Nuvigil for Narcolepsy User Reviews (Page 3)

• Female...
• November 17, 2009

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy about a month ago. I don't like taking pills but falling asleep at work at 8 am is just not acceptable. I was prescribed the 150mg and my insurance pays for it. There is a discount program offered by some pharmacies (using Walmart). My doctor gave me some information about it and I only paid $10. It is supposed to save $50 each month. My experience with the pill itself is mostly positive. I finally feel like I can actually pursue my dreams and goals and won't have to compromise on less because I am too tired to go for it. I also have the side effect of dry mouth though and on the 3rd day of full dosage, I get a bad headache. Because of that, I take only half on some days and most weeks don't take any on Sunday."

• Anonymous
• February 4, 2012

"I've been taking Nuvigil 250mg for about 1 month now. At first it was amazing and helped me stay alert and kept me from needing naps every day. About 2 weeks after starting I discovered a major decline in it's effectiveness and had to stop using it for a while to see if my tolerance would go back to normal. I still cannot go a full day without being tired so am considering doubling my dose or trying something else."

• FLAMG...
• November 16, 2010

"After years of misery; then numerous tests by neurologists and sleep studies I was finally diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and a form of narcolepsy in 2005. I was prescribed Provigil, 200 mg twice a day and given the okay to take another 1/2 tab if necessary. It was a Godsend and changed my life for the better. However, now Doctor wants me to "try" Nuvigil and gave me samples and prescription. It DOES NOT WORK for me but insurance company is demanding I stay on Nuvigil. Provigil will cost $1000 pr/mo! "

• Papa
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2021

"I have had allergies & asthma my whole life and was always too tired to do anything. I couldn't play sports, was told that I was lazy, was shunned and teased by my peers and misunderstood by my parents. When the Dr. put me on 250 mg. of Nuvigil, I was amazed at the difference! I had energy, endurance, clarity and the desire to do physical activities. I told everyone that I felt like a new person and they agreed. I was extremely discouraged when I was told that I could no longer get it, unless I was willing to shell out $5k per month. My Dr. said that it had to do with the problem with opiates and all of the drugs in that class were unavailable. I was devastated. I am now on Adderall, which is better than nothing, but not the same."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

"A doctor in the ER prescribed me 200 mg of Provigil when I was first diagnosed with Narcolepsy. It didn't seem to have any effect on me at all. Then I went to see my sleep doctor and he prescribed me 250 mg of Nuvigil. It finally allowed me to stay awake for an entire day. But if I went out somewhere I would be able to come home and take a nap and be fully awake again. Taking that with Xyrem makes me feel 98%..not quite 100, but still pretty great."

• hippo...
• March 21, 2011

"Nuvigil works really well. The effectiveness does slightly wears off after several consecutive days with the dose, but taking a day or two off of the medication has restored effectiveness for me. The only side effect I've experienced in the last month and a half is headaches (infrequently, at that). Be wary of mixing caffeine with Nuvigil. In my case, caffeine increases palpitation-like symptoms, increases jitteriness, and has even provoked hallucinations more than once."

• Female...
• August 24, 2011

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy a little over a year ago. As I was just about to start my senior year of college, I knew I needed to start a medication in order to get through classes and homework so I started on Nuvigil 150mg. I immediately noticed a huge difference in my quality of life. I had forgotten what it was like to be focused and alert throughout the day and would suddenly realize it was 9pm and I was totally exhausted. However, side effects started to take over the benefits for me and I started to experience problems with jitters, a sort of lingering morning sickness feeling, and anxiety. I stopped taking it due to these side effects, but sometimes now I feel the exhaustion is worse than dealing with the side effects."

• K_Han...
• June 27, 2011

"As a working mom, I literally do not have time to nap during the day. It finally became enough of an annoyance that I saw a doctor for the first time in 7 years. Moral of the story, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy and prescribed Nugivil (250mg). I am not thrilled to be taking a (possibly addictive) medication the rest of my life, but I want to explore my other options (rather than consume 3 energy drinks/day). So far, I have only been on it a week and after the headaches and no sleep wore off, I now get only a short time where I feel like I am ALL there. To say I gave it a fair shot, I am going to stick it out for a month."

• Mlbro
• October 25, 2011

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy several years ago, but probably suffered from it for 12 years or so. I never stayed awake in classes. Once I started full time work, I had to get it under control. I used Provigil for a while first, but it was harsh: came on strong, I felt buggy, severe migraines, and I crashed hard after about 8 hours. I switched to Nuvigil (150mg) though it's more dollars was told it had a slower release which may help with the migraines and bugginess. I like the Nuvigil a lot better. It comes on a little more gently, I crash less at the end of the day. I do self-moderate, often don't take it on the weekends, I'll only take a half pill some days. "

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2010

"After looking over the sleep study results my Doctor concluded I have narcolepsy. He has put me on Nuvigil (1x-150mg). I will say, the first 2-3 days felt great. After that, it went and still continues to go down hill. I feel tired and am weak, but my eyes aren't closing like they used to. I kind of wish I would just fall asleep. I have this extreme dull headache that won't subside and dry mouth. I meet with the Doctor next week, hopefully we can change things up."

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2011

"I have been taking Nuvigil for a little over a month now. At first I took 150mg. It worked for 3 days and then I went back to being exhausted. My doctor bumped the dosage to 250mg and it has been working a lot better. Thing is I can still feel episodes of sleepiness coming on later in the afternoon and have been adding caffeine but I think its bringing on the side effects like jitteryness, nausea, fogginess, extreme dry mouth and an uncomfortable feeling in my jaw and the back of my neck. I do not like the side effects and I am now trying to cut back on the caffiene hoping it will help. Going to add Xyrem to my treatment to see if it will fix me."

