinil intake at 100 mg per day. But the effects have already started wearing down. For example, yesterday i.e. the 4th day, I took a 100 mg at 6pm, slept at 12.30 AM, and not ready to wake up at 4.30 AM! Plus the focus I got for the first 2 days was amazing. But as mentioned above, it started wearing off from the 3rd day. My exams are 2 months from now and I have a lot to cover. Kindly help!
I am 21. Caffeine intake consists of two cups of tea. Along with them, two cigarettes. No alcohol since last one month and not until November
Depending on who you are, theres only so many days you can take it consecutively before you start seeing diminishing returns. For some people its 2 days and for others its 7. Theres really no way around it other than to leave a day or two of abstinence in between days you take it
I’ve been using modafinil as well and just stumbled on to your site. It’s absolutely mind blowing fantastic stuff, and I’ve accomplished so much more in a lot less time. Much more focus and ability to think things through properly. I also had my issues when I first started, had some hell like days where I took too much and couldn’t get to sleep, but I’ve learned my lessons… as a dancer, it also helps in the heat of battle to stay calm and feel more confident – that extra edge is epic!
Hey, firstly great article. I very recently started taking Modalert. The only problem I am facing with it is that it lasts for a very short period when compared with Waklert, which as per my research starts slow but lasts longer. Supposedly I have a work schedule of 12 hrs, I was thinking of maybe mixing both modalert and waklert dosage on a proportionate basis, say 100mg and 75mg. But before that, I wanted to know if you have tried anything like that or not.
You have to do what works best for you. If you prefer armodafinil, try using it exclusively and see how you respond to it. Since every body processes it differently the only way to find the best method for you is to experiment.
Can’t thank you enough for this write up!
I’m pretty new to modafinil. only been scripted it for 3 months or so, and like you said above, I was incredibly nervous that I was going to become dependent on this pill just to function.
My prescription says to take 100mg once a day. Personally I felt that was too much, but my doctor was pretty adament that I stay on the regimine at first.
I was worried that a pill a day was going to effect me in the wrong way.
I took a week or two off about 3 weeks ago, and when my chronic fatigue/mild narcolepsy creeped back, I took another pill and I felt like I took it for the first time again. Right then I knew that a tolerance was possible. I will say that I have some trouble watching my caffeine intake, but I’m also a nursing student, so findig the right balance is a little tough. I was a coffee lover for so long that it’s hard to stop out of habit. (Working on it though). Just got a large box of green tea to detox from the nectar of the Gods…lol
Thanks again for this write up. It was incredibly informational!
Matty H.
I was prescribed 200 MG modafinil in May and it worked great the first day. Since then it does not do anything for me. I have tried not taking it for a week and even two weeks hoping it would help the fatigue. Still need my daily naps which is frustrating. I had hoped this would help me but it hasn’t. Glad some of you are having such positive results.
This is incredibly informative. Thanks so much Joel!
The doctor’s prescribed Modafinil for my 17 year old daughter who’s having trouble staying awake in class. 100 mg. He wasn’t very clear on how long she should continue this, so your blog’s been really helpful.
I was quite worried after I read about the side effects online. The complication is that she’s got Type 1 diabetes, so I don’t know if there will be any impact on her blood sugars. Plus she’s already susceptible to cramps, and recently has lost weight because of stress about school work and falling behind, after having been a star student most of her life. She already looks quite frail, so I really don’t want her to lose any more weight.
I didn’t find much on the internet about diabetes and modafinil interactions, except one obscure reference to reduced insulin sensitivity. Would you have any advice to offer?
I guess the biggest problem comes with managing food and appetite. Personally, I dont eat till around 2 pm on days that I use it. It absolutely destroys my appetite and I stick to 2 or 3 giant meals a day and I have a rough idea of how much food I need to make up for.
If you dont know how much you should be eating and just “eat whenever” on a regular basis, youll end up in a major caloric defecit over the course of days or weeks. Getting the food in is moreso of a problem for girls. Diabetes makes it worse because you HAVE TO EAT at certain times even if you dont feel like it. The reason she has cramps is b/c her blood sugar is low from not eating. You guys need to sit down and put together a diet that has enough calories and nutrients and figure out how youre going to portion it out throughout the day.
