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Anyone tried Modafinil to boost productivity?

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by dcristo, Nov 15, 2016.

  1. #1
    I'm curious about this "smart drug". Anyone tried it? I hear it's popular with university students.
     
    dcristo, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  2. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #2
    Have not used it, but it seems to be a modern version of the "speed" that students used to stay awake during finals, etc. My observations of such a pharmacological approach to academics was that it was a big bust and actually hurt the effort. YMMV, of course.
     
    jrbiz, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  3. qwikad.com

    qwikad.com Illustrious Member Affiliate Manager

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    #3
    You should ask @deathshadow since he struggles with shift work sleep disorder. He's prolly got a personal experience with that prescription drug.
     
    qwikad.com, Nov 15, 2016 IP
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  4. deathshadow

    deathshadow Acclaimed Member

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    #4
    I was actually given it for a while "off label" to try and help with my Parkinson's, but given I am already prone to agonizing cluster headaches it only made those worse. My problem wasn't so much fatigue or staying awake anyways -- it's getting to sleep when I need to in order to maintain my 26 hour schedule which is part of why I've got a small-ish dose of seroquel I take before bedtime. (In addition to my 3000mg of the anti-convulsant Keppra)

    Of course, I'm on sumatriptan now for the headaches, that's fun since as a diabetic I have to test my blood, and they didn't warn me about one of the side effects -- sulfhemoglobinemia. Nice way of saying green blood with black flakes in it. Poke myself to test, look down, see that... yeah, great panic, thanks for warning my there doc... Still, knocks out the headaches pretty good, too bad the maximum they can prescribe is 9 pills a MONTH.

    Using any prescription drug not for its intended use but as a "productivity" aid -- like popping pills to get classwork in -- really doesn't work. It's placebo bullshit typically created by the people who can make a quick buck off duping you into taking it. The side effects -- including possible addiction -- are NEVER worth any theoretical fairy tale improvement in cognitive skills. It typically does more harm than good, forms dependency, and if you THINK it's helping, it is more than likely that's JUST because it makes you THINK it's helping when it's not.

    Kind of like the episode of "That '70's show" where the halfwit stoner ****s think they are brilliant when wasted, so they record themselves, then are aghast at what absolute huffing MORONS they sound like! Same thing. When abuse of a substance compromises your judgement (no, I'm fine to drive, I've only had a twelve-pack and half a bottle of jack) you're not generally in a position to make a rational assessment of if you're brighter or more productive.

    Psychostimulants in particular by their very nature provide upbeat DELUSIONS -- and because it just makes you feel good it can form a confirmation bias that "yeah, I'm working GREAT" when in fact you are less productive. Same way a lifetime or even just a few weeks of ritualistic indoctrination can make people believe all sorts of crazy made up BS. (see "faith")

    Really, unless you actually have a sleep disorder, don't go blindly popping Modafinil -- a serious medication for real disorders in the blind hope of some hippy dippy stoner bullshit about "cognitive awareness".

    ... and from my experience with being unable to keep it down (Linda Blair impersonations) and it taking my agonizing headaches and make them four or five times as frequent, I really can't recommend using it unless you have a legitimate medical reason to do so.

    Though I have a hiatal hernia, so what I can and cannot keep in my stomach is always a craps shoot.

    Honestly, having to take these medications BECAUSE of medical conditions and dealing with the side effects, I've never understood why people would want to take them recreationally, or under the delusion they would somehow make you more 'productive'... Because it's NOT fun, and productivity goes in the shitter no matter how much the delusions they give you makes you think otherwise.

    But we've built a society around the idea of a pill or some homeopathic hoodoo-voodoo crap can solve every problem... and unless you have an actual medical condition? It's BULLSHIT!

    No matter how many college and high-school age stoner ****s are too stupid to know any better.
     
    deathshadow, Nov 15, 2016 IP
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  5. deathshadow

    deathshadow Acclaimed Member

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    #5
    Oh, and since we're talking a PRESCRIPTION medication, thanks to all you jackasses out there abusing it because "Derps it makes me herp de harder" for making it harder for the people who have a legitimate medical reason to take it to actually get it!

    Self abuse and screwing over others? Yup, that's halfwit stoner ****s alright. But sure, it doesn't really hurt anybody, of course it doesn't...

    Or as our Blessed St. Dennis would say: "You work in a 7-11, you know **** about ***, and pull up your ***ing pants... maple nut crunch..."
     
    deathshadow, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  6. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #6
    So it's like Adderall?

    @deathshadow I have a legitimate reason for wanting to use it. I've started taking an antidepressant and because one of the things it does is mimic melatonin receptors it tends to make you sleepy during the day.

    So I am thinking that also taking Modafinil could potentially have a good synergistic effect. Of course I could just take the drug at night which is what they say you should do, but since it has such a short half life I feel like you would get more out of it by taking it during the day.

    Btw it sounds like you should be looking into Melatonin.
     
    dcristo, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  7. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #7
    I was referring to the illegal methamphetamine pills (crossroads, black beauties, etc.) that kids would take in college to pull all-nighters. This was decades ago... :)
     
    jrbiz, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  8. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #8
    I don't think it's like methamphetamine, apparently modafinil is non-addictive, which is why it interests me. You certainly can't say the same about methamphetamine.
     
    dcristo, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  9. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #9
    I took a quick look at modafinil and it appears to be a stimulant (keeps you awake) much like the weak methamphetamine (not today's crystal meth) which is addictive, but that was not the problem. The pills kept the kids up to study and made them feel smarter (euphoria, for the most part) but their grades did not go up and, in fact, tended to go down. Modafinil may be different, of course. But I was offering my experience observing college kids use stimulants to perform better academically. Total fail.
     
    jrbiz, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  10. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #10
    Sounds like it will be cheaper to just drink coffee.

    Are you a lecturer?
     
    dcristo, Nov 15, 2016 IP
  11. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #11
    No, I was speaking of my experiences with fellow students when I was also in college. Many moons ago. :)

    These days, I do have some slight involvement as an advisory board member for a major university's graduate business school in Boston, but I only occasionally interact with today's students and when I do, they are on their best behavior. ;)

    BTW, the best thing to do is plan your studying/projects to make sure you get plenty of restful sleep. Coffee won't do it, either.
     
    jrbiz, Nov 16, 2016 IP