47 replies to this topic

[celavie]

I've just ordered some Modalert 200mgx50 from pharm-orders.com, and after reading extensively on this forum, I'm now wondering if I'm going to get a genuine generic modafinil product, equivalent to Cephalon branded products, or something else.

It strikes me there are three possibilities:
a) Modalert really is the real deal, and the anecdotal evidence to the contrary is due to extraneous factors
b) Modalert is formulated differently, and the apparent differences in effect reported reflect this
c) There are fake versions of Modalert being sold, and even if the genuine article from Sun is good quality, the fake stuff is bad news

The problems with scenario c), of course, is that there is little way of knowing whether you're ordering the real deal or a fake. Even the on-line seller might not know what they've got.

One of the insidious problems with scenario c) is that even if Sun knew or suspected there were counterfeiters in the marketplace, they probably wouldn't be wanting to advertise their suspicions -- almost nothing would more quickly shut down demand for their product. Also, India isn't exactly the home of the protection of intellectual proprty rights, so even being able to get it stopped might be next to impossible for Sun if this were happening.

Unless you have direct experience with the Cephalon product (Provigil, Alertec, Modidial, Modavigil etc.), it's probably difficult to form an credible opinion about how similar or different the Modalert is to the branded product. I'm even thinking seriously now about purchasing some of the expensive stuff just to do the comparison myself. But jeez -- it's an expensive experiment.

So I thought to separate the signal from the noise I'd ask people to comment on their impressions of Modalert, but _only_ if they have had previous direct experience with the Cephalon branded products in order to compare. It might also be useful to mention the source of the product (e.g., pharma-orders, airsealed, etc.) in order to see if there is any pattern in that regard.

BTW, a lot of the effects that people have been reporting from using Modalert sound suspiciously like caffeine to me. Anyone else struck by this similarity? If you were going to produce a fake pill, caffeine would be an obvious cheap substitute for a narcoleptic drug.

Anyway, just to be clear, this is all speculation on my part, I have no evidence or heard reports of fake Modalert being sold. Just trying to make sense of the conflicting reports...

-Celavie

[edward]

I'm getting tired of answering this question.

I have purchased brand name Provigil as well as generics like Modalert. I am 100% sure that the Modalert that I have been recently buying (from sources that can be found with a little searching on this website) is identical to the brand name Provigil. Taste, smell, effects, side effects at higher doses (smell of metabolites in urine, this is very noticeable). So please no more paranoia.

[celavie]

I'm getting tired of answering this question.

I have purchased brand name Provigil as well as generics like Modalert. I am 100% sure that the Modalert that I have been recently buying (from sources that can be found with a little searching on this website) is identical to the brand name Provigil. Taste, smell, effects, side effects at higher doses (smell of metabolites in urine, this is very noticeable). So please no more paranoia.

Edward,

Thanks for the reply and your patience -- a useful data point. But this is just that, a data point, and not a definitive answer. You may be getting the genuine article, whereas others may not, for example.

Where did you buy your Modalert if you don't mind sharing? That may also help to get the bottom of the issue.

-Mark

[krillin]

I've just ordered some Modalert 200mgx50 from pharm-orders.com, and after reading extensively on this forum, I'm now wondering if I'm going to get a genuine generic modafinil product, equivalent to Cephalon branded products, or something else.

It strikes me there are three possibilities:
a) Modalert really is the real deal, and the anecdotal evidence to the contrary is due to extraneous factors
b) Modalert is formulated differently, and the apparent differences in effect reported reflect this
c) There are fake versions of Modalert being sold, and even if the genuine article from Sun is good quality, the fake stuff is bad news

I've never ordered or taken it, but from what I've read case B is true. Modalert is extended release while Provigil isn't.

[edward]

I'm getting tired of answering this question.

I have purchased brand name Provigil as well as generics like Modalert. I am 100% sure that the Modalert that I have been recently buying (from sources that can be found with a little searching on this website) is identical to the brand name Provigil. Taste, smell, effects, side effects at higher doses (smell of metabolites in urine, this is very noticeable). So please no more paranoia.

Edward,

Thanks for the reply and your patience -- a useful data point. But this is just that, a data point, and not a definitive answer. You may be getting the genuine article, whereas others may not, for example.

Where did you buy your Modalert if you don't mind sharing? That may also help to get the bottom of the issue.

-Mark

PM me and Ill send you a link to the thread where I found my current supplier, I hate reposting good suppliers for fear that they will be forced to no longer carry modafinil like Freedom Pharmacy, which was a great supplier until one day they stopped. I emailed them and they said they were under too much pressure from regulating agencies and had to stop selling it.

edit: or just to a bit of searching on this sight, the thread is pretty blatant

Edited by edward, 23 February 2008 - 11:50 PM.

