The Provigil 200 mg medication actually does not cure sleep disorders and may not get rid of all your sleepiness. Rather it is introduced with proper treatment procedures and therapy to improve excessive sleepiness. The amphetamine salt of Modafinil is the primary drug present in each Provigil 200 mg tablet. Modafinil is very much similar to armodafinil drug (Nuvigil). Apart from this, it is also supplied as Provigil 100 mg pills.

Like other amphetamines, Modafinil promotes wakefulness by stimulating the brain. It tends to work by increasing the amount of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter present in the brain by reducing the reuptake of dopamine into nerves. Modafinil drug was approved by the FDA for public after much analysis.

Working Duration and Half-life

Provigil or modafinil begins to work within 30 to 60 minutes after administration on an empty stomach and may take a slightly longer time to kick in if taken on a full stomach. The peak blood concentration is usually achieved around 1 to 2 hours post-administration of Provigil 200 mg pills. However, its effects are observed to kick in as quickly as 30 minutes in some individuals.

Provigil medication’s half-life ranges somewhat between 10 and 12 hours for most patients but it may last up to 15 hours in some individuals. It usually takes multiple half-lives for a drug like Provigil (Modafinil) to be eliminated from an individual’s system. So how long Provigil medication lasts in someone’s system will typically vary depending on the dose the individual takes, the individual’s age, their tolerance to the drug, their liver and kidney functioning, and more.

How to Use Provigil 200 mg

• For the treatment of narcolepsy, Provigil medication should be taken by mouth with or without food once daily in the morning or as directed by the concerned doctor. The total daily dose of Provigil 200 mg (modafinil) may be divided into a smaller morning dose and a noon dose.
• To rectify obstructive sleep apnea in individuals, this medication should be taken once daily in the morning. Continue the treatment unless your concerned doctor asks to stop.
• If you are using Provigil for shift work sleep disorder then take the tablets orally with or without food as per the prescription. Usually, it is taken once daily, 1 hour before starting the work shift.
• A typical dose of Provigil is based on an individual’s medical conditions and response to the treatment procedure.
• Take this medication regularly to get the most benefit and avoid sudden discontinuation of this medication. This may result in promoting withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, sweating, chills, nausea, vomiting, confusion, etc.
• Avoid changing the time of daily dosage unless your concerned doctor advises doing so. Taking Provigil 200 mg pills during bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep.

Using Provigil medication for a long time, an individual’s system gets used to the medication and it may not work as well. Better to consult with your doctor when the effects of Provigil 200 mg tablets are observed to diminish.

Administration

The general recommended dose for an individual is 200 mg of Provigil once daily not exceeding the 400 mg limit. Commonly it is administered in the morning for patients struggling with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea. However, it should be taken one hour prior to work by those dealing with shift work disorder.

Precautions

• Avoid using Provigil if you have heart problems such as enlarged heart, mitral valve problem, chest pain, heart attack, or irregular heartbeat
• Stop using Provigil 200 mg tablets if you get heart problems after taking stimulant drugs such as amphetamines.
• Individuals having high blood pressure should stay away from Provigil medication.
• Provigil 200 mg tablets are prohibited for people suffering from liver and kidney problems. Also, patients having mental disorders depression, mania, and psychosis should be prohibited from using Provigil.
• Individuals having a personal or family history of a substance use disorder such as abuse of or addiction to drugs and alcohol should also use Provigil 200 mg tablets carefully.

Interactions

Modafinil drug present in Provigil 200 mg pills can decrease or increase the activity of certain enzymes in the liver that helps to metabolize other drugs. Resulting in decreased levels of some drugs that reduce their effectiveness and increased levels of other drugs that may lead to their toxicity in an individual’s system. Therefore Provigil treatment should be carefully monitored at regular intervals if taken with any of these drugs:

• Cyclosporine (Sandimmune) and theophylline
• Hormonal contraceptives such as Micronor and Ortho-Novum 1/50
• Warfarin (Coumadin), diazepam (Valium), propranolol (Inderal), imipramine (Tofranil), and mephenytoin (Mesantoin).
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital, and rifampin (Rifadin).
• Ketoconazole (Nizoral) and itraconazole (Sporanox) may reduce the effectiveness ofProvigil 200 mg tablets.
• Methylphenidate drug tends to delay the action of Provigil.
• Alcohol probably should be avoided while taking Provigil medicine as the effect of alcohol on the Modafinil drug has not been adequately evaluated yet.
• Opioid pain killers (Codeine, Oxycodone, Opana ER), sedatives (Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan  and sleeping pills (Ambien, Lunesta)