I WAS TAKING ADDERALL, AND MY PSYCHIATRIST JUST SWITCHED ME OVER TO PROVIGIL BECAUSE HE SAID THAT IT HAD LESS SIDE EFFECTS. HAS ANYONE HEARD OF TAKING THIS MEDICATION FOR ADHD ?
I walked into the office, and my doctor asked how I was feeling, and I told him that I was pretty tired. I told him that I just switched from day shift to night shift. I'm a registered nurse in the ICU, so I work LONG hours. It ends up being 13 hours (after reports given). I worked from 6:30pm that night before until 7:30am morning the day of my appointment. I had to hang out in the area until my 10:30am appointment, which I thought was at 10:00am. Anyhow, he asked how I felt, and I told him that I was tired from not sleeping (of course I just worked all night). He asked me how it was going, and I told him that it's been a little rough trying to adjust to my new schedule sleeping during the day. So, he then says that he wants to try me on a new medication called PROVIGIL which is a medication for Narcolepsy (people that are always tired and falling asleep), and it's a new medication for a new diagnosis of "work-related-shift related sleep disorder." Some new disorder that has just came out I guess. Anyhow, I went home, and I researched the new medication since I have never heard of it, and I didn't find anything that related to ADHD. I have been looking all over message boards, and I have yet to find anyone who has taken the medicine.
Today was my first day taking it. I have felt sleepy all day long, and I have not been paying attention. I have had to ask 3 friends today to repeat things because I was not paying attention to what they were telling me. I have procrastinated ALL DAY LONG, and I have not gotten a darn thing done. I am so sleepy. I am very frustrated, and I too wondered if it was a possible placebo drug, but then it is not a stimulant like Adderall. So, maybe my body is just tired because it's so used to Adderall. I am not sure. I am not going to give up. I'm still going to take it to see if it works. He said that it has less side effects, and he said that he is trying to get more people off of Adderall and trying PROVIGIL MORE. He said that his patient's that have switched like it. I guess, we'll see. I couldn't help to wonder why he changed the medicine. I passed my board exam (NCLEX - nursing board exam), and I've been doing better at work, and it makes me kind of sad to switch meds since I've been doing so much better once on Adderall. I'm a totally different person. I concentrate, I don't procrastinate, I focus more, I'm not as impulsive. It's been like a miracle drug. I've never been like this before. I'm more organized. My thoughts are more clear. I stay on one task at a time instead of being a little tornado doing a million things at once then forgetting what I'm supposed to do. IT'S SOOOOOO DEPRESSING TO FIND A DRUG THAT WORKS AND FOR THE DOCTOR TO SWITCH IT. I don't know why he did. All I said was that I was sleepy from being on nights and trying to adjust... SO THEN I GET PRESCRIBED PROVIGIL FOR NARCOLEPSY... WE WILL SEE IF IT WORKS. I'm going to try it and see and not give up. Have you heard of anyone who is taking that med? Let me know if yours works please.
Thank you for all your responses. This is the first time that I've ever done a mesage board. He gave me a sample pack, and I'm on day 3. I'm about to take my prescription to the pharmacy and have it filled. I have procrastinated since last Friday to do this (hmmm). I still feel sleepy, not motivated, and have done a few impulsive spendings. I feel so "brain-dead and foggy" that I feel like I can't get my thoughts and words out like I want RIGHT NOW as we speak. I'm trying to stay positive. I have to work the next 3 nights (tonight, tomorrow, and the next). I work in the ICU as a registered nurse. It really depresses me like crazy knowing that I have switched from a med that helped me at work and all the way around to something that doesn't seem to be working right now. It is such a scarry thought to me to be around critical patients who are depending on me.
CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMEONE WITH ADHD TAKING CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONE IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NOT ON MEDICINE, THE RIGHT DOSE, OR THE RIGHT MED? ---- Kind of scary! I'm really nervous about going in tonight.
I don't want to be an experiment. I might not mind experimenting with meds with my psychiatrist if I was not working in the ICU. These patients are on ventilators, are on IV drips that have to be titrated (adjusted IV medications), and there is a lot of time management, prioritization, critical thinking that goes along with working in the ICU. I just pray to God that I can function good the next 3 days and not "kill anyone" by a what a call "stupid" mistake.
Scarred to death to work and not be on the right med !!!!!!!
Hi Shannon,
Yes, Provigil is experimentally used to treat ADHD. I think there are a small handful of people on this board that have taken it, but not a lot of info shows up. From my understanding, it seems to be a drug that either works great for ADHD, or is a complete bust.