[yuna25]

hi edward,
I've send you a PM.
Would be glad if you respond!
- Lana

[edward]

hi edward,
I've send you a PM.
Would be glad if you respond!
- Lana

I mentioned in my last post on this topic for the person who started the thread to pm me for the supplier I currently use. He did and that was fine but then, as a result now every time I open up this board I am now getting multiple PMs from many people wanting to know Modafinil suppliers.

To random people I don't know, please stop pming me asking for modafinil suppliers (at least 8 different people have asked the same thing). I feel really weird about recommending a supplier that I have only ordered from twice, for a product that I only take a very very small dosage of (50 mg once or twice daily, only a few times a week) that happens to be "grey market" to just plain illegal, to import, depending on how much you order.

EVERYONE look under these threads (just like I did) and make your own decision.

http://www.imminst.o...liers-f199.html
http://www.imminst.o...ces-t11601.html
http://www.imminst.o...ate-t19144.html
http://www.imminst.o...ard-t19227.html

Thanks,

~E

Edited by edward, 05 March 2008 - 02:01 PM.

[BazookaTimes]

Hi, I just I've been a long time supplement/nootropic user. I've used Provigil for sometime infact its been nearly 2/half years since I started taking modifinil. During that time period, there came a point where I needed to save money and I ended up ording Modalert from a pharmacy in Fiji. It came with a small white box and I can't remeber the dosage due to the laspe of time but I believe they where ether 50's or 100 mgs?


Anyways I wanted to chime in a say there is something really different about those small white pills. When I first took Modalert it was after my second perscription ran out and wow the effects were profound. It was like Modifinil(provigil label) Super Juiced. But due to my lack of experience with the drug, I was unaware of anything diffrent until 2 months ago. Which was when I found a silver casing full of pills that I hadn't used. I took my usual two and BLAME! I was really euphric, super understanding. I felt love and compassion and became more aware of peoples feelings. My reaction time doubled and my heart rate was threw the roof. I used them each day with the same result until the last three which I took all at once. I was really tired and wanted to see how that high of a dosage would effect me. Needless to say, I felt very in touch with my emotions and was on top of things in my life. The only negative side effects were my heart rate, over heating , lose of ampitite. As I peaked my friend wanted to see how much my reaction time was improved. So we ended up setting up a few simple compressive tests. My typing speed was up to 94 wpm, with 2 mistakes, Before I was at 71 maxed out. Further more I ended up playing video games one that my friend had a true love for Halo 3. We ended up playing online, in the past I usually ended up somewhere in the middle as far as K/D ratio and amount of kills. That night I was number 1, not just by alittle but by a whole lot. It was amazing*(friends words) though inbetween games I had to stand outside because my heart rate was soo elevated and I was burning soo hot, that I worried about my mortality. The more stimulated by the game I got the faster my heart would beat and the hotter I'd get. I was sweating and my eyes were super glued open~!


That being said, I still take provigil and never get those kinds of effects, I'm not sure if it was just me or as I believe there is something very diffrent about modalert.

Hope this helps

[Lurker]

A ton of conflicting info out there. Much of which is fire hand account of people using it recreationally, or not recognizing tolerance issues. People have stated that increasing the dosage does not help this, and that taking 1-3 day breaks does. Going beyond 400mg is usually a sign of a report you should question.

Old Modafinil Thread on another board

The info in that thread seems reasonable, maybe it could shed some light on some of the conflicting reports.

[nothingness]

A ton of conflicting info out there. Much of which is fire hand account of people using it recreationally, or not recognizing tolerance issues. People have stated that increasing the dosage does not help this, and that taking 1-3 day breaks does. Going beyond 400mg is usually a sign of a report you should question.

Old Modafinil Thread on another board

The info in that thread seems reasonable, maybe it could shed some light on some of the conflicting reports.

Lurker, thanks for the thread, it was very insightful! Also, if anybody is considering a trial with modafinil, then please follow the link Lurker kindly provided (bookmark) and assimilate the key insights presented in the first post. Alright, that being said, maybe consider a few links I'm providing, I believe these study outcomes linked below warrant titrating modafinil up to 600 mg (but not beyond!) due to demonstrating its safety at that dosage - these studies are just a sample of the abundance of randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies which have been performed using such high doses with great success. Moreover, many of them have established that the 600 mg dose exhibits the highest degree of efficacy! This holds true for narcoleptics & healthy subjects alike - I myself did not attain a therapeutic range until I exceeded 400 mg (pharmacological success at 500 mg).

Doctors who are board certified sleep specialists will have zero reservations titrating a patient up to 600 mg if necessary, the empirical evidence for such action is very extensive at this stage of the experimental game - modafinil has been one of the most studied compounds in all of pharmacology the last 10 years, I have personally followed the research designs on & off the past 5 years and have observed them to be uniformly superior study designs (exceptionally high quality) permitting very precise statistical inferences to be performed, and this irrespective of the nation implementing the study.

