Armodafinil is used to combat various irregularities in sleep patterns. To date, the drug is available only on the US market. Because of its effects, it is not infrequently attributed a structural similarity to stimulant drugs.
What is Armodafinil?
Armodafinil is used to combat various irregularities in sleep patterns. It was not until 2004 that armodafinil was discovered as a drug by researchers in the United States of America. Its approval is currently limited to the American continent. It is uncertain whether the drug will also be available in Germany in the foreseeable future. In very weak doses, it is used in Germany as part of the drug treatment of various sleeping sicknesses. However, it has not yet been fully approved. This may also be due to the controversial effect of armodafinil. Critics see it as a drug and doping-like product. The substance is in the form of a white powder. Its administration is therefore in the form of tablets, as well as capsules in rare cases.
Pharmacological effect
When there is an increased tendency to sleep in adults, the drug modafinil is comparatively often used. It is attributed a wakefulness-keeping effect. In the human organism, however, there may be messenger substances, receptors, and chemical substances that require a matching mirror-image variant. This is the case in combating narcolepsy as well as increased daytime fatigue. Here, modafinil alone is not sufficient. Rather, the armodafinil is administered in addition. Both agents, in turn, act in a certain spectrum of the body. In the nervous system, armodafinil occupies special receptors. However, it has not yet been conclusively researched which processes in detail are triggered in the organism by taking the drug. However, motor activities are increased. As a result, the affected person is able to perform his or her daily work in a focused manner while awake. He will notice no or only an inhibited tendency to sleep. Likewise, he will need fewer breaks for his activities. The effect is therefore quite stimulating. This, in turn, gives rise to the frequently voiced criticism of the drug, which can equally lead to mood swings and depression.
Medical application and use
Armodafinil is primarily used when the sleep rhythm of the affected person is damaged. This can be the case, for example, in the context of narcolepsy. In this case, the patient will repeatedly fall into spontaneous sleepiness. In extreme situations, this can also result in sleep that extends from night through the day. Another area of application for the drug is in shift worker syndrome. People who work at varying times lose their resting rhythm. In these cases, it is difficult to find sleep outside the job. Fatigue, on the other hand, not infrequently strikes during professional activity. In these initial situations, armodafinil is supposed to keep the affected person awake. In addition, the drug may also be used to treat mild mood swings. The stimulant effect is currently being investigated in various psychological studies. However, an influence on the willingness to perform in athletes has not been confirmed. An improvement in fitness or motor skills could not be demonstrated in this respect. Rather, the brain benefits from the Armodafinil.
Risks and side effects
Serious are the side effects of the drug. Thus, in general, there may be mild discomfort such as headaches or disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract. Relatively often, defensive reactions of the body are also recorded. These can be seen in a symptom similar to hay fever. Skin rashes have also been noted. However, the latter signs are usually temporary. They should subside after a few days or weeks – if there is no improvement, the armodafinil is discontinued anyway. In addition to the physical symptoms, however, mental complaints can also occur. During long-term use, patients often complain of a drop in mood. At times, this is even said to result in a depressive phase with a tendency to suicide. The remedy can thus spontaneously improve the state of mind and trigger alertness in the patient.Applied permanently, however, the opposite seems to occur – according to the current state of research.