If you are trying to adjust to a new work schedule, it may be hard for you to evaluate how well it is working. I imagine that your doc may be jumping on the Provigil bandwagon if he has had success with it since it is a less controversial drug than Adderall. However, once you give the Provigil some time - if it doesn't work for you I would hope he would let you go back to the Adderall.
Good luck!
This is a call you have to make. If you do not feel you are able to safely take care of your patients, you should not go to work. You need to make some decisions. If you need to experiment with your meds until you get them right and feel you are not on top of your job maybe you can take some time off until you can do this. Otherwise you need to tell your doctor you cannot give this medication the time it takes if you are endangering the health of your patients.I took it for awhile. It ended up making me more tired than I was without it - strange huh, it's supposed to do the opposite. It's not as strong as adderall, and didn't do much for focusing either. Had somewhat of an appetite suppressing effect as well. For me, it was like coffee, but only in a pill.Yes, it is a commonly used 3rd line med for ADHD.i started on provigil about two weeks ago and have been very pleased. i tried strattera and it made me sleepy and i cannot have amphetamines/methylphenidate due to past serious abuse issues.Adderall is also a CNS stimulant( being that it is an amphetamine) as are all of the stims used for ADHD. Why didn't your psych ramp the Provigil? It cannot usually be started at the highest dose. Diane is right, you cannot just take them , you have to wait for the Psych.
Straterra is one that has to be ramped also( Like the Provigil SHOULD have been) and will take a while for effects to be noticed.
Well, I didn't end up going into work last night. I ended up in the EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. My psychiatrist told me that PROVIGIL was a non stimulant drug. I actually did some research on it, and some research I found it was a stimulant drug, and some said that it was not.
Anyhow, I took the medicine at 9:00am, 200 mg, and I ended up calling my Psychiatrist twice. It was the 4th of July. So, I had to call the office. They paged him at 2pm, and I never heard from him (he was on call). Then, I called back at around 4:30pm, and told the operator that I needed to speak to him ASAP that I was having a reaction to my so-called "NON-STIMULANT MEDICATION." He called me back, and I told my psychiatrist that my apical heart rate (over my chest) was 129 beats in 60 seconds (normal 60-100). This was my heart rate at resting. My neighbor's mother is a nurse. I got her to take my blood pressure, and it was 150/78. Now, my baseline BP and HR is my HR is in the late 70's, and my systolic BP is usually around 115-120, and my diastolic is in the 70's. Anyhow, to keep from dragging it out, my vital signs were up FELT A LOT OF ANXIETY, PRESSURE ON MY CHEST. My doctor said, "well it's a non-stimulant drug, and it shoud not have those effects on you. I think that it might be something else." Of course, he told me not to take the medicine anymore, which I had already planned that!!! He also mentioned considering going to the emergency room, which I already considered also!!!
I went to the ER, told the ER doctor everything. The ER doctor said, "Well, maybe you are having # 1 withdrawal reaction from Adderall, since I hadn't taken it in 5 days, or # 2 maybe it's the new medication "provigil." The ER doctor said that he would be right back, that he was going to research the new medication.
The ER doctor came back, said he spoke to a Toxocologist, and he said that he did some research on Adderall withdrawal, and the new medication my psychiatrist prescribed me PROVIGIL, and he told me that PROVIGIL is a CNS (central nervous system stimulant). He stated my psychiatrist told me wrong. He said it is indeed a CNS stimulant, and he said that is the reason my blood pressure and heart rate was increased. He asked me a few times why my psychiatrist had switched me from Adderall to Provigil, and I told him that my psychiatrist said because Provigil is a non-stimulant drug, and Adderall is a stimulant drug, and that he said Provigil had less side effects.
FUNNY THING IS THIS. I am a registered nurse. So, pretty regularly while I'm at work, I will check my temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and hook up the EKG to "check me out." Yes, on Addreall, my HR and BP is elevated some what, BUT NOTHING LIKE PROVIGIL..... ???
The toxocologist and the ER doctor both said that withdrawal from Adderall was MAJOR DEPRESSION. They both stated, very clearly, that my increased vital signs was from my new med.
I'm extremely frustrated now. I am not going to take the new medication anymore. Now, I have no medication for ADHD, and I have to work. I have to make money. I don't have any vacation time. I was fine on my adderall, and it really bothers me that he would take me off of it.
I ALMOST WONDER IF HE THINKS THAT I AM "ABUSING IT"....... "FAKING THE SYSTEM"....... "LOSING TOO MUCH WEIGHT." --- I did lose 10-15 pounds over the entire course of taking it.