Anyways, I present this data because there may be some reading this thread who will wish to try modafinil, but will find they do not respond until they titrate beyond 400 mg (although in reality not many people require the higher doses). If they are not being monitored by a sleep specialist and notice no effect up to 400 mg, then the may conclude (as I erroneously did) that modafinil is ineffectual for them. This is a critical mistake, because many treatment resistant people (i.e., people who failed all other intervention modalities) can be helped by modafinil, but only if they know their perseverence will most likely be eventually rewarded, i.e., amelioration of distressing symptoms. The preponderance of experimental evidence (especially the last several years) unequivocally sanctions modafinil dosages up to 600 mg, and again, these study outcomes are merely a few examples:

http://neuro.psychia...nt/17/3/405.pdf note the methods section . .

http://www.webscienc...cfm?ID=20042787 note the results section . .

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D6A9E.htm Army helicopter pilots (dosage 600 mg) greatly outperformed a placebo group

I hope the information I presented here will benefit someone - as for myself, I would have been spared so much emotional grief if someone would have taken the time to supply me with accurate information back when I was utterly confused and groping in the dark . . .

[BazookaTimes]

A ton of conflicting info out there. Much of which is fire hand account of people using it recreationally, or not recognizing tolerance issues. People have stated that increasing the dosage does not help this, and that taking 1-3 day breaks does. Going beyond 400mg is usually a sign of a report you should question.

Old Modafinil Thread on another board

The info in that thread seems reasonable, maybe it could shed some light on some of the conflicting reports.

Lurker, thanks for the thread, it was very insightful! Also, if anybody is considering a trial with modafinil, then please follow the link Lurker kindly provided (bookmark) and assimilate the key insights presented in the first post. Alright, that being said, maybe consider a few links I'm providing, I believe these study outcomes linked below warrant titrating modafinil up to 600 mg (but not beyond!) due to demonstrating its safety at that dosage - these studies are just a sample of the abundance of randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies which have been performed using such high doses with great success. Moreover, many of them have established that the 600 mg dose exhibits the highest degree of efficacy! This holds true for narcoleptics & healthy subjects alike - I myself did not attain a therapeutic range until I exceeded 400 mg (pharmacological success at 500 mg).

Doctors who are board certified sleep specialists will have zero reservations titrating a patient up to 600 mg if necessary, the empirical evidence for such action is very extensive at this stage of the experimental game - modafinil has been one of the most studied compounds in all of pharmacology the last 10 years, I have personally followed the research designs on & off the past 5 years and have observed them to be uniformly superior study designs (exceptionally high quality) permitting very precise statistical inferences to be performed, and this irrespective of the nation implementing the study.

Anyways, I present this data because there may be some reading this thread who will wish to try modafinil, but will find they do not respond until they titrate beyond 400 mg (although in reality not many people require the higher doses). If they are not being monitored by a sleep specialist and notice no effect up to 400 mg, then the may conclude (as I erroneously did) that modafinil is ineffectual for them. This is a critical mistake, because many treatment resistant people (i.e., people who failed all other intervention modalities) can be helped by modafinil, but only if they know their perseverence will most likely be eventually rewarded, i.e., amelioration of distressing symptoms. The preponderance of experimental evidence (especially the last several years) unequivocally sanctions modafinil dosages up to 600 mg, and again, these study outcomes are merely a few examples:

http://neuro.psychia...nt/17/3/405.pdf note the methods section . .

http://www.webscienc...cfm?ID=20042787 note the results section . .

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D6A9E.htm Army helicopter pilots (dosage 600 mg) greatly outperformed a placebo group

I hope the information I presented here will benefit someone - as for myself, I would have been spared so much emotional grief if someone would have taken the time to supply me with accurate information back when I was utterly confused and groping in the dark . . .

Someone else should get provigil and modalert like I did and tell me there isn't something very different between the two.

Its like a fire cracker vs a M80

seriously.

[Ghostrider]

A ton of conflicting info out there. Much of which is fire hand account of people using it recreationally, or not recognizing tolerance issues. People have stated that increasing the dosage does not help this, and that taking 1-3 day breaks does. Going beyond 400mg is usually a sign of a report you should question.

Old Modafinil Thread on another board

The info in that thread seems reasonable, maybe it could shed some light on some of the conflicting reports.

Lurker, thanks for the thread, it was very insightful! Also, if anybody is considering a trial with modafinil, then please follow the link Lurker kindly provided (bookmark) and assimilate the key insights presented in the first post. Alright, that being said, maybe consider a few links I'm providing, I believe these study outcomes linked below warrant titrating modafinil up to 600 mg (but not beyond!) due to demonstrating its safety at that dosage - these studies are just a sample of the abundance of randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies which have been performed using such high doses with great success. Moreover, many of them have established that the 600 mg dose exhibits the highest degree of efficacy! This holds true for narcoleptics & healthy subjects alike - I myself did not attain a therapeutic range until I exceeded 400 mg (pharmacological success at 500 mg).

