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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Hi,
Provigil is a psi-stim, it acts to promote alertness and awakeness.
It acts on mood too?
Any experience to share?
Tanx to you all.
bye
neo
Posted by zeliva on March 25, 2003, at 12:47:07
In reply to PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Hi Neo- I take Provigil once in a while. I do like it. It gives me a pic-me-up! It does definetly help my mood a lot. I have cyclothymia (mood disorder). I take 100mgs. I cut my samples in half. So far no side effects and no insomnia. I really like it. Good luck.
Jill
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on March 25, 2003, at 17:48:59
In reply to PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Provigil, for me, was an excellent anti-depressant and anxiolytic (!) at a dose of 1,000mg per day... gave me a headache though, and I'm allergic to all OTC painkillers. At 1,200mg it was absolutely euphoric... beats cocaine or meth hands down. But luckily I doubt many druggies are desperate enough to spend upwards of $100 on a single dose.
Posted by IsoM on March 25, 2003, at 19:56:20
In reply to PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Hope you don't mind that I'm being lazy in giving you an answer as I've been really busy otherwise. I use Provigil daily & counting adrafinil (it's sister compound) which I first started on, I've been taking it for over a year now.
I first started because of narcolepsy but it did nothing for it, so I discontinued it. But I found it had been working as the best mood enhancer ever so went back on it.
If you do a search on this site using my name, IsoM & Provigil, you'll find lots of other info where I go into more detail, plus lots of other comments from other posters.
Posted by wendy b. on March 27, 2003, at 8:50:48
In reply to PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Neo,
Like the others here, I have experienced this effect from the Provigil. Really helped with the hopelessness.
(BTW, it is not a p-stim! Not related in any way to dex or meth or ritalin).Its mechanism of action isn't well-understood, but if it works for so many people as a brightener of mood, you could give it a whirl, no harm if it doesn't work, and a boon if it does. I like to think of this drug as our little secret, because if people really knew how well it works, they'd be breaking down the doors of their shrinks' offices to try to get a scrip. It has also helped me lose a substantial amount of weight... Yet another reason it's a keeper.
Best wishes,
Wendy
Posted by Neo on March 27, 2003, at 10:57:26
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood? » Neo, posted by wendy b. on March 27, 2003, at 8:50:48
Posted by fairnymph on March 28, 2003, at 16:02:57
In reply to PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by Neo on March 25, 2003, at 8:51:55
Apparently someone thinks it does, as the Stanford Depression clinic is doing a trial with it for depression.
Posted by LA on March 29, 2003, at 10:18:29
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood? » Neo, posted by wendy b. on March 27, 2003, at 8:50:48
Has anyone had any experience with a combination of provigil and AD'S such as celexa?
Posted by IsoM on March 29, 2003, at 13:21:59
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by LA on March 29, 2003, at 10:18:29
I don't come by here much now - too busy - but I scanned for certain subject titles & saw the Provigil. I take Celexa, Provigil, & Dexedrine. Works very well for me. What are you asking about taking Celexa with Provigil?
Posted by LA on March 29, 2003, at 13:55:12
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood? » LA, posted by IsoM on March 29, 2003, at 13:21:59
> I don't come by here much now - too busy - but I scanned for certain subject titles & saw the Provigil. I take Celexa, Provigil, & Dexedrine. Works very well for me. What are you asking about taking Celexa with Provigil?
Hi IsoM
I am currently taking 60mg of celexa for depression. Doesn't seem to be working very well as I am tired all the time no matter how many hours I sleep and gaining weight,ofcourse I am so tired the last thing I want to do is to go to the gym.
I read a few posts regarding Provigil but AD'S were not mentioned. Thought it might help with energy and weight loss.
What has been your experience with Celexa and Provigil? What are you taking them for? And how does the Dexedrine fit in? Dr wants to add respirdone(sp).He was suppose to add it this week but has deceided he wants me to stay on the Celexa another 2 weeks. I am not able to get in to see new DR for another 2 weeks. Thought I might be able to convince my primary to add Provigil at least until I see new DR. Also primary said she thougth 60mg of celexa was high.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Posted by IsoM on March 29, 2003, at 22:06:45
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood? IsoM » IsoM, posted by LA on March 29, 2003, at 13:55:12
I don’t have normal depression but can feel bleak and dark when depression’s on me. ADs keep it at bay but not quite enough. Winter can be very difficult and there’s no way I want to unnecessarily increase my dose.
I originally started on TCAs - some worked and some didn’t. When SSRIs came along, I tried them instead as TCA side effects were very bothersome. Again, some worked and some didn’t. A few years ago, I wanted off Paxil as even being late for a dose brought on discontinuation/withdrawal symptoms. But after a spell of no ADs, my mood was thunderous black so I went back on. I asked my doctor if I could try Celexa and it worked very well without the short half-life of Paxil or Luvox.
