Modafinil
Monograph · AModafinil
Atypical wakefulness-promoting agent. Weak dopamine-reuptake inhibitor with histaminergic + orexinergic activity. FDA-approved Rx for narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea.
How it clearsHalf cleared in ~14h. Most (~96%) gone by ~3d.
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Diphenylmethyl-sulfinyl-acetamide. The dominant prescription stimulant in the cognitive-enhancement cohort. Schedule IV controlled substance in US (lower abuse potential than amphetamines but still scheduled). Off-label uses include ADHD adjunct, depression-fatigue, and cognitive enhancement in healthy adults — the latter is where Stack catalogs it. Armodafinil (R-enantiomer, Nuvigil) is the longer-acting variant. Cohort consensus: clean alertness without amphetamine jitter, but tolerance + sleep architecture disruption with daily use.
Consistent cognitive signal in trials — but the acute vs. cumulative distinction matters more here than anywhere else. Acute effects are attention-adjacent and immediate; deeper improvements documented in long-term trials typically require 8–12 weeks. Most users abandon before the relevant window.
REAL DRUG INTERACTIONS: hormonal contraceptives (induces metabolism — backup contraception required), warfarin, cyclosporine. Stevens-Johnson syndrome reported (rare but life-threatening — discontinue immediately on rash). Cardiovascular contraindication (left ventricular hypertrophy, mitral valve prolapse). Sleep architecture disruption with consecutive-day dosing. Possible REM-rebound + withdrawal headache. Stack does NOT recommend daily cognitive-enhancement use — alternate-day or weekly is the cohort consensus.
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- BModerate evidence
Atypical wakefulness-promoting agent
1 supporting referencesVerified 23d ago - AStrong evidence
Modafinil is an FDA-approved drug active ingredient
1 supporting referencesVerified 23d ago
External links to PubMed searches, ClinicalTrials.gov, and FDA materials. We do not host papers — we point at canonical sources.
- RegulatoryENREGULATORYNIH-fundedVerified 48d agoFDA — Provigil (modafinil) label
- PubMedENREVIEWAcademic-fundedVerified 48d agoBattleday RM + Brem AK — Modafinil for cognitive neuroenhancement (Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015 review)
- PubMedENREVIEWAcademic-fundedVerified 48d agoMinzenberg MJ + Carter CS — Modafinil neurochemistry + cognition (Neuropsychopharmacology 2008)
FDA-approved Rx (narcolepsy, SWSD, OSA). Schedule IV controlled. Off-label cognitive use is common but technically requires a prescriber willing to write off-label.
Distilled themes from named communities — Reddit threads, forums, creator commentary. Not direct quotes; not clinical evidence. Useful for calibrating expectations against what real self-experimenters report.
Cohort consensus: 100 mg starting dose for naive users, 200 mg upper bound for sustained alertness. Twice-weekly cycling preserves effect. Ground-glass mouth feel + appetite suppression are the most-reported side effects. Combine with caffeine cautiously (additive cardiovascular load).
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