Doctors who are board certified sleep specialists will have zero reservations titrating a patient up to 600 mg if necessary, the empirical evidence for such action is very extensive at this stage of the experimental game - modafinil has been one of the most studied compounds in all of pharmacology the last 10 years, I have personally followed the research designs on & off the past 5 years and have observed them to be uniformly superior study designs (exceptionally high quality) permitting very precise statistical inferences to be performed, and this irrespective of the nation implementing the study.

Anyways, I present this data because there may be some reading this thread who will wish to try modafinil, but will find they do not respond until they titrate beyond 400 mg (although in reality not many people require the higher doses). If they are not being monitored by a sleep specialist and notice no effect up to 400 mg, then the may conclude (as I erroneously did) that modafinil is ineffectual for them. This is a critical mistake, because many treatment resistant people (i.e., people who failed all other intervention modalities) can be helped by modafinil, but only if they know their perseverence will most likely be eventually rewarded, i.e., amelioration of distressing symptoms. The preponderance of experimental evidence (especially the last several years) unequivocally sanctions modafinil dosages up to 600 mg, and again, these study outcomes are merely a few examples:

http://neuro.psychia...nt/17/3/405.pdf note the methods section . .

http://www.webscienc...cfm?ID=20042787 note the results section . .

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D6A9E.htm Army helicopter pilots (dosage 600 mg) greatly outperformed a placebo group

I hope the information I presented here will benefit someone - as for myself, I would have been spared so much emotional grief if someone would have taken the time to supply me with accurate information back when I was utterly confused and groping in the dark . . .

Someone else should get provigil and modalert like I did and tell me there isn't something very different between the two.

Its like a fire cracker vs a M80

seriously.

You need a prescription to get provigil while modalart can be found on the Internet. Most people probably do not have the opporunity to compare both. Plus, if someone has a prescription for Provigil, they might be able to have insurance cover at least part of it so that it would be cheaper than buying modalart. Not saying that there is a difference, just that there are not many points of comparison.

[Lurker]

Someone else should get provigil and modalert like I did and tell me there isn't something very different between the two.

Its like a fire cracker vs a M80

seriously.

Have taken Provigil (200mg), Modalert (200mg)(sun pharmacys), and Olmifon (adrafinil)(300mg). Across the board, they have all been very similar. The effects for me from this substance are not "intense" enough to easily claim that i noticed a huge difference. I consider it like trying different cups of coffee and trying to claim that the caffiene component from one or another is "better then another". Have not gone above 400mg, have noticed tolerance issues that seem to go away with breaks.

[nothingness]

Someone else should get provigil and modalert like I did and tell me there isn't something very different between the two.

Its like a fire cracker vs a M80

seriously.

Have taken Provigil (200mg), Modalert (200mg)(sun pharmacys), and Olmifon (adrafinil)(300mg). Across the board, they have all been very similar. The effects for me from this substance are not "intense" enough to easily claim that i noticed a huge difference. I consider it like trying different cups of coffee and trying to claim that the caffiene component from one or another is "better then another". Have not gone above 400mg, have noticed tolerance issues that seem to go away with breaks.

If anyone is at all interested, I discuss the perennial Modalert vs. Provigil debate in a completely objective, unbiased, impartial, and detached manner at the end of the "Modafinil: 2008 Reviews" thread. Go take a peek - and please for Allah's sake (joke) tell us about your experience if you've tried them both!!!

[realitybias]

I have tried modalert, modavigil, and provigil.
Provigil seemed to be fast acting and cleaner feeling, it was very good, kept me awake for 12 hours and worked wonders off of only 100 mg.
Modalert was a little dirtier feeling, but it worked just as well as Provigil, I have nothing bad to say about this medicine.
Modavigil was actually the best for me, a generic that I cant seem to find anymore produced in New Zealand, I do believe.


I will say this, doses of 800 mg+ Are freaking AMAZING. I've only done this twice, but you get intense euphoria and heavy concentration.

[mbrandelwin]

Hi all, first post. Thought I'd chime in with a brief report on an informal comparison I've just done...

Never having tried modafinil, and having read many posts on the brand name vs. generic issue, I wasn't sure what to start with. Given the price difference, I decided to compare the two right up front in case I ended up liking it enough to become a regular user. I ordered a box of Alertec from the UK and ten tabs of Modalert from India. I started, of course, with the Alertec, 200mg at 7am. I'll spare you the detailed review since that's not the point of this post, except to say that I was quite impressed with the results. 2nd day also very good, no apparent side effects. Third and fourth day, though, saw a slight diminishment of effect, a little anxiety from time to time, and a mild headache for the second half of the day. Not a problem, really, just an indication that everyday use is not indicated for me personally, at least not at this dosage.

