4 replies to this topic

[EmersonAilidh]

Started Nuvigil last week. Doctor wanted to start at a low dose & work our way up, figure out if I need to take it twice a day, etc... etc... Started off at 75 mg (1/2 of a 150 pill) once a day for four days. Didn't do much, but I did have muscle tone in my hand for my first period classes. I usually can hardly write that early in the morning. Moved up to 150 mg once a day for four days, which stopped the head droops (don't know how else to describe that but hopefully y'all understand... When you're TRYING to stay awake & your head just keeps jerking forward?). Still taking naps on both doses, but I find that I'm not needing AS much sleep at night. Still extremely tired, but I haven't been afraid of falling asleep. All naps have been intentional. Even felt safe enough to drive myself to school today... Called my doctor on the third day of the 150mg once a day only to find out he's on vacation... & I only have a "fourteen day trial". It was free on Nuvigil's website so we figured we might as well give that a go before a full prescription.

I'm just going to stay on the 150 mg once a day until I can get a hold of him, but what do I do if I run out? :/ His office didn't say how long he would be gone.
Also, when do most people start seeing real improvement on the Nuvigil? I mean, I know everyone's different, but I'm just curious. So far I am doing better but I'm still bad off. Still sleeping in school, still feeling exhausted, but being able to decide when I sleep has been nice. It's the small things in life, I suppose. Haha. Progress is good. Just wondering when I should really start to feel back to normal, cos the doctor said there's not really a "ceiling" on these meds.

[Gabby]

I was on a higher dosage of Nuvigil because I could sleep through it with no problem. I am going through the insurance war though because this is evidently an expensive med. They denied the higher dosage and I ended up running short while my doctor's office went back and forth with the insurance. I remember getting pretty worried about what would happen when I ran out. The good news is that if you run out before the doctor comes back, you probably won't go through major withdrawal symptoms At least I didn't. But unfortunately, you do go back to sleep. I cut back and rationed them. I would take 1/2 when I could. If I knew I had an important meeting then I judged my dosage. I would never recomend this become a habit, we should take our meds correctly. It does suck to think that you might go back int a stupor when you just started to wake up, but I just wanted to ease your mind about running out. Plan ahead and relax. I don't know if other meds would be this forgiving. I don't know about any other meds though because I'm new at this too. Others members will probably have better information. They have helped me a lot.

[tdmom]

My son (15) started at 100 mg 1 x day for four days then we went to 200 mg. That made him nauseous so we did 150 mg for a week then upped it to 200 mg. Started in mid december and he has been great since. Awake, alert seems more like himself then he has in 2 years. It has a 15 hour half life so I would imagine taking it twice a day would keep you up at night.

Are you on a sleep routine? he was told to be very rigid with it, 10pm to 6am weekdays, 12midnight to 8 am on weekends. 2 naps, 20 minutes each, 11:30 am and 3pm. Haven't managed the naps yet due to his work schedule.

[EmersonAilidh]

I was on a higher dosage of Nuvigil because I could sleep through it with no problem. I am going through the insurance war though because this is evidently an expensive med. They denied the higher dosage and I ended up running short while my doctor's office went back and forth with the insurance. I remember getting pretty worried about what would happen when I ran out. The good news is that if you run out before the doctor comes back, you probably won't go through major withdrawal symptoms At least I didn't. But unfortunately, you do go back to sleep. I cut back and rationed them. I would take 1/2 when I could. If I knew I had an important meeting then I judged my dosage. I would never recomend this become a habit, we should take our meds correctly. It does suck to think that you might go back int a stupor when you just started to wake up, but I just wanted to ease your mind about running out. Plan ahead and relax. I don't know if other meds would be this forgiving. I don't know about any other meds though because I'm new at this too. Others members will probably have better information. They have helped me a lot.

Yeah, sleeping definitely hasn't been a problem so far. I have high hopes for the large dose(s) though.
Thank you for your advice! I have enough to get to Tuesday... so hopefully we can get something figured out by then. Thank you for responding!

[EmersonAilidh]

My son (15) started at 100 mg 1 x day for four days then we went to 200 mg. That made him nauseous so we did 150 mg for a week then upped it to 200 mg. Started in mid december and he has been great since. Awake, alert seems more like himself then he has in 2 years. It has a 15 hour half life so I would imagine taking it twice a day would keep you up at night.

Are you on a sleep routine? he was told to be very rigid with it, 10pm to 6am weekdays, 12midnight to 8 am on weekends. 2 naps, 20 minutes each, 11:30 am and 3pm. Haven't managed the naps yet due to his work schedule.

I'm not on a sleep routine. :/ I'm getting a 504 Plan in March & then I can have scheduled naps in school. As far as night goes, this past month has been totally off (a close friend committed suicide two days before Christmas & I found out last week that I've had strep since November so I've been really really sick) but I'm normally asleep around ten, no later than eleven, waking up at 5:30 & out of bed by 6AM. My naps are... all over the place. Anywhere from 1-5 a day. No longer than an hour & a half (which is very rare).

My doctor said he had patients taking it twice a day. If you're still able to sleep on a low dose, maybe he means taking a higher one in the morning & a little one in the afternoon? I dunno. :/ Thank you for responding!