I’ve long suspected I might have narcolepsy but one day dismissed the idea outright without even asking further. My next doctor thought it a strong possibility and made an appointment at a university sleep lab for me. The appointment was a year away and I found that I’d have to be off all meds for a week to a month before testing. I’d been through that hell before and decided not to bother. My current doctor was very receptive to discussing whether I had narcolepsy. Because he had another patient who has it, he’s familiar with what it’s really like. I fit all four criteria for diagnosis (it’s not needed to have all four but because I do, it was pretty obvious to him I had it).
Stims are used to treat narcolepsy but I asked if I couldn’t try Provigil (Alertec here in Canada) instead. He said he’d never tried it on any one else but didn’t have a problem with seeing how it’d work. Unfortunately, it did nothing to help me stave off the heavy sleepiness (not tired but sleepy - if someone would wake me up mentally, I had lots of energy). After a couple of months, I stopped it and went back to ask for regular stims instead.
He prescribed Dexedrine that I’d used temporarily before as I told him I hated the effects of Ritalin. The Dexedrine kept me awake and helped me focus as I also have ADHD (it’s funny - either I’m high energy, super enthused or sleepy, hardly functioning). But I noticed that I was losing my “brightness” - my “up” feeling and realized that Provigil had made a huge difference in that area even if it didn’t keep me awake. But then, I can take Dexedrine and head right to bed and sleep for 3 hours.
I went back and asked my doctor for Provigil again and he was surprised I wanted it again. I explained and he said it was fine. It’s because of Provigil that I made it through a pretty stressful winter (my worse time) without feeling down. The Celexa does help with depression - don’t know how I can tell you but I “know” it does - and the psychologist who tested me for ADHD said ADs help with the impulsiveness that ADD people often show. For me the impulsiveness comes in what I say or react like rather than what most consider impulsive behaviour.
Provigil enables me to feel a deep seated feeling of contentment and quiet satisfaction in my life. It doesn’t cover up feelings or emotions but I feel gives me a “clear, unclouded view” of what’s good about life without blinding me to the horrors and sadness of what’s happening around us. And Dexedrine does keep me awake when I need to especially when tasks are monotonous or when I need to do something that’s low physical activity.
Celexa - 40 mg
Alertec (Provigil) - 100 mg (in the dead of winter, I take a second dose in the afternoon)
Dexedrine - 5 mg in the morning and another 5 in the afternoon. This one I play with a lot. Some days when it’s not so important to be alert, I leave off the afternoon dose. I try to give myself a day or two break every week or two, and if really needed, I’ll take 3 pills in a day, but I do my best to take ONLY what is needed and don’t take extra that could raise my tolerance for it. I want my doctor to know his trust in my judgment is well deserved. I also take Eltroxin for my thyroid.Extra note: My ongoing battle with trying not to fall asleep started well before I ever took ADs. And over the years, it was becoming harder & harder to fight, to the point reading for more than a few minutes put me right to sleep. ADs can have the effect of causing one to become sleepy or tired, but mine was different.
Posted by juanantoniod on March 30, 2003, at 12:39:50
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood? » Neo, posted by Ame Sans Vie on March 25, 2003, at 17:48:59
Hi there!
Provigil comes in 200mg tablets. Did you actually take 5 or 6 of them? I'm curious because I tried Provigil at 100 and 200mg and felt great for 5 days then nothing. I was afraid to increase the dose above 200. But I have a very high tolerance for medications so maybe this is what I need. I just want to make sure you are talking about taking that much.
> Provigil, for me, was an excellent anti-depressant and anxiolytic (!) at a dose of 1,000mg per day... gave me a headache though, and I'm allergic to all OTC painkillers. At 1,200mg it was absolutely euphoric... beats cocaine or meth hands down. But luckily I doubt many druggies are desperate enough to spend upwards of $100 on a single dose.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on March 30, 2003, at 13:51:25
In reply to Re: PROVIGIL acts in enhancing mood?, posted by juanantoniod on March 30, 2003, at 12:39:50
From what I understand, doses up to 1,000mg have been used in clinical trials, but were found to raise blood pressure and heart rate. No other serious adverse effects were mentioned, and of course plenty of drugs can have these effects (Effexor, amphetamines, methylphenidate...). There have been no long-term studies done though, so I'd be wary of that.
In my case, just like you, normal doses were no help at all beyond a few days. A dose of 1.2 grams felt very similar to methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA, similar to MDMA [Ecstasy]). Very pro-social effects, euphoria, anxiolysis-- yet was able to very easily go to sleep. At 1 gram it was less euphoric and more "normalizing", if that makes any sense.
I should definitely add that this was all done under the supervision of several physicians, and I'd never recommend raising the dose on your own.
This is the end of the thread.
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