Modalert 200 mg Tablets

Description

Modalert 200 mg is an oral drug that promotes wakefulness in patients suffering from narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work sleep disorder. It contains Modafinil as its active ingredient. It belongs to a class of medications called wakefulness-promoting agents. It interacts with the central nervous system that reduces sleep-promoting agents, thus helping you stay awake during important hours of the day.

How does it work?

Modalert 200 mg contains Modafinil that stimulates the brain and induces wakefulness properties that help you stay awake. Researchers believe that this drug works by targeting all these areas in the brain, particularly the hypothalamus and hippocampus responsible for the release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Orexin neurons may be activated by this drug, thereby inducing wakefulness. 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.

Uses

• Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder that affects your brain’s activity which controls the sleep-wake cycle. It causes you to have an uncontrollable urge to fall asleep during the day involuntarily.
• Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD): Shift work sleep disorder occurs in individuals who work non-traditional or odd hours like late night shifts. It is characterized by excessive sleepiness, lack of sleep, and drowsiness.
  Obstructive sleep apnea: A condition where the patient stops breathing or breathes shallowly during sleep, and therefore, does not get enough rest.

Recommended dosage

Modalert 200 mg is generally taken at a fixed time (usually in the morning) with the recommended dose as advised by your doctor.
It can also be taken an hour before your work starts (for the treatment of SWSD).
Swallow the tablet as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. It can be taken with or without food.

Missed dose

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

Overdose

If someone has overdosed and is facing severe side effects, seek medical help immediately.

Symptoms of overdose may include:

• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• agitation
• restlessness
• confusion
• hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• nervousness

Side effects

Most common side effects of Modalert 200 include

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Anxiety
• Insomnia

Less common side effects

• Back pain
• Belching
• Decrease in appetite
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty having a bowel movement
• Dryness of the skin
• Flushing
• Heartburn
• IndigestionMuscle stiffness

If the side effects persist for more than a day, call your doctor immediately.

Safety advice

Here are a few things to keep in mind before taking Modalert 200mg.

• Individuals allergic to any of the constituent ingredients like Modafinil should consult their doctor before taking this medicine.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take this drug 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 using this medication.
• This drug should not be consumed with alcohol.
• People below the age of 18 years should not take this drug.

Drug interactions

Drug interactions can alter how a drug works or increase the risk of side effects. It is important to understand which medications your drug can interact with to minimize the risks. Talk to your doctor about your medical history. Here’s a list of drugs that interact with Modalert 200mg.

• Anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’) such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• Antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
• Antifungals such as itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
• Diazepam (Valium)
• Medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital, and phenytoin (Dilantin)
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Propranolol (Inderal)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem),
• fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft)
• Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• Triazolam (Halcion).

Storage instructions

• Keep the medication tightly sealed in its original container.
• Store in a cool, dry (at 15-30°C) place.
• Keep it away from children and pets.
• Do not flush the tablets.

References

• Gerrard P, Malcolm R. Mechanisms of modafinil: A review of current research. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2007 Jun;3(3):349-64. PMID: 19300566; PMCID: PMC2654794.
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2654794/
• Battleday RM, Brem AK. Modafinil for cognitive neuroenhancement in healthy non-sleep-deprived subjects: A systematic review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Nov;25(11):1865-81. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.028. Epub 2015 Aug 20. PMID: 26381811. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X15002497?via%3Dihub
• Repantis D, Bovy L, Ohla K, Kühn S, Dresler M. Cognitive enhancement effects of stimulants: a randomized controlled trial testing methylphenidate, modafinil, and caffeine. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Feb;238(2):441-451. doi: 10.1007/s00213-020-05691-w. Epub 2020 Nov 17. PMID: 33201262; PMCID: PMC7826302. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-020-05691-w
• Minzenberg MJ, Carter CS. Modafinil: a review of neurochemical actions and effects on cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Jun;33(7):1477-502. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301534. Epub 2007 Aug 22. PMID: 17712350. https://www.nature.com/articles/1301534
• Kredlow MA, Keshishian A, Oppenheimer S, Otto MW. The Efficacy of Modafinil as a Cognitive Enhancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2019 Sep/Oct;39(5):455-461. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001085. PMID: 31433334. https://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/Abstract/2019/09000/The_Efficacy_of_Modafinil_as_a_Cognitive_Enhancer_.7.aspx