I took three full days off, then tried the Modalert, again taking 200mg at 7am. First, this was unmistakably the same drug. The mental, emotional and kinesthetic effects were identical to those produced by Alertec. However, said effects were much less pronounced. It was clear that, despite what was stamped on the pills, the dosage was quite a bit lower than what I'd taken earlier in the week. Second, and less positively, the latter half of the day brought a more severe version of the headache I'd experienced on days 3 and 4 of the Alertec phase of the experiment (and it was a very particular sort of headache, definitely traceable to the modafinil. I imagine other modafinil users know what I mean by that).

After three more days off, I took 100mg of Alertec at 7am for a final comparison. The positive effects of 100mg of Alertec were basically identical in intensity to 200mg of Modalert. The negative effects, ie. the headache, anxiety, and so on, were entirely absent.

Overall, what I found tends to support the theory I've seen on these forums that Modalert is authentic modafinil, but generally weaker, and containing more impurities, than the Cephalon-licensed brands. Hopefully this is helpful to anyone reading up on this for the first time like I was a few weeks ago.

[revnik]

Nice review, thanks.

But I see one big flaw:
why didn't you try dosing Modalert 100mg? Headache is a typical side-effect when your dosage is to high...

Hi all, first post. Thought I'd chime in with a brief report on an informal comparison I've just done...

Never having tried modafinil, and having read many posts on the brand name vs. generic issue, I wasn't sure what to start with. Given the price difference, I decided to compare the two right up front in case I ended up liking it enough to become a regular user. I ordered a box of Alertec from the UK and ten tabs of Modalert from India. I started, of course, with the Alertec, 200mg at 7am. I'll spare you the detailed review since that's not the point of this post, except to say that I was quite impressed with the results. 2nd day also very good, no apparent side effects. Third and fourth day, though, saw a slight diminishment of effect, a little anxiety from time to time, and a mild headache for the second half of the day. Not a problem, really, just an indication that everyday use is not indicated for me personally, at least not at this dosage.

I took three full days off, then tried the Modalert, again taking 200mg at 7am. First, this was unmistakably the same drug. The mental, emotional and kinesthetic effects were identical to those produced by Alertec. However, said effects were much less pronounced. It was clear that, despite what was stamped on the pills, the dosage was quite a bit lower than what I'd taken earlier in the week. Second, and less positively, the latter half of the day brought a more severe version of the headache I'd experienced on days 3 and 4 of the Alertec phase of the experiment (and it was a very particular sort of headache, definitely traceable to the modafinil. I imagine other modafinil users know what I mean by that).

After three more days off, I took 100mg of Alertec at 7am for a final comparison. The positive effects of 100mg of Alertec were basically identical in intensity to 200mg of Modalert. The negative effects, ie. the headache, anxiety, and so on, were entirely absent.

Overall, what I found tends to support the theory I've seen on these forums that Modalert is authentic modafinil, but generally weaker, and containing more impurities, than the Cephalon-licensed brands. Hopefully this is helpful to anyone reading up on this for the first time like I was a few weeks ago.

[mbrandelwin]

Nice review, thanks.

But I see one big flaw:
why didn't you try dosing Modalert 100mg? Headache is a typical side-effect when your dosage is to high...

Well mainly, as I said 100mg Alertec and 200mg Modalert seem basically identical in terms of intensity of the positive effects, but that intensity was low enough that I wouldn't really want to reduce the dosage any further. My ideal dose is really probably around 150mg of Alertec, which contraindicates using Modalert, since I'd have to increase the dose above what gave me a headache before.

Edited by mbrandelwin, 12 June 2008 - 10:53 PM.

[revnik]

For the first time I'm having some suspicions about modalert myself. It's a batch which I bought @ buymodafinil.c*.u* couple of months ago.
Is modalert suposed to dissolve easily in a glass of water? (normally it shouldn't for as far as I can recall)

Possible explanations:

- this has something to do with the film-coated formula of modalert?
- this has something to do with desintigration (it might have been stored at high temperature?)
- it's somekind of fake (most unlikely) or a bad batch (most likely)

Does anyone know if it's better to store modafinil at cold temperature (for example in the fridge) or is it better to store it at room-temperature?

[Guy Smith]

Hello, I have been reading this thread with interest for some time but until now have not been qualified or registered to answer.

Here is an extract of a message I just sent to Sun Pharma:

For the last two months I have been using Modafinil in the form of Modiodal from www.aurapharm.com. I have read about your product Modalert, which is considerably cheaper (£13.50/30 as apposed to £62.60/30 both excluding postage), but it's said, by some, to be less effective. I have taken Modalert for the last two days and found it not to be very effective; can you confirm this as a known problem please?

After seeing the mention on this thread of extended release properties of Modalert; I had a look on Sun Pharma website and their product list says:

“Modafinil (MODALERT) Modafinil 100 mg (extended release) Modafinil 200 mg (extended release)”

So I would guess that this would explain the perceived reduced efficacy!

