Posted by wendy b. on March 20, 2003, at 23:43:16
In reply to How hard to get these meds prescribed?, posted by Rainbowlight on March 20, 2003, at 0:46:11
> I am wondering if my pdoc would prescribe one of these meds for me to help me lose the med weight. Is it common for pdocs to prescribe these? And are they covered by insurance?
Hi Rainbow,
My pdoc suggested I take Provigil (I went to him to discuss ADHD-type symptoms). I had complained of hopelessness, apathy, daytime sleepiness, blah feeling, besides the depression (or are all of these depression - who knows?) The ADHD symptoms were the typical inability to concentrate, being late for EVERYTHING, forgetfulness, getting overwhelmed by life, taking forever to finish projects or work-related tasks. Etcetera...
Provigil (modafinil) is related to Adrafinil in Europe & Canada. Provigil causes fewer problems with the liver, though, so it's been said to be a better drug. It is a drug for narcolepsy, and is sometimes referred to as a "wakefulness agent." But they have found that it does help depressed people cope better by elevating mood, and keeping daytime sleepiness at a minimum. It's been tested and used by fighter pilots who need to stay awake for long missions, although it does not affect their ability to fall asleep when they need to. So some are viewing it as easier on the body than typical stimulants (dexedrine, etc).
There have been MANY discussions of provigil- modafinil on this board. Do an advanced google search on it, and specify "dr-bob.org" as the Domain at the bottom of the form, and you will only get hits for this site.
As far as I know, it isn't difficult at all to get this drug prescribed. I must say, though, that not everyone loses weight on it; what it does for me is relieve the compulsive putting stuff in my mouth when I'm not really hungry (wellbutrin does this for me, too). And it has brightened my mood considerably. And yes, my insurance covers it, no problem. It is legit...
Hope this helps, and don't forget to do a search on this site - there's a lot of information here.
Best wishes,
Wendy
poster:wendy b.
thread:210422
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030319/msgs/211058.html