Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 473199

Shown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

side effect profile for provigil

Posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

what is the profile for provigil?
anybody prefer this augmentation to effexor over the whole routine of adding wellbutrin?
I tried the wellbutrin route but my problems were 2-fold: For one, I'm a recovering addict and my expectations about wellbutrin's effects totally messed with my therapeutic dose range. (More trouble than it's worth when that obsessive thinking kicks in). Second, it just added anxiety with no improvement of mood or motivation. It was as if I smoked 10 cigarettes at once and felt pissed off all day.

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by greg diamond on March 20, 2005, at 15:07:15

In reply to side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

does it counteract sexual side effects of ssri's?
is that why you were using it?
craig

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 15:33:58

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by greg diamond on March 20, 2005, at 15:07:15

I originally took the wellbutrin because effexor was making feel "drugged" and foggy for a while there. But I would say that it certainly did have a boost on the ol' sex drive too.
I've stopped the wellbutrin and am about to hopefully start provigil

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2005, at 17:56:11

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 15:33:58

I want to follow the Thread. Thanks, Phillipa

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil » bart

Posted by Racer on March 20, 2005, at 20:50:53

In reply to side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

About the only side effect I've heard of for Provigil -- a drug that is my friend -- is headaches during the first couple of months that you take it. In my case, the headaches -- while real and pretty much daily -- didn't hurt so much as just feel like pressure on the top of my head, kinda like wearing a hat that was too tight.

Provigil alone, by the way, improved my mood and lessened anxiety. That's just me, and it was an odd situation, but that was my experience for whatever it's worth.

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil » bart

Posted by CareBear04 on March 22, 2005, at 17:06:42

In reply to side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

i like provigil a lot. it helped keep me more alert and less sleepy, and it made me really focused. i might have been a little jittery, but overall, i got a lot of things done, and it didn't ruin my appetite like other stimulants. i took wellbutrin, too, at doses between 150 and 450mg, and it didn't work as well as provigil. plus, provigil was only one pill in the morning, whereas i had to take wellbutrin at least twice. i recommend it!

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by awatts on March 22, 2005, at 20:23:31

In reply to side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

A lot of folks really do well on Provigil, but insurance often does not cover off-label use for depression and it's expensive (well over $200/month in the US. I had high hopes for it and gave it a good long trial. It did not help my depressive symptoms - no more effect than a cup of coffee. It did not cause anxiety, but I was already taking Klonopin for that. Nothing seems to work for very long on my depression.

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil » awatts

Posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2005, at 0:09:56

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by awatts on March 22, 2005, at 20:23:31

hey awatts-- i know it's true about insurance companies not covering provigil for depression, but out of curiosity, how do they know why it's prescribed? i was afraid that would be the case when i took it, but no one asked any questions. the pharmacy filled it, and i paid a copay of about $40 or $50. no one asked why i needed it. do insurance companies normally ask?

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by Phillipa on March 23, 2005, at 0:17:11

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil » awatts, posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2005, at 0:09:56

What! Why aren't insurance companies paying for provigil? Fondly, Phillipa

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil » Phillipa

Posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2005, at 9:23:17

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by Phillipa on March 23, 2005, at 0:17:11

i think insurnace companies do cover provigil, but only for what the FDA has approved it for, which i think is just narcolepsy and overnight shift-work. i've heard that people who use it for depression, energy, or ADHD or other reasons have to cover the whole cost themselves without the insurance subsidizing its part. that wasn't the case with me, and i don't know how many companies do this.

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by gromit on March 23, 2005, at 22:45:17

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by awatts on March 22, 2005, at 20:23:31

> A lot of folks really do well on Provigil, but insurance often does not cover off-label use for depression and it's expensive (well over $200/month in the US. I had high hopes for it and gave it a good long trial. It did not help my depressive symptoms - no more effect than a cup of coffee. It did not cause anxiety, but I was already taking Klonopin for that. Nothing seems to work for very long on my depression.