She has to either eat a lot before taking modafinil in the morning or become mentally strong enough to just eat the damn food even if she doesnt feel like it. The first step would be bumping up the calories and eating 3 to 5 solid meals spread out throughout the day. Also Im not a believer that you “need” this stuff on weekends or on days that you have nothing going on. Even though she has it prescribed, the healthiest way is to rely on it as little as possible throughout the week
I’m starting to develop a problem. I take 200mg of Moda at 4am, by 3pm it has pretty much worn off. I no longer feel that sense of motivation, the need to get back to my desk quickly after a toilet break. my mind is no longer mulling over the work and pondering over it whilst I’m on that toilet break.
Come 3pm I’m happy to head over to my PC and jump onto facebook, youtube, whatever. I no longer feel a sense of urgency to return to my desk. The compelling drive is over. It no longer feels like everything depends on me completing my work. Those feeling have been replaced with “Oh well. Tomorrow is another day”. Not good at all. This is not what I signed up for when taking Moda.
I dont know what to do. I mean, I’m drinking water from 4-5am onwards and throughout the day. Well, sipping it throughout the day at least. Moreover, from 11am onwards I drink coffee to keep up the effects of the Moda but despite all this I can still feel it wearing off by 2pm and by 3pm I know it’s totally gone. I could happily spend the rest of the day from 3pm watching tv, films, Youtube whatever. My work will just sit on my desk. I glance at it from time to time. Briefly.
What do you all suggest I do to continue working late into the evening with the same drive and motivation that I so desperately need.
Drink more coffee
Take a caffeine tablet
Drink more water
Take another 200mg at 2pm, or even 100mg at 2pm
Switch from Modalert to Armodafinil or Modvigil or Wakalert
This is concerning. I’ve been on Moda for only 3 straight days. Was that all it took for my body to build up tolerance ? Really ? That fast ?
I started on Saturday. 200mg at 9am, which rapidly wore off around 1pm and then 100mg around 1.30pm which wore off around 8pm. I then felt really sleepy, and went to bed around 10pm. I woke up around 12:30 and remained awake the whole night. I finally got to bed around 4am and woke up around 10am feeling really tired and still pretty sleepy.
On Sunday I took 100mg around 10:30am which wore off around 4pm. With the 100mg, I cant say that I felt a massive drive or real sense of urgency. If anything, the sense of motivation lasted from around 11am until around 2pm and it was done for the day.
I took 200mg around 5am today and by 2pm it has totally worn off.
It sounds like you’ve developed quite the tolerance to the drug my friend. I’m a grad student, got scripted moda bout 4 months ago. I was having the same issue you describe. What I did was ween myself down from the drug ( lowered the dose to 100mg for 4 days) then went off it completely for minimum a week if not 2. I started getting anxiety from doubling down on coffee too so I would start switching to tea if you can.
Now that I’m back on it, I take 100mg every other day. You’d be surprised what giving your brain some time off does. Remember this is an enhancing drug, but your receptors need a break to work efficiently. Like you said above. You have no problem scrolling face book and you tube right? That’s because those are literally mind numbing things. Your brain is trying to force you into some down time. Listen to what the body is trying to tell you friend…
Good luck on sorting it out…
Thank you for your assistance. I’m grateful. This is all very new to me, despite watching countless YouTube videos and reading articles. You still have to experience it first hand.
AS you know I took 200mg on Monday, but on Tuesday I decided to completely give it a miss. Which is when I developed flu-like symptoms which got worse on Wednesday. We’re talking fever, headache and a cold. I took paracetamol and completely avoided taking any Moda. Come today, on Thursday morning and I still haven’t taken any Moda and I don’t intend to take any today. The flu like symptoms are already clearing up.
I have always struggled to study on the weekend, even when I was in school, trying to break away from socialising, video games, whatever to study throughout the weekend was near impossible for me. Sadly this still remains the case. My motivation levels are better during the weekdays than they are on the weekends.