• Anonymous
• October 20, 2011

"I was diagnosed by a sleep specialist a month ago with narcolepsy. I started with 150mg dose but saw no improvement with wakefulness or ability to sleep, which was my main concern. After discussion I was put onto a 250mg dose which as of yet still hasn't anything. "

• bxgir...
• January 20, 2012

"If it wasn't for the cost I would give it a ten. I've been taking 150mgs a day for almost a year. With a card from drug co. I only pay $20, but when that card expires I cant afford $50 per month. My doctor just prescribed me Ritalin 10mgs 3 times a day (also probably have ADD). "

• Anonymous
• September 16, 2010

"I've been taking 250mg for almost a week. At first I felt a bit euphoric, but that quickly passed. Now I just feel physically anxious- sweating, increased heart rate and blood pressure, heat waves. I'm cutting down to 150mg and hoping that the effects subside as I get used to being on the medicine. If this anxiety does not go away, I cannot continue on the medication."

• EchoT...
• September 26, 2011

"Nuvigil worked great at 150 mg for a few months, then I needed to supplement with a quart of coffee in the mornings to keep me going until 1 pm. Bumped up to 225 mg. Not much better. Very expensive, $90 per month ($3 per pill). Aggressiveness, headaches, and thirst until I got used to it. No side effects now."

• Sunnie
• April 5, 2021

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy in 2015, Nuvigil was the 2nd medication I was prescribed. It did seem to help at first but had to be increased frequently and I topped out in less than 3 months. It still doesn't help unless I come off of it for a while and am pretty much a zombie for that period of time. Then I get a few days of being able to function before it feels like I have taken nothing at all again. I have to supplement with stackers, 5 hours energy shots, and red bulls. I have actually used all of the above together and STILL fallen asleep with the empty redbull can in my hand! My heart rate is always high, blood pressure has become a problem and still my doctor will not prescribe anything else."

• Oli
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2021

"I just wanted to share for anyone who experienced severe side effects with Provigil. On the lowest dose Provigil I experienced extreme hair loss, extreme stutters and physical tics, brain fog, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath and hysteria. I went through Dex, ritalin and ritalin LA which didn't work for me. My doctor really pushed me to try Nuvigil which I was SUPER fearful of. I've been on 250mg Nuvigil about 2 weeks now and no signs yet of the side effects I experienced with other medications. Like others, I find I crash between 12-5pm, depending on the days activities and will probably be supplementing Dex in as an afternoon filler as previously discussed with my SS. My diagnosis is severe idiopathic Hypersomnia. If I forget my medication for just one day, I will sleep a minimum of 18 hours, longest so far is 36 hours. Nuvigil doesn't make me feel like a zombie - awake, but nobody is home."

• Super...
• July 27, 2011

"I've known something was wrong with me for several years now, but only recently did I "push the point" and get some face time with a specialist. The pulmonologist put me on a CPAP machine and dismissed my MSLT results, whereas the neurologist paid attention to my MSLT results and diagnosed me with narcolepsy. He put me on 250mg Nuvigil, broken in half, 1 in AM and 1 at noon. The first day it worked *great*, the rest of the first week or two it worked so-so (still had "the nods" at my desk, driving, etc, but usually didn't fall completely asleep), but it really hasn't helped since then. I, too, will "stick it out" for a month."

• Anonymous
• February 24, 2011

"About 6 years ago I was diagnosed with narcolepsy and sleep apnea. I started taking Provigill 100mg once per day. Then 200 mg once per day. Then my Doctor tried me on Concerta, it had a quick peak of energy but it didn't last at all; plus since it is a controlled substance it was harder to get. We had to go to the Doctor in person every month to get a prescription unlike other medicines that allowed pharmacy refills. My Doctor switched me back to Provigil 200 mg twice a day. This amount actually worked but most insurance plans only allow 1 200mg per day. After Nuvigil came out my Doctor switched me due to insurance company wanting to save money. Nuvigil 350 mg 1 per day does not work for me. I have a low 4hrs after I took it. "

• Mizel...
• July 20, 2011

"It was recommended by my doctor that I try Nuvigil because I have a tendency to become sleepy while driving, either short or long distances. I was concerned that the drug may be habit forming but he reassured me that I would not have a problem with it. This medicine appears to be working well with no noticeable side effects thus far, 2 weeks."

• sleep...
• December 30, 2010

"My little sister was diagnosed about 2 years ago with Narcolepsy, just recently, so was I. My doctor gave me a sample of Nuvigil for 4 weeks, and a prescription for Aderol. I took Nuvigil and I felt great! However, I took the medicine at about 5:30 am and could not turn my brain off or get to sleep until after 1:30 am. I then took half of the pill to maybe reduce the time it keeps me awake, but nothing happened at all. In reading some of the comments here, it sounds like maybe this medicine will wear off quicker in the future."

• davet...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 15, 2016

"I took 250mg each morning, and my whole personality was brighter, more gregarious, more talkative e, physically more capable."

• mjbaz
• June 17, 2017

"Diag early onset Parkinson's at 46yo. I was having off and on again sleep attacks in the afternoons. No amount of coffee can power you through one. This keeps me through the afternoon."

• copey...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2014

"This medicine kept me from sleeping the whole 5 days I was on it. My body just started to shut down and my eyes would just close but my mind would not let me go to sleep."

• Speak
• May 1, 2015

"I have been taking Nuvigil for over a year. I'm on 250mg I have had no side effects. It only seems to last a few hours for me. Does anyone have any ideas?"