I will keep you all posted of any reply from Sun Pharma is forthcoming. (so long as it comes in the next week as I only purchased a trial membership. Why is an annual membership so expensive?)

[Heliotrope]

Hello, I have been reading this thread with interest for some time but until now have not been qualified or registered to answer.

Here is an extract of a message I just sent to Sun Pharma:

For the last two months I have been using Modafinil in the form of Modiodal from www.aurapharm.com. I have read about your product Modalert, which is considerably cheaper (£13.50/30 as apposed to £62.60/30 both excluding postage), but it's said, by some, to be less effective. I have taken Modalert for the last two days and found it not to be very effective; can you confirm this as a known problem please?

After seeing the mention on this thread of extended release properties of Modalert; I had a look on Sun Pharma website and their product list says:

“Modafinil (MODALERT) Modafinil 100 mg (extended release) Modafinil 200 mg (extended release)”

So I would guess that this would explain the perceived reduced efficacy!

I will keep you all posted of any reply from Sun Pharma is forthcoming. (so long as it comes in the next week as I only purchased a trial membership. Why is an annual membership so expensive?)

So you mean the extended release could be the big explantion?

what trail membership , annual membership? are you buying modalert directly from Sun Pharma? is that possible. buying from factory and cutting out a middleman?

if you want extended release, i think a much safer way is using adrafinil (olmifon brand). It's made by Cephalon , so you know it's the real deal.

[Mouser]

I'll repost the same thing I just did in the Ordering Modafinil Online thread:

After trying real Provigil from the pharmacy for a couple months now at doses up to 400 mg, I've found it does next to nothing for me. The first day or two I did get a headache and may have felt a little more alert. Never did it do anything close to a cup of coffee. And lately it seems to actually make me a little spacey and less focused to the point I no longer take it for my diagnosed sleep problem. In addition to not having any positive effect I also didn't experience the strong smelling urine others have reported. Go figure, maybe there's some sort of metabolic difference with some people where we don't process it the same way. Moral of the story is, all those reports probably don't tell you much about where to buy or if one brand is better or not.

[vjpftw]

Hi I bought modalert 200mg back in 2006 from freedom pharmacy. It was the first experience I'd had with the drug and it worked a treat - exactly as described in all the literature. I wasn't taking it regularly, maybe once a week to help with uni work. Anyway, it was an intense buzz that really helped concentration and kept me awake for hours, but I felt if I took it daily I would freak out on the euphoria. When I ran out, I found another company who sold me modapro 200mg for roughly the same price. I must admit this stuff felt 'cleaner'. I don't know if the coating of the tablet made that difference - if you take modalert and don't swallow straight away the taste is rank! and that taste stays with you for ages, where as with modapro that didn't happen (modalert are round white tab's that look like aspirin; modapro are bullet shaped tabs just out of interest..) I could also take modapro daily and go to work on it feeling really good and alert but not too freaked and euphoric...

Anyway, moving on..... I moved to Australia and the company wouldn't ship it there. So I found a company there that gladly shipped to Oz but not UK, again they gave me modapro and it was the real deal... I came back to the UK and found yet another company.... Kamagra-up.com do a whole range of the stuff (e.g. 100mg packs of 100, to 200mg packs of 30's, 60's, 90's etc) - they sold me modapro only it was definitely different to the Oz stuff, the buzz was intense and wore off after 4 hours and gave me tinnitus - I was dubious as to whether to order from them again, but couldn't find anywhere as cheap so I ordered modalert this time from them and strangely it felt just like the first lot of modapro I ever got! Nice and smooth, easy to go to work on, good feelings all round! Hmm, strange goings on.....and just to top it off I had no credit left on credit card and needed some more, and finding somewhere that lets you buy with debit is real hard, anyway I found medstore who sold me modalert - and guess what? It blows your head off! It feels just like the very first stuff I used to get from freedom pharmacy - which is all well and good but man it feels strong! I break the tabs in half now so i only take 100mg I'm wondering whether I'll actually be able to work on this stuff!

Now the moral of the story is I have come to similar conclusions as your self, either:

(i) they are selling extended release tabs (which feel like the smooth ride) and not labelling them as extended release
(ii) the formulae IS different - and it depends who you buy it from - I've also heard that only provigil gets metabolised 'in the correct way' and that if you want modalert to do the same you should grind it into powder and put it in a capsule and take it that way.... i'm yet to try this method
(iii) only the modapro and modalert 'smooth rides' are the genuine article and this 'blow your head off modalert' is half amphetamine..
(iv) only the 'modalert 'blow your head off stuff' is genuine and the smooth ride stuff is a weaker version mixed with other stuff.......

Hmmm answers on a post card......

