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Just as a quick follow-up to this post, … there seems to be a narcolepsy drug that works really well for periods when you need a lot of concentration.
The drug name is provigil. The article is a pretty hard-core testimonial on its effect. There’s an interesting discussion here. The article seems to mention no negative side effects (other than making you eat less!) but in the discussion some people mention serious stuff like : “nervousness, insomnia, excitation, irritability, tremors, dizziness and headaches“.
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AMA citation:
Quesada J. More on drugs that supposedly give you mental superpowers. Academic Productivity. 2008. Available at: https://academicproductivity.com/2008/more-on-drugs-that-supposedly-give-you-mental-superpowers/. Accessed January 18, 2012.
APA citation:
Quesada, Jose. (2008). More on drugs that supposedly give you mental superpowers. Retrieved January 18, 2012, from Academic Productivity Web site: https://academicproductivity.com/2008/more-on-drugs-that-supposedly-give-you-mental-superpowers/
Chicago citation:
Quesada, Jose. 2008. More on drugs that supposedly give you mental superpowers. Academic Productivity. https://academicproductivity.com/2008/more-on-drugs-that-supposedly-give-you-mental-superpowers/ (accessed January 18, 2012).
Harvard citation:
Quesada, J 2008, More on drugs that supposedly give you mental superpowers, Academic Productivity. Retrieved January 18, 2012, from
MLA citation:
Quesada, Jose. "More on drugs that supposedly give you mental superpowers." 15 May. 2008. Academic Productivity. Accessed 18 Jan. 2012.
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 9:38 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Hi Jose!
The article discussing modafinil was a little over-enthusiastic, I think. It’s more suited for people who have to say alert and watchful for long periods of time, rather than people who need to make better decisions. It would help night watchmen or troops on combat missions more than it would help a scientist or software developer.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I have found provigil very effective, but as with most drugs, some suffer adverse reactions. Side effects to watch out for include:
–fever, sore throat, headache, and vomiting with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
–bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
–easy bruising or bleeding;
–white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
–hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior;
–depression, anxiety; or chest pain, uneven heart beats.
December 5th, 2008 at 1:02 am
I agree , At first glance Provigil seem like a wonder drug with it’s ability to enhance your concentration , raises your level of activity and wonder of wonders makes you lose your appetite ( music to the ears of those who wants to lose weight ).
But I’m very very cautious when it comes to drugs that target the brain. It’s a very sensitive organ that it that theres no telling what accumulative side effects that Provigil has on it. And your right we still don’t know the long term effects it has since people started taking it just recently.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I’m going to have to agree with the above comment. It is my experience that a psychoactive drug, no matter how hyped up it has become, is never a ‘magic bullet’.
People will always be searching for the ‘magic bullet’ medication, because it always seems like the easier way. It is my opinion that the true mental superpowers come through natural methods such as meditation.
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Just checked out Provigil.com One of the uses is for shift work sleep disorder. I just started hearing this disorder talked about a few months ago. I mean come on is this the biggest crock. You work nights so your tired. Now they name it as an official disorder. It’s only natural to be tired at night.
I’m not for using medications to keep you awake. Proper sleep along with coffee, soft drinks, and exercise will all go well to solving your problem without the side effects of medication.
September 3rd, 2011 at 12:24 pm
When taking any brain enhancing drugs it is important to research the ingredients and also know if they have been a long history of effectiveness. We started taking Procera about a year ago and have found that it has helped both me and wife considerably.
We were hesitant at first,but the results have been very good and we have friends who also enjoy its benefits. We researched the product and the ingredients and understood that the all natural ingredients had a strong history of effectiveness individually and as a combination could only be helpful and they were.
Never tried Provigil, but the side effects would concern me. Yet everything comes with a risk, even prescription drugs from your physician, so use caution and in the first few weeks of use, always monitor your health closely for any potential problems.
Charlie