Posted by IsoM on April 16, 2002, at 22:49:24
In reply to Re: Didn't Make Myself Clear--IsoM, posted by JohnX2 on April 16, 2002, at 16:58:34
If you can't take modafinil (Provigil), John, you probably wouldn't be able to tolerate adrafinil either. Remember that one of adrafinil's metabolites is modafinil. Unless there's something helpful or protective of the other main metabolite of adrafinil, the fact part of it changes to modafinil would probably count it out for you.
You said you had an hour of it working before you got a massive headache. What dose had you taken? I find it surprising when people say they notice an immediate affect with Provigil or adrafinil. It took fully a week for me to notice a difference & then it continued improving over the next month. I'm wondering if you started with a lower dose (perhaps even 1/4 of normal) & worked it up to 1/2 the next week, then 3/4 the following week before reaching the full dose, if it might work better. I started slow with the adrafinil just to be safe - maybe that might account for the fact I had no problems too.
Zo mentioned that she found Provigil has a fairly narrow therapeutical window & beyond it, side-effects show & negate the benefits. Less than that, it didn't seem to work. Your therapeutical window might be much lower than what's 'normal'. Seeing you probably have Provigil still kicking about, why not give it a try again at 1/4 normal dose on a weekend when you can crash from the pain, if it happens?
Remember how it doesn't seem to have any strong affinity for any neurotransmitter but seems to increase over-all brain metabolism? Perhaps too much increases some area in your brain that affects your perception of pain? Or after an hour or so, the blood plasma level has risen to the maximum & it's higher than your window is?
Muscle relaxation & the mental calmness I feel with adrafinil was one of the last benefits to kick in (after 3-4 weeks). For me, it was very noticable when it did. I realised that I could be alert & bright without being tense with muscles like coiled springs. My shoulders were no longer slightly hunched, no furrowed brow, tightly held jaw, or madly tapping toes & swinging legs. My body was still & relaxed but I was alert & ready. The only other time I ever felt so relaxed was when I'd awake in the morning & then slip back into sleep. I never equated calm with alert before.
Anyway, if you can tolerate it in a lowered dose, be patient about feeling the full benefits of it. Most reports I've read said it takes a while for them to happen.
poster:IsoM
thread:101846
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103295.html