It looks like taking Moda 3 days in a row has done me no favours at all. So that is going to stop straight away. My plan is to take 100mg on Saturday followed by another 100mg on Sunday. It’s going to be 2 days back to back which is slightly better than 3 days continuously.
I plan to try this method for at least 3 weeks and say if there’s any change.
What if i take 25mg twice a day month before exams and throughout exams. I feel a little head ache.
A little bit of headache is to be expected. You can go ahead and try that and as always – make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.
I’ve been taking modafinil (200mg) for 3 months now(every day), it was such a great help but I’m starting to feel sleepy 24/7 and I’m constantly confused and foggy I really don’t want to take more than 200 mg.
Do you think If I stop taking it for a couple of weeks it might start working again? Maybe then I could use your method (3/week)
“Do you think If I stop taking it for a couple of weeks it might start working again? Maybe then I could use your method (3/week)”
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. You’re overdoing it. Give your body a break.
That guy needs to take 3 weeks off and then use it only twice a week. That should improve his sleepiness and tolerance levels.
I started again with 200mg today at 7am. Took tea with it. Live in England so we drink plenty of tea anyway. Slight headache but drinking water now to rectify it. Feel more “in the zone” (07:51) clearly takes about an hr to get going in my body. Haven’t eaten anything since yesterday but had large lunch yesterday.
The effect is in waves. Stronger at times, fades away after a few minutes to return again a few minutes later.
Hi Joel,
I am glad that I came across your Modafinil site before I start taking it.
Everything you say makes sense and logic to me.
Thank You So Much!
Hi and good time
Thanks alot for this useful points.
I have two questions
1. Can i use modafinil 100 the mornings and one ritalin in the evenings?
2. Has modafinil interact with asentra ( sertralin) ?
1. Sure you can, although I personally wouldn’t recommend using ritalin or adderall on a regular basis.
2. It won’t hurt. Again, its entirely upto you but asentra is going to fuck you up in the long term.
Please dont say that asentra is bad:-(
I was really depressing person and obsessive befor taking this pill. I use it for 3 years, what sould i do?
I really afraid to quit Asentra and go back to my ex personality. It really makes me calmer and happier.
Didnt mean to go after you personally, there just isn’t a simple solution to the problem.
Hey there – thanks for your post. I’ve been taking Provigil, 200mg daily for about 12 years. Only in the last year or two have I noticed what feels like “tolerance” setting in. It’s possible that other life changes have had an impact. Interestingly, I switched to generic and felt that it had almost no effect. I returned to name brand and the first few days it was like I’d had a few cups of espresso on an empty stomach so I went down to 100 and eased back up to 200 over the month. All that you’ve written makes me think it’s time for me to review dosage, timing, and “rest” days. I originally found you by searching for dosage/timing since I’ve been thinking that I am always at my best from about 3-10p and wondered if I took the pill right before bed, the “perky time” might line up more effectively with my 7a work time (*:
This site is very good i like this website
I also heard that taking Phenibut can help to lower your tolerance levels as well. I ordered Phenibut from Liftmode and this is the best Phenibut that i have ever tried. Great customer service and fast shipping with the most affordable prices. I highly recommend them if you are looking for quality products for a reasonable price with great service to help with this.
Do you suggest staying totally clean on the days I don’t take Modafinil? For example, I usually take fish oil, L-theanine with coffee, zinc and rhodiola rosea and should I stop taking these on the clean days? I’m new to Modafinil and plan to take 100mg 3 times a week.
Also, do you think taking Modafinil on the day of a standardized test is a bad idea? I heard Modafinil makes time pass so fast that a test taker might not realize he/she spent so much time on a single question (basically bombing the test). Also, if I take Modafinil on the test day, is there a possibility that I get so focused on a random thing and totally get fucked up? Should I just use it when I am studying?
Those are just regular supplements for everyday use and general health. You can take them whenever and they won’t impact your tolerance in any way (unless you’re downing liters of coffee a day). As for taking it on the day of a test it will undoubtedly help with focus, concentration, and memory recall but only if you actually studied and learned the information to begin with.
