Provigil for shift workers

Nurses General Nursing

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Has anyone ever tried this product Provigil for excessive sleepiness? Like some, I work the night shift (12 hrs) and feel like I sleep excessively and have problems staying awake. Is this product FDA approved?

Its not anger over "ONE PILL" its indicative of a trend in our society to medicate every little inconvenience. Its the same mentality that makes a parent with active children take them to the doctor and get a script for ADD. Oh well hes a little too busy for my tastes so can we give him something for ADHD. Everyone is not meant to work nights or 6-7 12 hour shifts per week so if it doesnt agree with you physically I know that drugs are not the answer. Some people genuinely have medical conditions and some people just need sleep at night. You would think nurses would know better. Im not angry just dissappointed.:o

When I have to have a life saving surgery at 3am, I want that doc to feel awake and be able to think critically...... and I dont care what it takes for him to do that......

Have you ever worked night shift? I worked nigth for 3 years and I was dying...... I slept all of the time. The first 2 years werent bad, but the 3rd year was horrible. My days off were wasted sleeping, I made a few errors at work and really felt they were from sleepiness. I would get off of work in the AM, I would sleep straigt from 9am to 5:30 pm. Sounds like a good 8' sleep to me, but I was SOO sleepy all of the time.

You are right, some people nees to sleep at night. Tell that to the patients at the hospital who require care between the hours of 9pm and 6am.

I have gone to day shift after my husband begged me long enough. I have taken modafinil, though. The reason one poster might have gotten tired in the early morning was b/c it only lasts 8 hours. I really felt it worked.

When I have to have a life saving surgery at 3am, I want that doc to feel awake and be able to think critically...... and I dont care what it takes for him to do that......

Have you ever worked night shift? I worked nigth for 3 years and I was dying...... I slept all of the time. The first 2 years werent bad, but the 3rd year was horrible. My days off were wasted sleeping, I made a few errors at work and really felt they were from sleepiness. I would get off of work in the AM, I would sleep straigt from 9am to 5:30 pm. Sounds like a good 8' sleep to me, but I was SOO sleepy all of the time.

You are right, some people nees to sleep at night. Tell that to the patients at the hospital who require care between the hours of 9pm and 6am.

I have gone to day shift after my husband begged me long enough. I have taken modafinil, though. The reason one poster might have gotten tired in the early morning was b/c it only lasts 8 hours. I really felt it worked.

Since you ask I have been a nurse for 13 years and 10 of those years have been spent on the night shift. So I do know what I am talking about. I happen to be a night person and I respectfully recognize that everyone is not. A woman may want to be a model when her healthy weight makes her a size 14. Should she take drugs to look a certain way because she just "wants to do that job" ? Oh wait that happens everyday so nevermind. :nono:

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I just drink coffee. One cup of coffee from me would run a nuclear power plant for a week Ive been told.

Coffee makes me so jittery that I cant place an IV b/c I shake so bad. The good thing about modafinil, is that you dont get jittery, you dont crash when it does wear off (not like with caffiene) AND caffiene can affect your ability to think clearly.

If everyone who was not a night person changed to days, nights would be empty. Modeling is an aesthetic career that is not required for others to live. Nursing is an absolute neccesity.

Coffee makes me so jittery that I cant place an IV b/c I shake so bad. The good thing about modafinil, is that you dont get jittery, you dont crash when it does wear off (not like with caffiene) AND caffiene can affect your ability to think clearly.

If everyone who was not a night person changed to days, nights would be empty. Modeling is an aesthetic career that is not required for others to live. Nursing is an absolute neccesity.

My statement isn't based on the necessity of any career. It is based on the inclination to take drugs to do what it is you "want" to do even if you are not suited for it. I think that the comparison is fair and easy to understand. Furthermore, If your statement were REALLY true models would not make millions while nurses make relatively little. Some might argue that models and athletes are more important to our society as a whole.

Wow.. what an interesting conversation... I see both sides... But as a person with Narcolepsy, who actually "needs" the medication I cannot take it... It DOES cause and increase in HR, mine would run 130s-140s after taking, and it did cause a crash in the evenings, I would get a BUSTING headache... I was told my body would get used to it... Never did... I worked nights and that is what made me actually go and get diagnosed (what a concept). I keep it in my purse for those days in the PACU where I can't keep my eyes open.. But I agree if you can't tolerate or adjusts to nights maybe that isn't the shift you need... Not every person who works nights has problems sleeping... So I doubt there would be NO night shift workers..

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.

Could we cut with the arguing, please?

A previous poster was right, some people have to work nights due to shift availability, family needs, etc., whether they are a 'night person' or not. I'm one of them. And patients are sick and in need of care 24/7, so nightshift is a fact of life.

What works for one person for maintaining alertness may not work for another person.

Why judge another person for taking meds to help them function?

Specializes in ED, Hospice, ICU, Trach and vent.

I was prescribed Provogil 2 years ago d/t terrible sleep problems associated with shift work. The good news is I did sleep better...the bad news, I had a terrible reaction to the med. I would burst out crying all the time, was paranoid, had terrible anxiety attacks. I had to be weaned off the med, b/c you can't just stop taking. When the med was out of my system, I went back to normal (if I am normal...lol) But, it did scare me to death!

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Check this out:

http://www.provigil.com/patient/disorders/shiftwork.aspx

Apparently there is something called Shift Work Sleep Disorder ..interesting! It says this med is the only one FDA approved to treat SWSD. I'm interested! :)

One sleepy noc worker :)

Reading the website, makes it sound like just another excuse to sell drugs. It truly didnt come across to me as being anymore reliable than that ad on TV for that guy who smiled all the time.

Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.
Reading the website, makes it sound like just another excuse to sell drugs. It truly didnt come across to me as being anymore reliable than that ad on TV for that guy who smiled all the time.

I agree, it seems that this "disorder" is something that the drug company invented so that they could get FDA approval for their medication to treat it.

Specializes in ED, Hospice, ICU, Trach and vent.

I did not take the med for excessive sleepiness per se. I have chronic insomnia which Ambien nor Restoril helped, so my MD wanted to try to even out my sleep patterns. Like I said, I did sleep better, but the side effects were horrible. I do not just put drugs in my body, but after 15 years of insomnia, yes I wanted to try anything he suggested to help me sleep...:sleep: But I also trust my MD...he hasn't purposely steered me wrong yet.

iT IS SO FUNNY THAT YO MENTION THIS MED, AS i HAD A PATIENT COME INTO THE ER TONIGHT AND THIS IS LISTED AS ONE OF HER MEDS, WHEN ASKED WHAT IT WAS TAKEN FOR HER HUSBAND REPLIED "NARCOLEPSY, THEY DID A SLEEP STUDY AND FOUND OUT THE SHE'S GOT NARCOLEPSY"

QUESTION? CAN YOU FIND OUT SOMEONE HAS NARCOLEPSY WHEN THEY ARE SLEEPING AND IS IT REALLY NARCOLEPSY IF YOU ONLY HAVE IT AT NIGHT?

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