Nuvigil and Provigil are stimulant medicine used to treat over sleepiness caused due to various factors. The same company produces both these medicines, almost have the same chemical composition, and treats the same disorder. Both these medicines are first-line treatments for troubled sleepiness issues. These drugs do not directly tackle narcolepsy, OSA, and SWD disorders. But it cures the sleeping issues caused by these disorders, so these drugs are combined with other medicines.
Table of Contents
What is Nuvigil?
Nuvigil is the medicine prescribed to cure sleeping disorders and also to improve the wakefulness of the individual suffering from the disorders, including:
Narcolepsy
OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), to treat this disorder, Nuvigil is used with some other medicine according to the doctors’ prescription.
SWD (shift work disorder)
It should also be considered that Nuvigil will not fully treat these disorders but will reduce the sleepiness caused due to these diseases. It is prescribed with other medicines to treat these disorders.
Who should not use Nuvigil?
It’s a considerable fact that Nuvigil is not for every person. It reacts differently in different individuals.
- People having allergic reactions to ingredients should not take this medicine.
- Nuvigil is not prescribable for children and pregnant women.
Advantages of Nuvigil
There are the following advantages of Nuvigil:
- One dose per day is enough for any individual.
- As compared to amphetamine stimulants, it is found less abusive.
- Nuvigil is affordable as it is available in generic form.
- Refill is possible in the case of Nuvigil, unlike some controlled stimulant medicine.
Disadvantages of Nuvigil
The disadvantages of Nuvigil are as follow:
- It can react quickly with other medicines taken by the individual and cause side effects.
- The children should not take Nuvigil as it is not proven safe.
- It is also not recommended to pregnant women or breastfeeding.
- It can also cause trouble to persons with severe heart conditions or heart problems.
What is Provigil?
Provigil is also a prescribed drug used to cure excessive sleepiness caused due to the diseases like OSA and shift work. It is related to the class of medication known as stimulants. Provigil is considered the best medicine to cure the over sleepiness caused by these disorders.
Provigil generic
Generic medicines are usually considered less expensive as compared to brand-name drugs. Fortunately, Provigil is also available in generic form and is known as modafinil.
Common side effects of Provigil
Provigil can cause some side effects that can be serious or mild depending upon the patient’s health condition. Here is the list of common side effects that may cause by Provigil.
- Headache
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Stuffy nose
- Stomach problem
- Diarrhea
- Back pain and some other related symptoms.
Safety measures to follow
The patient needs to inform his doctor if you have
- Angina or other heart problems
- Kidney disease
- High blood pressure
- And some other mental issues.
This medicine can cause some severe effects in these types of patients.
Advantages of Provigil
There are the following advantages of Provigil:
- This medication will not affect your daytime sleep if you need to sleep in the daytime.
- Provigil is available in a generic form, making it less expensive and approachable for patients.
- It also improves alertness in the body and effectively treats excessive sleepiness in SWD disorder.
- Provigil abuse is not very observable in people.
Disadvantages of Provigil
Disadvantages of Provigil are as follow:
- Provigil can cause the habit, so it should not be taken long.
- Patients suffering from liver disorders should not use Provigil as it can react with other medications and cause side effects.
- It can cause mood or mental health-related disorders such as anxiety, depression, confusion, and irritability.
- Provigil can also cause heart issues. But it is most common for people suffering from some heart problems. It can cause chest pain and trouble breathing in those people.
Comparison Chart between Nuvigil and Provigil
| Basis for comparison | Nuvigil | Provigil |
| Types of drugs | It is an analeptic type of drug. | It is an analeptic type of drug. |
| Used to treat | It is used to treat
OSA SWD Obstructive sleep and Narcolepsy |
It is used to treat
OSA SWD Obstructive sleep and Narcolepsy |
| Active ingredients | It mainly contains Armodafinil which is considered the enantiomer (long-lived) of modafinil. | Its mains contains modafinil. |
| Dosage | Dosage of the medicine depends upon the problem person is facing, such as
For OSA, 150mg/250mg is considered a single dose; on the other hand, for SWD, 150mg is regarded as a single dosage. |
For OSA and narcolepsy, the single dosage consists of 200mg, while for SWD, the single consists of 200mg. |
| Forms available | It exists in the form of tablets. | It exists in the form of tablets. |
| What is it? | Nuvigil is the brand name of armodafinil, and it’s the medicine used to treat sleep disorders such as OSA and SWD. | Provigil is the brand name of modafinil, and it is used to treat disease-related to sleep such as narcolepsy, OSA, and SWD. |
| Routes | Oral only. | Oral only. |
| For children | It is not prescribed for children of ages 10-19 | It is not prescribed for children of ages 10-19 |
| Common side effects | It can cause dizziness, nausea, headache, and trouble sleeping. | It can cause back pain, headache, nausea, anxiety, dizziness, stuffy nose, and trouble sleeping. |
| Withdrawal symptoms | It can cause sleepiness in patients dealing with the narcoleptic disorder. | It can cause sleepiness in patients dealing with the narcoleptic disorder. |
| Dependency liability | Yes, there is the possibility of it. | Yes, there is the possibility of it. |
Conclusion
In short, Nuvigil and Provigil are used to treat sleeping disorders and are effective in various ways. Still, there is a difference in dosage and have different chemical structures and side effects. Furthermore, Long-term use of these medications can cause some severe impact on the patient’s life and must not be used without the doctors’ prescription. Though these medicines can cure sleeping disorders, you shouldn’t take long these medicines as they can cause dependence liability.
