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Provigil as a study drug

Can you use Provigil (modafinil) as a study drug? Will it give you that extra edge you need to complete your work?

Students have long used aids to help them study and write papers or complete projects. Sometimes students feel they need the extra mental energy. The most widespread study drug is clearly caffeine, whether in the form of coffee, tea, or cola drinks. Of course, many students drink caffeine drinks regularly, so come crunch time, these drinks may not have the desired impact as the body has become used to it.

One traditional study drug from decades ago was amphetamine or methamphetamine. These materials helped people stay awake, but there were problems. Dosing was often unknown and users got overstimulated. Often when the drug wore off, users felt a “crash”. These drugs are also addictive and have negative side effects. They are also illegal without a prescription and not readily available in unmixed form even with a prescription most of the time.

Adderall has found popularity as a study drug. Adderall is a widely used prescription medication for attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. It treats some of the same conditions as Provigil and has some similar effects. Chemically, Adderall is a mixture of four dextroamphetamine salts. Each salt has a different half-life in the body, so the effect is spread out and users are less likely to experience the highs and crashes of old-fashioned street amphetamines and single component drugs. However, there are still potential side effects from this form and dosage of amphetamine.

Ritalin is likewise a stimulant employed in treatment of attention deficit disorder, and it is also used as a study drug. Many students started taking Ritalin as children, or know classmates who have used if for years and have access to it. Like caffeine, Ritalin gives more of an extra boost to those who do not take it habitually.

Provigil is available only by prescription and it is approved only for certain medical conditions. It is not ethical for a doctor to prescribe Provigil to help a student do better in school or to take only during special cases of final exam periods or the like. Nevertheless, there are reports from campus newspapers of people using Provigil for just this purpose.

The London Times has an article titled "Smart drugs for straight As" about medicines for cognitive enhancement. The Times also published an article called "Cheating students turn to smart drug for edge in exams" that looks at the questions raised by such use.

A study published at the online journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy claims that about 4% of older teens and emerging adults (abges 18 to 25) use study drugs. The report that between 1990 and 2000 methylphenidate use increased by a factor of 5 in the United States, and this has contributed to a culture that accepts stimulants such as Provigil.

Provigil use in academia

Cambridge University studetn newspaper The Varsity quoted professors as saying they have been offerred Provigil at academic meetings:

Barbara Sohakian, Professor of Neuropsychology at Cambridge, claimed that use of such drugs is also becoming more widespread in academic circles. “I have been offered modafinil on several occasions when I’ve been at conferences, without asking for it,” she said. Professor Robbins stated that he has had similar experiences.

See article from the Daily Pennsylvanian

Related: Can Provigil help you at work?

Writing in the Times of London, Dr. Thomas Stuttford warns against excessive use of Provigil for studying as "the brain, like any other organ, needs periods of rest in between activity if it is to give its best performance."