Narcolepsy
Many workers may feel sleepy during the daytime because of sleep disorders. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that makes people feel drowsy during the daytime. Patients with narcolepsy experience severe drowsiness and find it hard to stay awake for a long duration. It causes them to fall asleep suddenly and intermittently during work hours.
OSA
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder. It is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Patients with OSA often experience stop and start of breathing during their sleep cycle. OSA occurs when the throat muscles relax and obstruct the airways.
SWSD
The shift work sleep disorder occurs when working at night and rotational shifts experience sleep deprivation. People whose shifts interfere or overlap with regular sleeping time cannot get adequate sleep because of work requirements and have to break their sleep, leading to insufficient sleep during their habitual sleep period.
What is Nuvigil 150mg?
Nuvigil 150mg has active salt armodafinil, also available as a generic drug. Nuvigil 150mg treats enormous sleepiness in adults caused by sleeping disorders, such as narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work sleep disorder. It improves wakefulness in adults. Its active ingredient is armodafinil 150mg, which is a stimulant.
Nuvigil works on the brain chemical dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter. It increases extracellular dopamine by binding to the dopamine reuptake (reabsorption) pump. It blocks the dopamine reabsorption, causing an increase in the dopamine concentration in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical for pleasure, mood-boosting, and energy.
Enhancing the effects of dopamine affects the sleep-wake cycle of the brain. It makes you more alert, awake, active, pleasurable, and energetic (less tired) during work hours, thus avoiding sleepiness.
What are the Uses and Benefits of Nuvigil 150mg?
Nuvigil 150mg helps combat sleepiness induced by sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work sleep disorder. It stimulates the patients to stay awake during long work hours.
The off-label use is to treat extreme fatigue and lack of energy. It is not for patients who feel sleepy because of inadequate sleep time but do not have any sleep disorder. Nuvigil is not a treatment for the causes of sleepiness or cure it completely.
It is a wakefulness agent that, by controlling certain brain chemicals that affect the sleep-wake cycle, keeps you energetic. Nuvigil is not for treating tiredness or promoting wakefulness for people who experience sleepiness because of trouble sleeping, but not because of sleep disorders.
Nuvigil 150mg benefits
- Promotes wakefulness and helps you to stay awake during work hours
- Wakefulness for individuals affected by narcolepsy, where the patient falls asleep anytime
- Nuvigil helps combat obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where the breathing stops repeatedly for a short while during sleep and starts again.
- Combats sleepiness and promotes wakefulness for individuals with shift work sleep disorder and sleep-wake pattern disruption because of early morning, evening, late night, or rotational shifts.
What are the Safe Dosages of Nuvigil 150mg?
Dopamine, classified as a Schedule IV Controlled Substance by the FDA in the USA, is a controlled drug, and the government regulates its consumption because of its misuse, abuse, dependency, and addiction possibilities. Schedule IV substance has lower risks of addiction, but it needs control.
The standard is the lowest dose. Your doctor may increase the dose as needed. The doctor will decide the safe dosages based on your age, medical history, liver function, underlying health conditions, addiction, diet, and lifestyle. He may alter the doses based on your response to the treatment. The doses available in the market are:
- Nuvigil 50mg
- Nuvigil 100mg
- Nuvigil 150mg
- Nuvigil 200mg
- Nuvigil 250mg
How to take Nuvigil 150mg?
Nuvigil is an oral medication taken by mouth. Swallow the pill with water. Do not crush, chew, split, dissolve, or break the pill in the mouth, as it may not produce the desired result and may cause side effects, including speeding up the onset. You can take it once in 24 hours or as prescribed.
Safe dosage of Nuvigil for obstructive sleep apnea (causes excessive daytime sleepiness)
Nuvigil 150 mg in the morning, once in 24 hours, or as prescribed. The dose may go up to Nuvigil 250 if your doctor thinks so.
Safe dosage of Nuvigil for narcolepsy (suddenly falling asleep)
Nuvigil 150 mg in the morning, once in 24 hours, or as prescribed. The dose may go up to Nuvigil 250 if your doctor thinks so.
Safe dosage of Nuvigil for shift work sleep disorder (sleepiness because of shifts)
Nuvigil 150 mg, one hour before the shift starts, once in 24 hours, or as prescribed. The dose may go up to Nuvigil 250 if your doctor thinks so.
