Artvigil 150 mg

Description

Artvigil 150 mg is a Schedule IV psychostimulant drug with waking effect properties. It is used to treat people suffering from sleep apnea, narcolepsy patients, or shift work sleep disorder. Armodafinil, an active ingredient of Artvigil, belongs to a class of medications called wakefulness-promoting agents. It is also prescribed to people working at odd hours.

How does Artvigil 150 mg work?

Armodafinil, the active ingredient in Artvigil, belongs to the class of drugs known as wakefulness-promoting agents. It works by altering the chemicals in the brain responsible for inducing sleep. It reduces the effect of sleep-promoting neurons on the brain. In this way, it helps a person to stay awake during their work hours and have a normal sleeping pattern.

Artvigil 150mg Uses

• Narcolepsy: A condition where you experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Shift Work Sleep Disorder: Individuals working at odd hours of the night and having difficulty staying awake.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A condition where the patient stops breathing or breathes shallowly during sleep and thus does not get enough rest.

Recommended Dosage

Armodafinil tablets Artvigil 150 is an oral tablet that is intended to be taken once a day. It can be taken in two ways – either 30 to 60 minutes before your work shift starts or as a daily prescription. If you are taking it for the treatment of narcolepsy or sleep apnea, take it at a fixed time (usually in the morning) to achieve better results. Consult your doctor for the ideal dose. According to your requirements or medical history, a lesser dose could also be recommended. This medicine can be taken with or without food.

Missed dose

If you happen to miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is time for your next dose, then skip it. It should not be taken twice during a 24-hour window.

Overdose

If someone has overdosed and is facing severe side effects like chest pain or trouble with breathing, seek medical help immediately.

Artvigil Side effects

• Artvigil 150mg is generally tolerable, but it may cause a few side effects. If you feel severe discomfort, seek medical help immediately. The most common side effects include:
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Numbness, burning, or tingling of the hands or feet
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Dry mouth
• Sweating

Some serious side effects are:

• Itching
• Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• Hoarseness
• Rash
• Blisters
• Peeling skin
• Mouth sores
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Weakness
• Chest pain
• Anxiety
• Depression

If you experience these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

Safety Advice

Here are a few things to keep in mind before taking Artvigil 150 mg. It is also advisable to consult your doctor before taking Artvigil:

• Individuals allergic to any of the constituent ingredients like Armodafinil should consult their doctor before taking this medicine.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take Artvigil as it can have harmful effects on the baby and taint the milk.
• Individuals suffering from kidney, liver, or heart conditions should seek medical advice before taking this drug.
• This drug can affect your driving abilities, be cautious while driving or doing activities that require a high level of attention.
• People below the age of 18 years should not take this drug.
• It should not be consumed with alcohol or grapefruit juice.

Medical interactions

Medical interactions can alter how a drug works or increase the risk of side effects. It is important to understand which medications can interact with your drug to minimize the risks. Talk to your doctor about your medical history. Here’s a list of drugs that interact with Artvigil 150 mg:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• Diazepam (Valium)
• Erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin)
• Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec, in Zegerid)
• Medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol), phenobarbital, and Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
• Midazolam
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Propranolol (Inderal)
• Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate)
• Triazolam (Halcion)

Storage Instructions

• Keep the medication tightly sealed in an airtight container.
• Store in a cool, dry place.
• Keep it away from children and pets.
• Dispose of the discarded pills and empty packaging in a suitable manner. Do not flush them.

References

• Garnock-Jones KP, Dhillon S, Scott LJ. Armodafinil. CNS Drugs. 2009 Sep;23(9):793-803. doi: 10.2165/11203290-000000000-00000. PMID: 19689169. https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/11203290-000000000-00000
• Bogan RK. Armodafinil in the treatment of excessive sleepiness. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2010 Apr;11(6):993-1002. doi: 10.1517/14656561003705738. PMID: 20307223.
  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1517/14656561003705738?journalCode=ieop20
• Chapman JL, Vakulin A, Hedner J, Yee BJ, Marshall NS. Modafinil/armodafinil in obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Respir J. 2016 May;47(5):1420-8. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01509-2015. Epub 2016 Feb 4. PMID: 26846828. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/47/5/1420
• Nishino S, Okuro M. Armodafinil for excessive daytime sleepiness. Drugs Today (Barc). 2008 Jun;44(6):395-414. doi: 10.1358/dot.2008.44.6.1195861. PMID: 18596995.
• Ghaffari N, Robertson PA. Caution in Prescribing Modafinil and Armodafinil to Individuals Who Could Become Pregnant. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Feb 1;181(2):277-278. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4206. PMID: 33074296.
  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2771814