Modern society
This is certainly alarming, that the number of different accidents that are being caused by excessive sleepiness is in a rise, especially in the last two years. The good news is that the number of accidents that are related to use of alcohol and drugs are in decline. The number of industrial accidents has also increased, that is related to sleepiness people doing shift works and especially night shifts experience.
The study has confirm that people doing night shifts constantly are more at risk of being involved in an accident, as their level of concentration, alertness and performance in lower.
These people also have higher risk of developing life style related disorders, such as heart problems, diabetes or obesity.
Using Provigil
Provigil is approved for people age 16 and older. Off-label Provigil uses may also include the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and fatigue due to other causes.
Provigil® (modafinil) is a medication used to promote wakefulness. This means that it helps people stay awake and alert. It is approved to promote wakefulness in people with excessive sleepiness due to:
- Narcolepsy
- Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), a problem in people who work night shifts or who frequently change between day and night work shifts
- Sleep apnea (known medically as obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome or OSAHS).
Read more …
Provigil and shift work
During this 23-day study, a wide selection of food items and beverages were freely available. During this double-blind, within-participant study, volunteers (N=11) received oral Provigil dose (0, 200, or 400 mg) 1 h after waking for three consecutive days under two shift conditions: day shift and night shift. Shifts alternated three times during the study, and shift conditions were separated by an “off” day.
Provigil (200, 400 mg) dose-dependently decreased total caloric intake by ~18% and ~38%, respectively, regardless of shift condition, without selectively altering the proportion of total calories derived from carbohydrate, fat and protein. Ratings of “Hungry” were also significantly decreased by both active doses, but only immediately before the lunch break period.
Provigil for Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Health Canada approved a new indication for Provigil (Alertec tablets, made by Shire BioChem, Inc), allowing its use for the symptomatic treatment of excessive sleepiness in shift work sleep disorder.
The approval was based on data from a double-blind, 12-week study in 209 patients showing that nightly treatment with 200 mg of Provigil increased sleep latency from baseline (1.7 ± 0.4 vs 0.3 ± 0.3 minutes; P = .002) and improved clinical symptoms in a greater proportion of patients (74% vs 36%; P < .001) compared with placebo.
Provigil-treated patients also experienced a decrease from baseline in the frequency and duration of attention lapses during nighttime testing, contrasting with the increase observed among those receiving placebo (Psychomotor Vigilance Test score, –2.6 vs 3.8; P < .001).
In addition, patients receiving Provigil therapy reported fewer accidents or near misses while driving home from work compared with those receiving placebo (29% vs 54%; P < .001).