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Modafinil is a medication prescribed to help people stay awake. It's a stimulant that helps keep you alert and focused so that you can perform at your best.
The right dosage for you depends on many factors, including your weight, age, and health history.
How much should you take each day? Should the doses be the same? When should it be taken? Should I take breaks? So many questions and lots to be considered, but we've got you covered.
This guide will help you determine the optimal Modafinil dosage for you!
Firstly, lets explore Modafinil...
We've written a very thorough blog post specifically about Modafinil but here is a simple overview.
Modafinil is a popular study aid. It improves wakefulness and increases dopamine levels in the brain by stimulating them. The effects of Modafinil are comparable to those of caffeine, although they last longer and are more effective in producing concentration and focus.
Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting drug that's often a prescription medicine used to treat disorders like ADHD and narcolepsy. It's quite similar to other medications used for this purpose, such as Adderall and Dexedrine, but has considerably fewer adverse effects. This is one of the many reasons why it has continued to grow in popularity over the years.
Off-label use of Modafinil is becoming increasingly popular around the globe. It's being utilised as an all-around productivity booster and to assist people with ailments including shift work sleep disorder, chronic tiredness syndrome, and even depression.
While the specifics of how Modafinil works are still unclear, we do know that it boosts dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps people feel pleasure, have drive, and be focused. Modafinil may help you stay awake and concentrated by boosting dopamine levels.
Modafinil is a smart drug that has been shown to improve cognitive function in healthy individuals. It is considered fairly safe with few negative effects and a low potential for addiction.
Understanding the difference: Modafinil and Armodafinil
There are two types of medications that are commonly used to treat narcolepsy: Modafinil and Armodafinil. Both of these medications work by stimulating the central nervous system, which helps to keep people with narcolepsy awake during the day.
Modafinil is the older of the two drugs, and has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of narcolepsy since 1998. Armodafinil is a newer drug, and was approved by the FDA for the treatment of narcolepsy in 2007.
Both Modafinil and Armodafinil are effective at treating the symptoms of narcolepsy.
However, there are some differences between the two drugs. Modafinil is a racemic drug, which means that it contains both the R- and S- enantiomers of Modafinil. Armodafinil, on the other hand, only contains the R- enantiomer of Modafinil.
The R- enantiomer of Modafinil is thought to be responsible for the majority of the drug’s effects. Therefore, Armodafinil is generally considered to be more potent than Modafinil, and has a longer duration of action.
Another difference between Modafinil and Armodafinil is that Modafinil is metabolised by the liver, while Armodafinil is not. This means that people with liver problems may need to be careful when taking Modafinil.
Dosage guide for Modafinil and Armodafinil
Knowing how much to take and when to take it is not always obvious. A large reason for this is because it can be different depending on the medication, as well as finding what works best for you. It can take some time and a little bit of experimentation to find the optimal arrangement. Frustratingly, it can also change as you start changing your diet, taking other medications, or build up a tolerance.
It can definitely sometimes feel more like an art than a science, but it is important to have at least some structure around it.
The recommended dosage of Modafinil for most people is 200 mg per day, taken in the morning. However, some people may require a higher or lower dosage depending on their individual circumstances.
The recommended dosage of Armodafinil for most people is 150 mg per day, also best to be taken in the morning. Just like Modafinil and any other medications, some people may require a higher or lower dosage depending on their individual makeup.
If you are taking Modafinil or Armodafinil for the first time, it is important to start with a small dosage and increase it gradually as needed. This will help you to find the optimal dosage for your individual needs.
It is also important to keep in mind that Modafinil and Armodafinil can have different effects on different people. So, it is important to experiment with different dosages to find the one that works best for you.
Modafinil dosage ladder
If you've never taken Modafinil before then it is better and safer to build up from a low base to find what works best for you. The recommended dosage for Modafinil is usually 200 mg per day, but there are so many factors that influence how the medication is received and processed by your body that it is always better to start small and build your way up from there.
50 mg: This will be a quarter of a tablet if you ordered the standard 200 mg Modafinil pills. There is a break line to separate the pill into 100 mg but you'll have to use a little more grit to split it one final time into the desired 50 mg sizing. Take your dose first thing in the morning with an empty stomach to experience the optimal 'buzz'. This low dosage is ideal if you've got a regular day planned ahead that you'd like a little support with. You can expect to feel the effects of the Modafinil for up to 6 hours. What is ideal about this dosage is that it is very unlikely that it will interfere with your ability to sleep later in the evening. It's not uncommon for people not to feel any effects with this dosage, so if this is the case, you can proceed to the next dosage level.
100 mg: This equates to half of a standard 200 mg tablet, you'll be able to easily break the pill along the centre. Similar to the 50 mg, this dosage is usually great for a regular work-day where you need a little assistance to ensure a solid amount of productivity. You will notice the effects for a little longer, so allow for up to 7 to 8 hours of feeling the Modafinil in your system. Still being a low dosage, 100 mg is very unlikely to interfere with your ability to sleep later that day.