Thanks for your reply. Have you ever taken Modafinil under extreme condition? like on a really big exam day when you are SO nervous. I am actually taking the LSAT and I wonder if the effect of the drug would be rather negative (jitteriness, headache, etc) when I am super nervous. I know some people who took Adderall when they took the LSAT and did worse on the drug.
The only way it could hurt is if you’re dehydrated. Find out whether or not they will allow you to carry bottles of water with you on hand. If you have to sit still for an extended period of time (like 2 or 3 hrs) without water, that will undoubtedly be a problem. Nausea, headaches, and clammy hands will all kick in if you’re dehydrated. If you get a break, refill your bottles. Not surprised that adderall would make it worse since it jacks your heart rate through the roof and makes your thoughts race at a million miles an hour. As long as you’re not running on a sleep deficit, you’ve been eating clean (ie. not greasy, sugary fast food or candy), and you’re not dehydrated, it will only help you.
If i only take 100mg and have never taken 200mg (full pill), would my tolerance act the same way as if I did 200mg? I want to take it around 4 maybe 5 days a week and still get the full effect. I find that 100mg is good enough for me. Thoughts?
If you never tried 200 and you want to try it then by all means go for it. Its not going to permanently mess you up or anything. That being said, for long term use, you’re always better off using the minimum amount you need to get and maintain the effects. There’s no point to bump it up to 200mg for regular use if 100mg is already working great for you. Its not going to make you twice as smart. If anything it might give you a bigger headache, make it harder to fall asleep, and give more negatives in return for only a small marginal increase in benefit.
Can you recommend a reputable site to order it? I’m in the US (Texas). Thanks!
Just look in the righthand corner of this site for the “buy modafinil” button. Its very straightforward and they accept Visa, MasterCard, or Bitcoin.
Thank you. I wasn’t sure if that was a random advertisement. 🙂
There is not, nor will there ever be any foreign advertisements on this site or anything I promote. I don’t do Google ads and I’m never going to sell advertising. Everything you see has been personally placed there by me and has my full reputation behind it.
6 months of Modafinil. My prescription is because I have rrMS and fatigue + brain fog had lost me my job and made me feel 40 years older. Also other meds made me sleep in an instant 5 times daily.
MODAFINIL has been and still is awesome, I take 4 days off and do 10 days on . For 5 days I do standard dose and then up it somewhat for next 5 days.
Tolerance can get so bad that a single dose can make me tired like a sleeping pill as I burn out, this is when you have to have a week off.
Since I started modafinil I have created a better ‘me’ I eat well and I have now been in my dream job for 3 months which is superb, my job is incredibly taxing on the mind and needs real focus, i simply wouldn’t be able to do it had I not been lucky enough to find modafinil and armodafinil.
Hi Joel. Thnx for these useful informations! But I’ve read somewhere that Modafinil is not good for teenagers in high school bc our brain isn’t matured fully until 23-25 years old. Does it mean i shouldn’t take it?? I don’t have any sleeping disorders but i can’t concentrate well and i also need to improve my long term memory bc i forget things alot and i have final exams in a few months and a very important entrance exam next year! Should i take it? Or is it bad for me? (I’m 17)
I would say at least put it off until college. Honestly, even with taking a lot of demanding courses in high school, I feel like you would benefit more from learning how to make the best use of your time and stretch yourself to the limit by taking the absolute least amount of stimulants, including caffeine. Hypothetically, if you were take take it now, it wouldn’t permanently stunt your development or anything, but you would still be better off learning how to do it right as a 100% natural before reaching out for artificial boosters.
