/Provigil/Modafinil AKA Alertec

[Guest guest]

,

You asked about extreme fatigue (which most definitely accompanies

Spondy's and the Reactive Constellation, as I call the cluster of

conditions that follow precipitating infections/immune trauma{s}) and

Provigil.

Provigil, AKA Modafinil AKA Alertec (the latter being a brand name;

the first two are chemical names) was originally developed for/by/with

the U.S. Air Force & Naval Aerospace Command for use by long-range

aircraft & spacecraft pilots.

It is a far superior option for fighting fatigue to amphetamines or

methylphenidate (Ritalin, which IMHO is one of the worst substances

known to man, NOBODY should be taking that god-awful @#$@#), and has

virtually none of the side effects, " come down/burnout, " or

CNS/Cardiopulmonary stimulation seen in those traditional stimulants.

I truly loathe traditional stimulants; they may make you feel sort of

better/more alert for a short time, but then as they wear off you

really start to become a monster, and your emotional/rational balance

goes all out of wack. The most calm, quiet person can become a grumpy,

seething.....well, monster!

Ritalin -- which most people aren't aware causes an almost perfect

copy of the effects profile of Cocaine(!) -- was pushed on me as a

child for " ADD " (the real problem was that I have a ~193 IQ and my

elementary school didn't know what the heck to do with me, couldn't

accept that their busywork/homework held no interest for me because it

held no *benefit* for me, I already knew it all!) and it really

wreaked havoc with my neurochemistry, turning me into a surly, grumpy,

incredibly irritable, irrational shell of my normal self. I quickly

realized it was the Ritalin and refused to keep taking it.....I feel

so very sorry for all the kids around the world, but especially here

in the USA, who are being pushed this horrible substance that is as

bad or worse than anything you can buy on the street!

But, I digress. My point here is that Provigil is different from those

other stimulants, even from Caffeine. It doesn't so much stimulate

your central nervous system or your cardiopulmonary/metabolic

systems.....it focuses laser-like on your brain, and works directly to

keep you alert without the side effects associated with the " shotgun

approach " that traditional stims like amphetamines, caffeine and

ritalin take.

It can be hard to get many forms of state or federal Medicare/Medicaid

to cover it, because it's so expensive and because there are so many

other cheaper stimulants on the market -- so you may have to try some

of the traditional stims first in order to get a Prior Authorization

request from your doctor granted by your coverage provider ( " step

order " and all that tripe). Personally I would fill the script and

then proceed to flush it straight down the toilet, wait a week, and

tell your doctor that you can't tolerate the side effects and you want

the next medication in the " step order " towards Provigil/Modafinil.

Repeat if necessary until you can get Provigil covered by your

insurance/medicare.

Generally, Provigil is most prescribed for " narcolepsy " -- which is

really just a fancy word for falling asleep uncontrollably because

you're so darn tired. This happens to me all too often, sometimes I

find myself almost collapsing or stumbling because I'm falling asleep

while standing upright after a long sleepless night of agony.

Hope this information helps. I think that Provigil is one of those few

medications that almost every ReA/Spondy/ReC ( " Reactive

Constellation " ) suffer should probably have in their toolbox. I

wouldn't necessarily want to take it every day, but even for frequent

use, I would say that it is far less dependency/habit-forming than

amphetamines or ritalin by a very, *VERY* long shot.

Good luck getting your doctor to prescribe it and getting it

covered....and good luck to all on the mailing list with your own

ongoing war with Spondy's/ReC.....

- from Maine