What Is Provigil? What Is Nuvigil?
Provigil and Nuvigil are brand-name drugs that can treat various sleep disorders. These medications are made up of the generic drug modafinil (Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvigil). Unfortunately, these sleep-disorder drugs have severe side effects, especially for pregnant women.
What Is Modafinil? What Is Armodafinil?
Modafinil and armodafinil are stimulant drugs that can reduce extreme drowsiness. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both drugs for prescription use. Provigil received FDA approval in 1998, and Nuvigil received approval in 2007. The main manufacturer is Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Other brand names for modafinil include Alertec and Modavigil. Another well-known manufacturer for modafinil is Mylan.
These medications are only available via prescription. These two substances are nearly identical, with very few differences. The modafinil side effects and armodafinil side effects are also similar.
Facts About Provigil and Nuvigil
Generic name
Manufacturer
Disorders the drug treats
How the drug works
Who the drug helps
Drug form
Dosage amounts
Long-term risks associated with taking the drugs
Facts About Provigil
Provigil
Generic name
Modafinil
Modafinil
Manufacturer
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Disorders the drug treats
Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, shift-work disorder
Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, shift-work disorder
How the drug works
Improves wakefulness, decreases sleepiness
Improves wakefulness, decreases sleepiness
Who the drug helps
People working irregular hours, suffering from narcolepsy, or who are overweight and do not get restful sleep
People working irregular hours, suffering from narcolepsy, or who are overweight and do not get restful sleep
Drug form
Oral tablet
Oral tablet
Dosage amounts
100mg and 200 mg
100mg and 200 mg
Long-term risks associated with taking the drugs
Birth defects (congenital heart defects, cleft lip or cleft palate, hypospadias, and microcephaly)
Birth defects (congenital heart defects, cleft lip or cleft palate, hypospadias, and microcephaly)
Facts About Nuvigil
Nuvigil
Generic name
Armodafinil
Armodafinil
Manufacturer
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Disorders the drug treats
Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, shift-work disorder
Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, shift-work disorder
How the drug works
Improves wakefulness, decreases sleepiness
Improves wakefulness, decreases sleepiness
Who the drug helps
People working irregular hours, suffering from narcolepsy, or who are overweight and do not get restful sleep
People working irregular hours, suffering from narcolepsy, or who are overweight and do not get restful sleep
Drug form
Oral tablet
Oral tablet
Dosage amounts
50mg, 150mg, 200mg and 250 mg
50mg, 150mg, 200mg and 250 mg
Long-term risks associated with taking the drugs
Birth defects (congenital heart defects, cleft lip or cleft palate, hypospadias, and microcephaly)
Birth defects (congenital heart defects, cleft lip or cleft palate, hypospadias, and microcephaly)
What Are Provigil and Nuvigil Used for?
Provigil and Nuvigil are explicitly used for sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy and shift-work disorder. These three sleep disorders are similar in their primary effect — fatigue and severe sleepiness — but have different identifying characteristics.
Sleep apnea is a disorder that involves loud snoring and consistent stopping and starting of breathing during sleep. The primary effect of this disorder includes feeling drowsy after a full night of sleep. Sleep apnea can be a disorder for people who are overweight.
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder involving overwhelming bouts with daytime drowsiness. People with this disorder have difficulty staying awake for lengthy periods of time, and they also struggle to stay asleep at night.
Shift-work disorder affects individuals who work irregular hours, such as overnight shifts, irregular shifts, split shifts and early-morning shifts. This disorder involves excessive sleepiness, often due to a lack of refreshing sleep when not working.
How Do Provigil and Nuvigil Work?
Provigil and Nuvigil prevent fatigue by enhancing your cognitive abilities. The drugs interact with your brain to produce specific chemicals, such as dopamine. This feel-good chemical helps you have more energy and boosts your mood and attentiveness.
The drugs can also stimulate glutamate, another chemical in your brain. This increased brain activity can lead you to feeling less tired. According to the website MedicalNewsToday, these drugs usually take 30-60 minutes to start working.
How Are Provigil and Nuvigil Taken?
Provigil and Nuvigil are taken orally in pill or tablet form. These sleep-disorder medications are taken once a day, either in the morning or approximately one hour before a work shift begins.
Provigil pills and Nuvigil pills have different dosage amounts. According to the FDA, Provigil dosage amounts are 100 mg and 200 mg. Nuvigil is separated into 50 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg and 250 mg dosage amounts. The dosage amount is determined by each patient’s doctor.
Are Provigil and Nuvigil Dangerous?
There are severe Provigil and Nuvigil side effects that all users should be aware of. These two sleep-disorder medications can cause birth defects in children of women who took either drug while pregnant.
The common Provigil birth defects and Nuvigil birth defects include orofacial clefts, congenital heart defects, hypospadias and microcephaly. These defects could lead to long-term health issues and financial strain for newborn children and their parents.
The dangers of Provigil and Nuvigil were amplified because Americans weren’t warned of the risks. The manufacturer, originally Cephalon and now Teva Pharmaceuticals, did not provide an early-enough warning that pregnant women taking these drugs could harm their fetus.
Many people have suffered from Provigil and Nuvigil injuries and severe side effects due to this inaction.
Many people have suffered from Provigil and Nuvigil injuries and severe side effects due to this inaction.
Provigil and Nuvigil Side EffectsWhat Are the Differences Between Provigil and Nuvigil?
Provigil and Nuvigil have few differences setting them apart. These two sleep-medication drugs are both used for the same conditions: sleep apnea, narcolepsy and shift-work disorder. They both come in tablet form, are available only via prescription and can lead to concerning side effects. The common Provigil birth defects and Nuvigil birth defects are also similar — and can occur when pregnant women take either medication.
One difference is that they have different dosage amounts. Provigil tablets have just two prescribed dosage amounts (100 mg and 200 mg) while Nuvigil tablets have four (50 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg and 250 mg).
Another difference is which side effects are associated with each drug. According to the website Healthline, both Provigil and Nuvigil can cause you to experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, diarrhea and anxiety. Provigil can also cause back pain and congestion, while Healthline states Nuvigil is not linked to those two side effects.
FAQ's About Provigil and Nuvigil