My doctor added a diagnosis of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and my insurance covered it. You could maybe ask the doctor and see what happens. I didn't have any noticable side effects at all.


Rick

 

Re: Insurance paying for Provigil

Posted by Cairo on March 24, 2005, at 6:59:27

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by Phillipa on March 23, 2005, at 0:17:11

> What! Why aren't insurance companies paying for provigil? Fondly, Phillipa

My daughter's PDoc petitioned our insurance regarding payment for Provigil for ADHD and, lo and behold, they actually approved it. I don't know what was communicated, but it worked.

My husband's medical office experience with insurance companies is that if it doesn't work the first time:
1) try again
2) ask to speak with someone higher up
3) have the doctor speak with the medical director of claims
4) give extenuating circumstances

Sometimes pain ole' persistence pays.

Cairo


 

Re: provigil and wellbutrin

Posted by Wildflower on March 24, 2005, at 14:09:43

In reply to side effect profile for provigil, posted by bart on March 20, 2005, at 14:09:47

Any of you on both of these?

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil

Posted by theo on March 24, 2005, at 16:40:06

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil » awatts, posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2005, at 0:09:56

What about the "Provigil Stupids" I read about on narcolepsy threads.

Seems like people that are actually prescribed Provigil for narcolepsy don't like it because it makes them stupid.

 

Re: side effect profile for provigil » theo

Posted by ed_uk on March 24, 2005, at 18:00:42

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil, posted by theo on March 24, 2005, at 16:40:06

Yes, some people say it slows their thoughts down...

Ed.

 

Re: New Name

Posted by sheer on March 25, 2005, at 10:06:16

In reply to Re: side effect profile for provigil » theo, posted by ed_uk on March 24, 2005, at 18:00:42

back to the side-effect profile re: provigil (but bart, i hear you on the wellbutrin aka 10 cigs at once, etc. what a wrong road that one was!)

ok, keep in mind that almost any med than can induce nausea and other gi upset, WILL do so in me. provigil was NO exception - major nausea, constipation, the gamut of fun gi SEs. however,* i have a friend i call iron guts, who takes provigil for ms lethargy. even she MUST eat crackers to handle to provigil-induced nausea.

hope you fair better than me on the psych end with provigil. i was so jazzed about getting it, i managed to surmount the nausea - i.e. live with it.

however, what i could not surmount was this pattern (and being a "recovering" - i say recovered, as i am one of SO many who only used to self-medicate my depression dx - not because it was cool or my friends did it, or any of the other TOO oft-cited "reasons"- addict), i had to try 3 times - just to make sure (joke). the reality was that i was just so stunned that it did not work for me, as i see so much praise for provigil here:

day #1 - "help" for my depression. day #2 - less help. day #3 - drained to the bone, felt like i needed to recover from the provigil. the best i can say is that i was a wide-awake depressive for that first day ONLY plus i tended to over-focus at the computer. (i do NOT have a comorbid add dx.)

SO hope it works for you, as it seems to here, for so many! best of luck.

sheer

 

subject shoud be provigil SEs - above (nm)

Posted by sheer on March 25, 2005, at 10:08:42

In reply to Re: New Name, posted by sheer on March 25, 2005, at 10:06:16

 

Re: New Name

Posted by zeugma on March 25, 2005, at 11:26:36

In reply to Re: New Name, posted by sheer on March 25, 2005, at 10:06:16

the best i can say is that i was a wide-awake depressive for that first day ONLY plus i tended to over-focus at the computer. >>

Provigil causes me to over-focus. I have ADD so that's better than no focus at all.

-z

 

Provigil only for ADHD in children

Posted by alohashirt on March 25, 2005, at 23:24:36

In reply to Re: Insurance paying for Provigil, posted by Cairo on March 24, 2005, at 6:59:27

I believe that provigil was only approved for ADHD in children because the trial results were only positive for children.


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