So, what do I do? I'm frustrated. IT's not fair. Do I need to switch psychiatrist. Do I need to have my elementary school, junior high, and high school, and college all fax over my records (transcripts, where I failed classes, where I scored so porely on my SAT and ACT). Do I need to show him where I failed my first nursing board exam. Do I need to show him my bank statements over the past 10 years. Do I need to show him all the appointments from COURT DATES and doctor's offices where I missed my appointments. What do I need to do?
I'M STARTING TO WONDER WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I'm very upset. I ended up in the ER last night, missed work, had to pay 0 copay, and now I don't have medication. They won't be in the office until Monday !!! ?
He did mention on the phone yesterday maybe starting me on Straterra? I hope it works, and I hope it's not a BIG FLOP LIKE THIS PROVIGIL...
FRUSTRATED !
Is this psychiatrist the one who diagnosed you? If so I am not sure what the problem is with the Adderall. If not, take your report from whoever did and go to some one else. You are obviously unhappy with this physician and dont trust his judgement or feel he trusts yours. You should have a good relationship with the person managing your ADHD and meds. How do you know he wont put you back on Adderall? Maybe Straterra is a good choice with your work schedule you will have 24 hour coverage. It takes a LONG time to know if it will effective though and you will have to be very patient.
No, I was diagnosed while in school fall 2006 by a psychologist. I did hours of testing, and he referred me to this psychiatrist.
I guess I'm just sad and frustrated because I lost so many years of my life. I struggled for so darn long, failed so many classes, failed my nursing exam the 1st time, and I could keep going on.
I finally got a diagnosis for ADHD, which I already knew that I had (from my own research), and medication that worked. It has been the greatest feeling to be able to be organized, not scatter-brained, calm, listen, STOP LOSING THINGS, etc. Not only have I noticed a HUGE difference, but so has my family and friends.
I have ready sooooo many things on medications, switching, trying to find the right med, trying to find the right dose, people switching back and forth. I guess my frustration comes into play in that EVERYTHING WAS FINE on my med.
I actually told him when I called him yesterday about the Provigil that I have 6 Addreall pills left. I never took them everyday. Sometimes, on my day off I would not take them. So, I still have some left (should have ran out June 18th). When I asked him if I could take my adderall the next few nights at work. He sounded upset with me. He said that he wants to try me on Straterra. He got upset and said, "Shannon we need to fist take care of this issue with Provigil first." YES, I KNOW THIS! I wasn't planning on taking my adderall right smack dab on top of the Provigil that same day. I know better than that!
He knows that I have to work tonight and tomorrow night. Their office won't open back up until Monday. So, I just hope I can get an appointment here soon. I know he's booked up a lot.
I'm going to be patient. I really am. I going to try to be positive. He's the doc and I am not. I will give Straterra a try. Why not. Adderall worked, and apparantly he thinks Strattera is better. He is the doc, so I will give it a try, and hope that it works.
I'm sorry... I'm just very bummed out about my experience yesterday (trip to the ER and having to miss work and having to pay 0)
Thanks Diane for your response. I need to be patient, and if I'm not comfortable or trust him, I might end up switching. I don't know just yet.
Sorry, I need to add to my post above. I just RE-READ your reply post Diane (Thank you again by the way).
I re-read it, and I noticed something that did NOT JUMP OUT BEFORE. I saw the "you need to be patient" part, but I just now got the "It takes a LONG time to know if it will effective though" part of your sentence.
I work in the ICU with people who are depending on me (pretty scarry). I need to talk to my doctor about this pretty quick.
He'll be back Monday. So, I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with him ASAP and pray to God that they can fit me in.
In the mean time, I wonder if it would be bad of me to take my adderall tonight and tomorrow night at work (I have 6 left). Should I just go ahead and take them, knowing that they help me at work, or should I call him, knowing that he's off on vacation and tell him what I'm doing, or should I say ask him?
I would NOT just take them. Didnt he tell you no to? I really think you should wait until you talk to him. You cant mess around with side effects and mixing meds. Maybe he needs to see how you are without the Provigil for a few days. I dont know. I would try to reach him by phone though rather than just go ahead and take them.
Straterra is not a stimulant at all and it takes several weeks to effects from it. I believ the minimum is 2, but I think peak symptoms relief is 6-8 weeks AFTER you reach optimum dsoe. It has to be built in your system so you start low and build up.
Just because he is the doctor does not mean he has a crystal ball. I do, however think he is trying to help you.
I really know how hard it is to be patient. I have a 12 year old who I've wtached suffer through a lot of "stuff" and it is so very frustrating. Try to take a breath and think about it all without all the frustration. You need to do whats best for YOU in the long run, not what is seems like the quick answer. This is your health too.