At the end of the day I feel I've only had one dodgy batch - the stuff that gave me tinnitus - when i get a new batch i'll always do the same checks - taste, smell, take a quarter and see what happens....... enjoy modafinil responsibly.

[nito]

how can u order it from the uk, i thought modafinil was presciption only. Surely this would not be possible?

[austinchng]

I wish to bring this old post from another website to discuss. It's also mentioned here as an OLD THREAD link.

Posted: November 05 2006 Post subject: Provigil (modafinil): Why It Stops Working & Info

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good afternoon. I am dropping by this forum to offer some insights about Provigil (modafinil). I can assure you that I am not associated with Cephalon, and that will be obvious from my comments about the drug. However, I have done quite a bit of research into the various studies on the drug.

Executive Summary:

• When Provigil stops working for you, try taking 1-3 days off from the drug.

• Alternatively, try lowering your dosage to 75% of what you found originally effective.

• Taking more Provigil doesn't usually solve the problem in the long term.

• Don't take more than 600 mg/day. If you're taking more than 400 mg/day, monitor your blood pressure.


Outline:
1. Modafinil in General
2. Some Precautions
3. Theory: Why Modafinil Stops Working

--

1. MODAFINIL IN GENERAL

My top priority here is accessibility, not completeness and precision. If you would like to know the longer version of the story, I recommend doing your own research.

Adrafinil, a.k.a. Olmifon, was discovered in the 1970s. Adrafinil is uncontrolled. You don't need a prescription for it. It's also unpatented. You can get it for cheap.

Adrafinil breaks down into Modafinil (and some other stuff). That other stuff causes side effects in some people: stomach aches and skin irritation. If you use it for several months, you should have your liver enzymes checked; it may alter how you metabolize other drugs. Any change in liver enzymes disappears after you stop taking it, though.

Modafinil breaks down into l-modafinil and d-modafinil (and some other stuff). Both l-modafinil and d-modafinil have stimulant effects. They both reach their peak levels after 1.5 to 2.5 hours (in most people). L-modafinil lasts much longer than D-modafinil; it has a 12-ish hour half-life. D-modafinil's half-life is 3-ish hours.

L-modafinil, a.k.a. R-modafinil, a.k.a. Armodafinil, a.k.a. Nuvigil® is going to hit the market early 2007, supposedly. When isolated, Cephalon claims that l-modafinil takes a little longer to peak (5-6 hours). This "smoothes out" the day.

400 mg adrafinil ~= 200 mg modafinil ~= 100 mg armodafinil.

Adrafinil is super cheap because it's unpatented and doesn't require a prescription in the US.

Modafinil is super expensive (~$8.50/200mg) until 2011 when it will become slightly cheaper (as the result of some complicated lawsuit settlements with generic manufacturers) until 2014 when it becomes completely generic.

Armodafinil will likely be super expensive as well.

NOTE: Modafinil is available from overseas manufactures as Modalert, Modatec, and several other brands for about $1.50 (US patents don't apply in India). Be careful because (a) it is technically illegal to import these, but a 90-day personal supply is usually forgiven by customs, and (b) these products are legitimate, but some overseas pharmacies sell counterfeit versions. Do a lot of research. I can't help you here, for legal reasons.


2. SOME PRECAUTIONS

As I'm sure most of you know, the FDA-approved dosage is 200 mg for narcolepsy. Cephalon's (publicly) recommended dose is a maximum of 400 mg. Whatever.

Take extreme caution in exceeding 600 mg per day. Cephalon's Phase 1 trials tested out 600 mg/day and 800 mg/day and found that 800 mg/day was unsafe due to blood pressure and heart rate changes.

If you insist on taking 600 mg/day or more, check your blood pressure and heart rate often. You can get an automatic blood pressure and pulse monitor from Omron for $55 from Amazon.

If your blood pressure is 140/90 to 180/120 (either number within that range), see a doctor about getting medicine for high blood pressure. Or reduce your dosage. If your blood pressure is between 180/120 and 220/140, seek immediate attention. If your blood pressure is over 220/140, go to the emergency room.


3. THEORY: WHY MODAFINIL STOPS WORKING

First of all, Cephalon will never admit that this happens. In fact, they've funded several studies to prove that people don't develop a tolerance to modafinil. But read some anecdotes online; something is wrong.

Most people find modafinil effective on the first day (given 200 mg/day). Very effective. After that, it's iffy. For many, it stops working by the third day. For others, it stops working after 3 weeks. For others still, it stops working after 6 months. For the lucky few, it works for over 2 years.

I have two theories as to why that might be.

THEORY A: Modafinil becomes ineffective when you have too much of it in you.

Modafinil has a long half-life. 24 hours after you take the first dose, you still have some amount of the drug left in you. When you take it every day, the modafinil levels keep on building up.

After 4-7 days, you reach a "steady state" level. This level is around 30% higher than a single dose, depending on individual factors. Thus, taking 400 mg for a week is like taking 520 mg for the first time.

