1. Stay Awake and Alert
Provigil, a prescription-strength medication, improves wakefulness and treats symptoms like excessive sleepiness (ES). Causes for ES include obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. The drug improves short-term memory and increases awareness in people who use it. Some militaries allow pilots and soldiers to use Provigil to extend periods of wakefulness. However, ethical doctors won't prescribe the drug to stay awake to improve studying or to increase alertness without the presence of a sleep disorder.
2. Sleep Deprived or Sleep Disorder
If you get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night and still don't feel awake in the morning, you may be experiencing a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep. Doctors test for sleep disorders with a polysomnogram, which records brain waves and tracks your sleep cycle. Studies may soon prove subwakefulness syndrome, which is a state where you are not as awake as you want to be, as an official sleep disorder.
3. Stimulate Your Brain
Natural stimulants like coffee or drugs like Ritalin increase activity in your central nervous system. In some individuals, stimulants cause jitters or hyperactivity. Studies show stimulants to be addictive, but according to the FDA, Provigil has a low abuse potential. Provigil specifically targets the brain rather than the central nervous system. While use may cause side effects like headaches, anxiety, nausea or insomnia, most users do not suffer from withdrawal problems.
4. Provigil Inhibits Birth Control
If you use a low-dose birth control, you won't want to take Provigil. Low-dose birth control pills--such as Yasmin, Ortho-Cept and Alesse--use less than 20 mcg of estrogen. In studies, Provigil decreased the half-life of triazolam, an ingredient in some birth control methods. Both oral and implantable contraceptives showed a negative reaction with Provigil. If you do take Provigil, use an alternative birth control like condoms to prevent pregnancy for at least 1 month after you finish taking Provigil.
5. A Rash of Reactions
Post-market studies show a small correlation between Provigil and severe skin rashes like Stevens-Johnson syndrome in people under the age of 17. Approximately 1 out of 1,595 people developed angioedema. Some cases required hospitalization and immediate discontinued use of Provigil. The FDA recently updated the label on Provigil to include the risk of serious skin rashes. In some cases, discontinued use did not relieve the rash. Another life-threatening condition, multi-organ hypersensitivity, occurred in close proximity to Provigil being taken.
