Nuvigil vs. Provigil

Are Nuvigil and Provigil the Same Thing?

Nuvigil (armodafinil) and Provigil (modafinil) are wakefulness-promoting agents used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder.

Side effects of Nuvigil and Provigil that are similar include headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, anxiety, nervousness, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

Side effects of Nuvigil that are different from Provigil include upset stomach.

Side effects of Provigil that are different from Nuvigil include upper respiratory tract infection or agitation.

Both Nuvigil and Provigil may interact with cyclosporine, propranolol, rifampin, or seizure medications.

Nuvigil may also interact with omeprazole, sedatives, antidepressants, or antibiotics.

Provigil may also interact with theophylline, hormonal contraceptives, warfarin, diazepam, imipramine, desipramine, ketoconazole, or itraconazole.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Nuvigil?

Common side effects of Nuvigil include:

  • headache,
  • nausea,
  • diarrhea,
  • upset stomach,
  • dry mouth,
  • anxiety,
  • nervousness,
  • dizziness, and
  • difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Nuvigil including:

  • fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, or
  • mental/mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, depression, hallucinations, rare thoughts of suicide).

What Are Possible Side Effects of Provigil?

Common side effects of Provigil include:

  • headache,
  • dizziness,
  • upper respiratory tract infection,
  • nausea,
  • diarrhea,
  • nervousness,
  • anxiety,
  • agitation,
  • dry mouth, and
  • trouble sleeping (insomnia).

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Provigil including:

  • fever,
  • easy bruising or bleeding,
  • hallucinations,
  • depression,
  • chest pain,
  • fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, or
  • mental/mood changes (such as confusion, depression, hallucinations, rare thoughts of suicide).

What Is Nuvigil?

Nuvigil (armodafinil) is a wakefulness-promoting agent used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder.

What Is Provigil?

Provigil (modafinil) is a stimulant prescribed to increase wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy, shiftwork sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.

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What Drugs Interact With Nuvigil?

Nuvigil may interact with cyclosporine, propranolol, omeprazole, rifampin, sedatives, seizure medications, antidepressants, or antibiotics. Tell your doctor all medications you use. Nuvigil should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. It is not known if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

What Drugs Interact With Provigil?

Provigil drug interactions include cyclosporine (Sandimmune), theophylline (Theo-24), hormonal contraceptives (for example, Micronor), warfarin (Coumadin), diazepam (Valium), propranolol (Inderal), imipramine (Tofranil), desipramine (Norpramin), phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), rifampin (Rifadin), Ketoconazole (Nizoral) and itraconazole (Sporanox). Provigil has not been adequately studied in pregnant women and it is unknown if it is excreted in breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

How Should Nuvigil Be Taken?

The recommended dose of Nuvigil for patients with sleep apnea or narcolepsy is 150 mg or 250 mg given as a single dose in the morning. The recommended dose of Nuvigil for patients with shift work disorder is 150 mg given daily approximately 1 hour prior to the start of their work shift.

How Should Provigil Be Taken?

Provigil dosage is 200 or 400 mg daily.

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References

FDA. Nuvugil Product Information.
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/drugsafety/ucm231717.pdf
FDA. Provigil Product Information.
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/drugsafety/ucm231722.pdf

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