If this is true, then raising the dose is the wrong solution. But that's what people seem to be doing. 200 mg stops working for them after a week, so they go to 400, then 600, then get frustrated and quit.

If this theory is correct, then:

(a) Raising your daily dose should not relieve your symptoms any more.
(b) After a 1-3 day "drug holiday" off modafinil (taking no modafinil at all), it should work as well as the first time when you take the same dose as the first time [200mg].
© Reducing the daily dose by 25% should relieve symptoms. For example, if 200 mg was effective on the first day, then taking 150 mg every day for a week should get back to that level. (150 * 130% = 200; plasma levels are dose-proportional)



THEORY B: Modafinil affects your sleep architecture.

This was briefly mentioned in a couple of studies that I've read, but I haven't looked into this in depth.

The theory is that, when you take modafinil every day, your "trough levels" (the level in your body every morning before taking it) get high enough that it affects your sleep. If your sleep becomes less restful, this would make you more tired the next day.

If this theory is correct, then:

(a) Raising your daily dose should not relieve your symptoms any more. (In fact, it might make them worse over the next few days.)
(b) A 1-3 day drug holiday, with plenty of rest, should make modafinil start working again when you resume.
© Reducing your daily dose might not help.



As an off-topic comment: Modafinil can stop working for anyone, not just people with sleep problems.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. I do not recommend using this information for the basis of any decision. Consult your doctor before making any medical decision.

If any of you decide to try this stuff (under supervision, of course...), reply and indicate how it goes.

[austinchng]

1)Taken 100mg Modalert for 10 days
2)Stopped working about 5th day onwards but stay at 100mg
3)After 10 days increase dosage to 200mg for another 4 days
4)Do not feel any different from 100mg
5)Total taken for 14 days and stopped for 2 days
6)Taken 100mg again but did not feel how I felt the first time I took it
7)Took 50mg today, still did not feel any difference

I would like to point out that the stopped working phase does not mean I don't feel anything.
It's like you know it is there, but it just did not work the way it used to be for the first 3 days.

Any enlightenment?

[full_circle]

is there a nootropic that does not raise blood pressure (or cause heart-pounding)? what nootropic would you recommend that will likely cause least side effects? i have never tried one and what i am after is less of a "didn't sleep but feel fine" kind, but "oh my creativity is soaring" kind (whatever that means..)

[austinchng]

Personally I didn't monitor my blood pressure but I did not have any heart pounding experience with modalert. As a Singaporean, I'm a workaholic by nature...hmmm... no I guess we are force to..lol... Basically I wake up 0530am (GMT+8) and get to sleep only about 1200am, Everyday. I take my lunch about 1130am and 30 mins nap at 1200pm. If I dun nap, I will crash around 2pm. The moment I'm typing this, my last off day was 06/03/2010 and I woke up at 0700am by my daughter.

Modalert did not work like a wonder pill for me. It just simply make it much easier for me to go w/o nap and feel less mentally lethargic. Yes, I still feel the body ache on my shoulder, thigh, calf and back. It did not take away any ache.

The reason I wanted to find the real cause that stopped my modalert working like my first day is because, I experienced an interesting day of work 14 days ago. I remember feeling very clear in mind. I could concentrate much better and I could stay on a task w/o being distracted by the surrounding noise, phone calls, etc. I also notice that even if I stop for something else like ppl talking to me or answer a phone call, I could jump right back into my last left off task w/o even thinking much. I also remember smoking very less that day. I actually concentrated so much on my work that I ignored my cigarette addiction. I accomplished what usually I would take 3-4 days work that day.

Maybe you will find me exaggrated but that was my first 3 days experienced and there after, I only able to stay awake w/o crashing and feeling mentally lethargic. The concentration and clear mind did not come back. I have a hundred over pills in my drawer and if I'm not able to get it working again, I just wasted much money including heffy shipping cost.

[mdma]

I find most of the replies here pretty desperate. Many seems to be seeking the results they had the first time they tried it, but apparently cant because maybe there wasnt any effects in the first place.

If you FEEL the modafinil after you just took it, then youre taking too much. This is marketed against sleep deprivation, jet lag, messy schedule where sleep is confused. Thats the whole beauty of it, it helps me to focus better, but im not noticing that im thinking clearer. If i take modafinil and stare at a wall for 6 hours nothing will happen and i just wont feel nothing because there is no physical effects at all.
Wish i could make my own to avoid spending those hundreds of dollars it cost over a year....

Edited by mdma, 26 March 2010 - 06:07 PM.

[Animal]

Well for someone like me who suffers from chronic fatigue the effects are pronounced. Like a lifting of the heavy weight of lethargy and a consequential improvement in mood. Of course, if the fatigue wasn't there in the first place, I doubt my mood would be improved by the modafinil.