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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2007, at 13:04:26
My two doses of 100 mg Provigil aren't working as well as they used to. I think I'm grasping that that's a relatively low dose?
I think I'm a bit afraid to admit that it's losing effectiveness at that dose. Especially since it was originally prescribed by my sleep neurologist, and is being refilled by my psychiatrist (since all my sleep neurologist ever did was refill teh prescription). I'm going to feel drug seeking or something if I ask him to raise it.
I'm also a bit worried that my best medication combination when I'm not doing well is Risperdal and Provigil taken more or less simultaneously. Is that like taking uppers and downers at once?
I'm sorry to ask stupid questions. But really, I am sort of stupid about medications.
Posted by Phillipa on January 23, 2007, at 13:20:55
In reply to Provigil question, posted by Dinah on January 23, 2007, at 13:04:26
Dinah you have a sleep problem so the drug is justified and I wouldn't think of it as uppers and downers. If it narcolepsy then you need the providgil to be normal. ps can't get replies server not working. Love Phillipa
Posted by notfred on January 23, 2007, at 14:09:48
In reply to Provigil question, posted by Dinah on January 23, 2007, at 13:04:26
My pdoc indicated that after I took Provigil for a while it might get less effective as it is a inducer
of its own metabolisim. 200 mgs/day is a low dose, I take 400 mgs/day, having started at 200 mgs/day.
Posted by Honore on January 23, 2007, at 17:08:51
In reply to Re: Provigil question, posted by notfred on January 23, 2007, at 14:09:48
My experience is that it gradually becomes less effective. I was taking 300 mg a day and it seemed to become much less noticeable after a long while.
I cut down and then stopped-- and have now started at 200 mg. I do expect that I'll use more later, but that's one reason I'm using less. It makes sense to me to get more-- as you need it. It's not a habit-forming drug-- from what I"ve seen personally, at least if you don't have the tendency to react that way to drugs-
I don't see the"drug-seeking" in trying to create a stable and dependable level of energy, and wanting to be able to concentrate and work. To me, that's incredibly important and legitimate.
Honore
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2007, at 18:32:46
In reply to Re: Provigil question, posted by Honore on January 23, 2007, at 17:08:51
Of all the medications I take, this is the one I really know least about. It's good to know my reaction isn't all that unusual. Maybe I'll try to screw up the courage to ask my pdoc about it.
Philippa, I've never been entirely comfortable with the narcolepsy diagnosis. The sleep study results really didn't support it. REM sleep onset just wasn't early enough. It was a bit earlier than ordinary, but closer to ordinary than to narcoleptic, I think. But the sleep neurologist insisted on clinging to it anyway because I have some other symptoms, like hearing chatter when I'm overstimulated as I fall asleep. (No words, just rise and fall of conversational tones like at a busy restaurant.) I had sleep paralysis, but only when I was on Neurontin. And sometimes when I laugh - especially if I'm stressed, I lose some ability to use the muscles in one of my hands and my lower arm. But I also can't use the same hand effectively when I first wake up, so I don't know. None of the symptoms are classic, I don't think.
Idiopathic hypersomnia I can agree with. I actually think it has something to do with my diabetes, and something to do with psychological issues, and only partly to do with an actual sleep disorder. Whatever it is, it is a problem though and I do need to treat it.
This is the end of the thread.
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