200 mg: Now we've reached what is considered the recommended dosage of Modafinil, although it is important not to see this as a challenge. More is not always better, all you are trying to do is find the optimal dosage for you that will guarantee high productivity throughout the day. You can either take the 200 mg tablet all at once, otherwise you can split the tablet into half and take the first half (100 mg) in the morning and the second half in the late morning or very early afternoon. Breaking the tablet and taking it over the course of the day might help to better sustain the 'buzz', but it can also help avoid some of the more common side effects such as irritability, sweating, regular bathroom breaks etc. When taking 200 mg, you can expect to feel the Modafinil in your system for 12 or more hours. If taken early enough it shouldn't interfere with your sleep that evening, but there is a chance that you wont be able to switch your mind off as easily. Once your body builds up a bit of a tolerance, going to sleep will get easier in the future.
300 mg: Now we're starting to get into the larger Modafinil dosage space. It is not recommended that you take more than 200 mg over the course of the day. However, if you are going to, be careful and pay close attention to your how your are feeling and any physical symptoms. Splitting the dosage over the course of the day will likely result in the highest productivity. You'll feel the Modafinil in your body for the whole day, sometimes up to 18 hours or more. If you do consecutive days on 300 mg, try and take days off to give your body a break but also to give yourself a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep and rest. Your body will have undergone a lot of stress, so it will need to recharge eventually. This dosage is likely to start interfering with your sleep routine, especially if dosages are split over the course of the day. Try exercising at the end of the day to help flush your system of the remaining Modafinil.
400 mg: This dosage should not be done for long periods of time. Pay close attention to your body if you are going to attempt it, but remember that more Modafinil is not always better. Consider splitting the dosage over the course of the day in order to optimise your productivity but also to minimise the side effects. With 400 mg of Modafinil you'll feel the medication in your body for the whole day. The effects will likely last between 18 to 24 hours in your system, so make sure you have lots to do during this time. This dosage is usually taken by people that are looking to do all-nighters - needing help with a final push for that university or work deadline. Try not to do consecutive days of 400 mg of Modafinil, it will put your body under a lot of pressure and stress, from which it will need to recover at some point. Sleep is probably out of the question considering the workload that you have on anyway, but if you do eventually want to put your head on the pillow, it'll likely be tough. Your mind will be racing and just wont want to switch off, even if your body is exhausted. Try exercising at the end of the day to help clear your body of the remaining Modafinil that is in your system. If you have access, try a hot sauna, it'll also help to sweat out anything that is remaining. Make sure you take in plenty of water and remain hydrated, you'll likely be dehydrated since we usually lose the desire to drink while on the medication. The continuous bathroom breaks throughout the day don't help either with our hydration levels!
>400 mg: A dosage greater than 400 mg of Modafinil over the course of the day is not recommended. If you're not feeling the effects then there are other things that you can try such as having a break or different medication e.g. the 'relative' of Modafinil - Armodafinil. With higher dosages, you are likely to magnify the symptoms and not the desired positive effects of Modafinil.
Armodafinil dosage ladder
Very similar to the Modafinil dosage ladder outlined above, however Armodafinil tablets usually come in 150 mg pills, but the rest remains the same. If this is your first time, start your dosages from a quarter of a tablet (37.5 mg of Armodafinil) and build up from there.
Don't exceed 300 mg of Armodafinil, which equates to two whole tablets, over the course of the day. If you've reached this amount and you're not feeling the effects, then the medication is not for you and there is something else that is causing it to not have the desired effect on your body. Taking more Armodafinil will just magnify the negative symptoms and you're likely not going to get the productivity boost that you're looking for.
Missed a Modafinil or Armodafinil dose?
If a dose of Modafinil or Armodafinil is missed, skip the missed dose and return to your normal dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to try and make up for the one that was missed.
Top dosage recommendations for Modafinil and Armodafinil
From our own personal experiences, as well as the research and feedback from the community, here are the top dosage recommendations:
200 mg of Modafinil: Broken into two with the first half taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and the second taken before lunch, also on an empty stomach.
150 mg of Armodafinil: Similarly, the tablet is broken into two with the first half taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and the second taken before lunch, also on an empty stomach.
It's that easy! Try not to make it more complicated than it has to be.
Let us know in our forum what dosage works best for you and when you take them. We're always interested in receiving feedback as we keep updating out information when we come across new information that we think the community will find useful. Other members of the community might also be able to give you some suggestions!
Where to buy Modafinil
While Modafinil can be purchased from your local pharmacy with a valid prescription, it can also be purchased online easily enough without a prescription.
That being said, it isn't obvious to know where to purchase from and which vendor you can trust. This is why we've prepared some detailed vendor reviews to help you find a supplier that best suits your needs based on how much you're looking to spend and what country you live in.
Remain productive and stay safe!