When Should I Avoid Nuvigil 150mg or use it cautiously?
If you are allergic to nuvigil, armodafinil, modafinil, or its inactive ingredients, avoid nuvigil 150mg.
Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, or planning pregnancy must not use the drug without a doctor’s approval. You should plan pregnancy 1-2 months after the last dose of Nuvigil 150mg.
Avoid –
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Contraband drugs and substances
- Illegal drugs
- Pre-existing medicines and OTC (non-prescription drugs)
- Recreational drugs
- Beverages with caffeine–colas, energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate
If you have high blood pressure or hypertension or blood pressure-lowering medication, avoid taking Nuvigil 150 mg.
If you have heart or cardiovascular problems, liver function, lung or kidney disorders, diabetes, stroke, heart failure, blockage, heart attack, or surgery, avoid this medication.
Drug Interactions of Nuvigil 150 mg
Hormonal birth control
If you are taking Nuvigil, avoid using hormonal birth control, such as pills, patches, or rings. Nuvigil will reduce their effectiveness of them and may trigger pregnancy.
Drugs having CYP3A4 substrates
Nuvigil may speed up the actions of CYP3A4 enzymes in the liver that break down the CYP3A4 substrates containing medications, making them less effective.
CYP3A4 substrates drugs-cyclosporine, midazolam, Triazolam, and brand names Neoral, Sandimmune, Nayzilum, Seizalam, and Hacion.
Drugs having CYP2C19 substrates
Nuvigil slows the effect of the CYP2C19 enzymes in the liver, making these drugs less effective. It may cause these drugs to accumulate in the body and increase the risk of side effects.
CYP2C19 substrates containing drugs–clomipramine, diazepam, omeprazole, phenytoin, propranolol, and brand names are Anafranil, Valium, Prilosec, Dilantin, Phenytek, Inderal LA, and Innopran XL.
MAO (Monoamine oxidase) inhibitors
These are antidepressants or drugs for treating Parkinson’s disease. Taking Nuvigil 150 mg may increase the blood pressure. Doctors avoid prescribing Nuvigil if you are taking MAO inhibitors (MAOI) or have taken them in the past 14 days.
MAOI drugs–isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and the brand names include Marplan, Zyvox, Nardil, Eldepryl, and Parnate.
Blood thinners (Warfarin)
The blood thinners prevent blood clotting. Taking Nuvigil will alter the blood thinning effects. Taking these drugs together may reduce the Warfarin’s blood clotting ability and not produce the desired result.
Stimulant drugs
Nuvigil is a stimulant. Taking it with other stimulants may cause double dose and resultant side effects. It may enhance nervousness, shakiness, confusion, dizziness, and sleeping difficulty. Doctors will not allow other stimulants with Nuvigil 150 mg.
Stimulants - amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, and brand names are Adzenys XR-ODT, Evekeo, Adderall, Mydayis, Dexedrine, Vyvanse, Desoxyn, Ritalin, Daytrana, Concerta, etc.
Bupropion antidepressants–Taking these drugs, such as Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin, and Forfivo XL, with Nuvigil will increase the risk of seizures.
What are the Side effects of Nuvigil 150mg?
Although the common side effects are mild and subside as you get used to the doses, take them in moderate quantities for a shorter duration. If you notice they persist or turn severe, seek medical help immediately.
Common Nuvigil 150mg Side Effects
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Dry mouth
- Stomach upset
- Indigestion
- Mild allergy or skin reactions–itching, flushing
Severe Nuvigil 150mg side effects
- Severe allergic or skin reactions–skin rashes, mouth sores, blistering, peeling off the skin
- Severe dizziness, shakiness, giddiness
- Fever, swollen limbs, face lymph nodes
- Inflammation in heart, liver, kidney
- Eosinophilia–Increased white blood cell (eosinophils) levels
- Persistent depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Hallucination
- Tremor
- Delusion
- Suicidal thoughts and tendencies
- High blood pressure levels
- Chest pain
- Irregular heartbeat/heart rhythm
- Increased heart rate/pounding/palpitation
- Breathlessness
- Swelling under the skin, lips, tongue, throat, eyelid, hand, feet