Glad I stumbled upon this bern taking Nuvigil for a couple years I would like to add even though it might not be severely addictive you can become dependent on it keeping you awake I’m a truck driver and had some good results from it also some very very bad one time I was awake for 91 hours straight have sleep apnea and severe restless leg and when the nuvigil would wear off right when I would try to sleep restless legs would keep me up the entire night ended up taking 3000 milligrams a day just to try to stay awake I was awake but after a while day after day it caused panic and horrible anxiety running 7 days at a time with only 3 hours of sleep a night after a while the human body just can’t take it more is not better like any other drug, there are lots of other side effects I can’t go into detail all I have to say is if you cannot control it or rely on this drug , just you have a normal life I would highly suggest dumping it in the trash safely of course if anyone wants to know the side effects extended use and High dosages you can write me it’s not worth your health one thing I did notice is that it can make you sleepy the first hour or two after I took it thinking it was not working I took more just to have all of it hit me at one time later one thing I noticed a few hours in it seemed to quit working and again I took more wrong thing to do if this ever happened to anyone it is like hair gel that goes bad and you reactivate it with water same way with this drug you can reactivate it with light exercise or a small snack that seemed to pick it up again one good thing is when I stopped taking it completely no side effects the pink elephant in my bedroom is completely normal LOL
Today I realized that Nu-Vigil just wasn’t working for me any more. This morning I took 250 mg, expecting to get a lot of work done. Instead, I want back to bed and slept another 4 hours after a good night’s rest!
So, I went online and searched for “Nuvigil acclimation”, and found this site. I WAS going to take my Nuvigil back to my pharmacist, and complain that it was a “bad batch”. But now I understand it better.
So, I’ll switch back to coffee for a month or two, and see if Nuvigil then works better for me. And then just use it rarely, in small doses, like when I need to drive.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Paul the Hard Worker
I started at 400mg 5 years ago.
Now I have to keep below 150mg.
100mg is usually enough.
So this not accurate in my heavy long term experience. More science needed.
I took Modafilnil and it worked great.
The Doc had some samples of Nuvigile (Armodafinil) she gave me to try to help curb cost with insurance. I finished the samples, then went back to Modafinil. But Modafinil now is not working. Either I got a bad batch of meds or taking a similar med Armodafinil made Modafinil non reactive.
I like the Armodafinil better, has a gentler rise and fall.
When i started back on the Modafinil it was like taking sugar pills. Not even a little benefit. On a day off work I took up to six 200mg pills through out the day, still no benefit. I have been off all stimulants for several weeks. I tried the Modafinil again today, no effect. .
I asked the pharmacist about the Modafinil not working. Asked if there was a bad batch, his body language changed and was trying to get on with other things quickly. He said there was no reports from other customers of the Modafinil not working. I asked where I can get the meds tested, he completely ignored my question, would not answer me.
I’ve never heard of armodafinil making modafinil ineffective before. Most likely explanation is a bad batch (which is still quite rare). If you get another fresh batch and it still doesn’t work, you’ll know for sure at that point.
Everyone I talk to says the same.
The only bad part is I have to wait till time is up to get another refill. The things in our days…
It’s true what I’ve read in here. I stopped taking provigil for a week and started back with half the dose and fewer days a week and it’s working better that ever. Thanks for the advice!
Glad to help Danilo!
Since I have a lot to learn in the coming period, I decided to buy armodafinil, when I arrived first I had half a drink and sat to learn and there was no effect, then after 2 hours I drank more than half and there was nothing of focus, increased concentration. .. only vigilance but my head hurt and I felt as strange as if my head was heavy, tomorrow morning I drank again soon after I woke up but whole 150 mg and again I learn and again none of the good effects only vigilance but again I am I felt strange, I could not remember anything, so a lot of bad feeling in my head, I decided that during the day after I’m drinking another, purely trying to be an effect, again none of the good effects, just bad, I felt dizzy, nausea, …. so I was just awake but completely incapable of learning, please help me for the help is very urgent, thank you !
Thank you for this post, it was really helpful. I’ve been using modafinil for the last2 years, started it to get through my last year of uni, and my grades went up dramatically; all my tutors were asking me what happened to make such improvements.
But I’ve been taking it every day and when I don’t have it I can barely get out of bed. I’m going to try cutting some days out and becoming less dependant. It’s a great stimulant but you’re right it needs to be used in the right way.
Thank you
Thank you for this! Spot on! I’m 24, 6,2′ and 240lbs and I do 50mg to get me going every other day. Sometimes I take 4 days breaks from it so that 50mg is all it takes.
Using the least amount of drugs possible to get the most out of it is definitely the way to go in the long run!