Provigil for shift workers

TazziRN, RN · Jun 19, 2007

If it's being prescribed it has to be FDA approved. My MIL used it and said it worked for her.

caliotter3 · Jun 19, 2007

Is it a pharmaceutical medicine or herbal product? Haven't heard of it.

ERRNTraveler, RN · Jun 19, 2007

It's a prescription medication, controlled substance, usually prescribed for narcolepsy or other similar conditions. I don't think it's intended to be used as an "energy pill" for tired night shift workers, unless you have an underlying clinical condition that is causing your drowsiness. I think it would be somewhat irresponsible of a physician to prescribe it to someone who just needs help staying awake at night & doesn't have a medical condition causing them to fall asleep at inappropriate times.

nighteyes719 · Jun 19, 2007

It works great. and yes it is being prescribed for shift workers. my doctor ordered for me a few years ago . insurance would not approve it. it cost over $300.00 a month with out insurance. just got a new insurance company and it is finnally approved and works great I dont take it all the time likes its ordered 200mg bid. one tablet a day is great and have had no side effects.

Mommy TeleRN, RN · Jun 19, 2007

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 :)

fultzymom · Jun 19, 2007

I have a friend who says many night nurses use it where she works. She said that they all love it et that it works really well.

Leslie

hope3456, ASN, RN · Jun 19, 2007

I've been taking it for about a month. I was really having problems staying awake at work and with feeling drowsy. It has really helped with the drowsiness and helps me feel more alert. A couple times I took it when I hadn't slept the previous day and I still got really tired towards the end of my shift so it definately shouldn't be a replacement for sleep. i had to pay for it out of pocket and it is expensive - about $7 a pill - i found that 1/2 a pill works well for me so thats what i've been taking. When I took the whole 100mg I was wired! I only take it when I go to work - 1 hr. before the start of my shift.

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jun 19, 2007

My doc prescribed Provigil for me because I work 3-12 hr nights a week and the other meds I'm on already cause sleepiness and I was having a horrible time staying awake. It did help me stay awake, but I tend to react sensitively to a lot of meds and it made me my heart beat fast and raised my blood pressure and I couldn't think straight. But that's just me. I've heard of it working well for others. And, yes, it is prescribed for shift work sleep disorders.

coffeeaddict, LPN, LVN · Jun 19, 2007

I have been taking provigil for about 6 months now. I needed something to counteract that loss of brain power that would happen around 5am. I realy didnt have any problems staying awake, I would just start forgetting what I went into the med room for, or one time couldnt think of the word bedpan. I didnt feel comfortable with the drop in IQ working in a ICU. So my doctor priscribed provigil for me. I usually only use it two out of my three 12 hr shifts. I still sleep the 8 hrs in the day, but I think it helps alot with the wake sleep cycle. There are only mild side affects, the first week or so I used it I got a mild H/A, and a slightly stuffy nose. There is little known about how it works, but they think that it increases the histamine, and dopamine levels in the brain, coping the natural wake nerotransmiters of the brain.

MB37 · Jun 19, 2007

We just covered madafinil (Provigil) in pharm. It is a CNS stimulant but non-amphetamine. It can be prescribed for narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. The benefits are less than with an aphetamine. The exact mechanism of action is unknown, but it seems to influence the sleep-wake center of the hypothalamus. Common adverse effects: H/A, nausea, diarrhea, nervousness, and rhinitis. It can increase HR and BP in some people according to a recent study. Also, it shouldn't interfere with nighttime sleep. Hope that helps!

paraphrased from: Lehne, R. (2007). Pharmacology for Nursing Care. p. 392.

caldje · Jun 19, 2007

depending on your costs.. it may be interesting for you to know that 200mg of caffeine is equally effective as 200mg provigil. here is one study.. a few others have been done.. all show similar efficacy.

title: cognitive performance during sustained wakefulness: a low dose of caffeine is equally effective as modafinil in alleviating the nocturnal decline.

author: dagan, yaron; doljansky, julia t

institution: the institute for sleep and fatigue medicine, the chaim sheba medical center, tel hashomer, israel.

appears in: chronobiology international. vol. 23, no. 5 (2006): 973-83.

journal info: abbreviation: chronobiol int. journal subset: im.. country of publication: united states.

abstract: cognitive performance at night exhibits a substantial drop, typically before dawn. one of the means of dealing with this phenomenon, as well as with the accompanying sleepiness during sustained wakefulness, is the administration of stimulants. the most widely used and well-documented stimulants are caffeine, amphetamines, and modafinil. of these, amphetamines are the least recommended, as they may severely affect behavior. caffeine and modafinil seem to produce relatively milder side effects and usually only at high doses. previous comparison studies have revealed equal efficacy of both the stimulants in maintaining alertness and performance during sustained wakefulness. however, these studies used relatively high, and thus not completely safe, doses of these drugs (600 mg caffeine and 400 mg modafinil). therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a low and medically safe dose of caffeine (200 mg) and modafinil (200 mg) in maintaining cognitive performance during sustained wakefulness. a flight simulation task was chosen for the assessment of the stimulants in a counter-balanced, within-subject design under four different conditions: baseline (no drugs), placebo, caffeine (200 mg), and modafinil (200 mg). the equal effectiveness of both drugs in abolishing the nocturnal drop in cognitive performance, as well as of oral temperature and blood pressure, supported the use of low doses of caffeine and modafinil for the maintenance of alertness in healthy subjects during sustained wakefulness.