Is it safe to buy Modafinil (Provigil) online?
Is it safe to buy modafinil (Provigil) on the internet without a prescription?
How would you even do it?
What are the legal, practical, and financial considerations of buying Modafinil online in the USA (without a prescription)?
Those three questions make up about 80% of the emails I get from Corpina readers.
It seems like everyone these days is either looking to buy Modafinil online, or wondering if it’s legal / safe to do so.
Modafinil
In the United States, Modafinil is a schedule IV drug. This is the second lowest category, just slightly more regulated than common cough prescriptions. To buy a schedule IV drug like Modafinil, you need a prescription.
This is a little surprising, given that Modafinil has little to no addictive potential. However, schedule IV is the classification for most nootropics and psychoactive drugs, so perhaps it’s the FDA’s default choice.
How I got started
I don’t remember exactly where or when I first learned about nootropics, but I’m fairly confident it was one of those things I read about in online forums like Longecity and Erowid that wasn’t covered at any point in college or high school classes.
Without much in the way of debilitating side effects (unlike say steroids, amphetamines, and testosterone), performance enhancing smart drugs seem like they would sell like hotcakes for knowledge workers in the New Economy, but for some reason nootropics don’t seem to get much use (yet).
Buying Modafinil online (which you can do quite easily without a prescription – just go here) doesn’t seem smart for a variety of reasons, but aside from the possibility of racking up a few felony charges, using your insurance would likely take a big cut out of the cost.
Modafinil can be quite expensive. I had one friend who bought theirs from a Costco in Mexico (no joke) for a much more reasonable amount of money, but that was more than five years ago.
I think that most physicians are unfamiliar with the drug, and moreover I’m not sure it would be easy to locate a pharmacy like GNC, CVS or Walgreens that carries it. However, once you obtain a prescription you can mail order it easily enough.
The nice thing about Modafinil is that it’s fairly safe to use. It doesn’t look like there’s much potential for adverse/side effects unless you’re currently taking other prescriptions (birth control, warfarin).
Can you buy it online? Where?
Note, you can order Modafinil online from sites like AfinilExpress.
They are very discreet and ship directly to your door, almost anywhere in the world, without any issue.
However, as with most “discreet” online pharmacies you run the risk of taking a drug that is made overseas and doesn’t have the same quality controls as most US-manufacturer drugs.
For many people though, the benefits outweigh the risks. Ordering Modafinil online has become a lucrative business and will continue to grow as use of the drug spreads beyond American borders, into Europe and Asia.
What about the UK?
As far as I’m aware, it’s legal to order it online in the UK, although you can’t get it over the counter without a prescription.
Many Englishmen and women use it to fight off symptoms of delayed-phase sleep, ADD and depression. Given the common rain and grayness of the UK, it’s no wonder than one in five people suffers from depression. And that statistic is often massively underreported.
I have many friends in the UK who regularly order generic Modafinil online through AfinilExpress.
I can’t speak from personal experience, but they tell me that the service and product are reliable, on par with MC’s quality customer service for Americans. Likewise, you won’t have any issues with postage/customs.
How much should you take?
So let’s say you pulled the trigger and ordered Modafinil from an online pharmacy. What’s next?
The next question most people have is – how much should I take?
I typically take 50 mg first thing after waking up, with a large glass of water.
I meditate, shower then have a small breakfast. By the time I’m walking out the door (usually about 45 minutes to an hour later), I start to feel it kick in ever so slightly. This varies day to day — if I take more, usually I feel it more quickly.
Then I take another 50 mg (quarter of a 200mg pill) around just before lunch, around noon. This ensures the effects ramp up through the afternoon and early evening but subside by around 11 pm.
What does it feel like?
The short answer is that Modafinil feels like a really strong (depending on the dose), long-lasting cup of coffee without the jitters or anxiety.
If I’m sleep-deprived, (which is often) then it makes me feel not sleep-deprived, dispelling the ‘brain fog’, lethargy and fuzzy thinking that’s otherwise pretty pervasive to me, especially at work. It’s simple and subtle, but I find very reliable and useful effect.
Small update for 2016: in the past year I transitioned to taking 37.5 mg Armodafinil each day. Armodafinil seems to be slightly more “potent” than Modafinil, and it usually comes in 150 mg tablet. So a 37.5 mg dose is 1/4 of a standard Armodafinil tablet. I buy Armodafinil through Duckdose as well (here’s my review).
Depression
It also works pretty well against low mood and depression. If I take it, I’m more likely to fall into a cheerful, bright, open sort of mood. The ideal Modafinil dose for depression will vary, but typically taking your normal amount is the “right” dose.
However, it’s by no means a magic pill that solves your emotional issues — it just makes it easier for me to achieve a good mood than usual.
Productivity
Modafinil’s productivity benefits are… interesting to say the least.
Once I start a task or project, Modafinil makes it easy to really lean into it and raise your head a few hours later with a lot of it done.
However, that’s only useful if I keep myself on-track with a To-Do list and/or daily schedule, and a generally productive mindset.
If I’m being avoidant or just fall prey to my bad habits, and start to procrastinate, especially with something ‘seemingly productive’ like wikidiving or creative reverie, then that can capture me just as easily. But as long as I keep a handle on my goals for the day then it is useful.
In other words, if you’re not focused, then taking Modafinil may do more harm than good. You should ue it to accelerate productivity, rather than use it as a crutch.
Is Modafinil addictive?
I haven’t found it addictive, and I usually just drift on and off it for a week or two at a time.
I’ve never noticed any ill-effects or cravings, other than a more keen dislike for the brainfog when it rolls back in. But most of the time, even when I have plenty on-hand, I don’t feel especially compelled to take it.
This is probably the reason why Modafinil is gaining in popularity — it’s not addictive like Adderall and cocaine. Further, it doesn’t affect the quality or quantity of your sleep. So you can take it once or twice a week and not notice any adverse side effects.
Are there any side effects?
I do find a few mild side-effects. If I take it any time after about 1-2pm, then it makes it hard to sleep until it wears off.
When under the effect, I do feel a slightly ‘wired’ or taut feeling, somewhat like coffee, but milder and less ‘jittery’.
Sometimes, especially around the late afternoon, I find my anxiety is slightly higher, but not in any particularly distressing way. This is usually my own fault — I’m so focused on working that I forget to take breaks, drink water, or use the bathroom.
This may sound silly but it’s quite common when you’re in the zone!
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