Provigil for shift workers
Common Questions and Answers about Provigil for shift workers
provigil
So far Provigil has mostly been beneficial for me . . . it usually gives me the energy and focus I need to get some things (but not all) done.
But yesterday and today I just can't seem to focus on anything. It is SO frustrating . . . I think I have the energy to do things . . . but I don't know where to start . . . or I begin something only to be sidetracked to another.
After my liver transplant
Some doctors will Rx a drug like Provigil that can increase focus and concentration; it’s used by shift workers and US Air force pilots to increase awareness and concentration at times. By the way, it’s amphetamine free.
So many of the side effects can be ameliorated with intervention… especially interferon induced depression/anxiety.
I have been taking Provigil for about 3 yrs. I also take meds before bed to help w/ sleep. I take 200mg of Provigil every morning. I feel that w/o it, I would sleep 24/7. When I have run out of it, I have slept very extended periods of time. I don't think I could do w/o it. My dr. got provigil preauthorized w/ my insurance by stating that I had FMS and sleep apnea. With the two conditions combined, they approved it.
I've been on provigil for a year and a half now- as needed (my job requires shift work). I also take pristiq for anxiety in which I've had for many years. In the last six months I've been dealing with w lot of troubling events that have taken a toll on me, my emotions, my stress level. In the last month or so I've noticed that I get really bad anxiety/nervousness about ten minutes after taking my provigil. It never used to do that before.
I am also dizzy 24/7 and have been for 6 yrs. I take provigil for the fatigue. Its expensive but one of safer drugs, it is not narcotic either. And it works for me, i was given adderall but it didnt seem to work at all for my fatigue. Plus it is narcotic and addicting.
I was recently in a drug rehab recently to get off of methodone that my dr had given me for pain, a long story...they also took away my sleeping pill.
Morning erections are not a sign of anything. Mostly we get them when we're young and then we don't get them much anymore, although obviously people do differ. So don't worry about those, they're irrelevant. But yeah, if you're tired all the time, you might have trouble doing all sorts of things, and erections might be one of them, although there's certainly no guarantee this is so.
I have taken both Provigil and Nuvigil. The neuro that treats my sleep apnea prescribed Provigil for me several years ago before I was diagnosed with MS. They are expensive meds but do more than any other drug I take to noticably improve my daily life. I'd give up many other things to continue to afford either one.
Neither drug gets rid of my fatigue or boosts my energy (wish they did). What they do is help to keep me awake and alert during the day.
I remember that you have fibro as well as ms, and probably other things. What is your take on asking my dr about Provigil for the extreme fatigue of my fibro? I ended up taking a 3 1/2hr "nap" today. And will have no trouble sleeping tonight.A lot of the posts here mention taking it to help with their fatigue, just wondering if it would help fibro fatigue. Hope you are having a great Memorial Day weekend!
It is also prescribed for extreme fatigue, but if it is not prescribed for the 3 things that the FDA has given approval for, insurance will not approve it. I took Provigil for about a year, I was on suboxone at the time, which can cause excessive sleepyness, but it was more than that. In the end, I was tested for sleep apnea and ended up being diagnosed with RLS, which can cause the same symptoms. The provigil worked great, but like Eagle said, it is very expensive.
After getting the run around for months, my insurance company has now denied payment for Provigil. They refuse because using Provigil for MS fatigue is an "off the label" use for the medication. Any advice???
The neuro that treats my sleep apnea prescribed Provigil for me before I was diagnosed with MS. At that time, I was slapping myself to stay awake while driving and thinking was a slow difficult process that felt like I was wading through chest high mud to find a match to light my fire. Life as me and near me was unpleasant and unsafe.
I have taken both Provigil and Nuvigil over the past three years.
http://fatiguemanagementblog.wordpress.com/
so we could share experiences. Would be great to hear from anyone on how they manage their fatigue from varying shifts.
Medicine is what I meant to say! I'm getting used to typing on an iPad...it fills in words that I don't want sometimes...
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