Description
Modvigil (Modafinil) 200 mg
Modvigil 200 mg is a brand name for modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting prescription medicine. The supplied product name is consistent with a modafinil 200 mg tablet, but brand naming can vary by market. This description is based on verified information for modafinil itself.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The verified active ingredient is modafinil. It is classified as a wakefulness-promoting agent. In regulatory product information, modafinil is treated as a medicine for excessive sleepiness rather than a conventional stimulant.
Established Medical Uses
Regulatory labeling in the United States states that modafinil is indicated to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work disorder. In Europe, the EMA review restricted use to narcolepsy in approved product information. In obstructive sleep apnea, it is not a treatment for the underlying airway obstruction.
How It Works
The exact mechanism of action is not fully established. Available evidence indicates that modafinil promotes wakefulness through effects on brain neurotransmitter systems, including pathways involving dopamine and norepinephrine. Its clinical effect is increased alertness and reduced excessive daytime sleepiness.
Important Safety Information
Modafinil is contraindicated in people with known hypersensitivity to modafinil or armodafinil. Important warnings in prescribing information include serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, psychiatric symptoms including anxiety, mania or psychosis, and cardiovascular risk considerations in patients with known heart disease. Clinically significant interactions are reported with medicines metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP2C19; modafinil can reduce exposure to some CYP3A substrates, including steroidal contraceptives, and may alter levels of some other medicines.
Possible Side Effects
Commonly reported adverse effects include headache, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, and reduced appetite. Important less common reactions include rash, allergic swelling, psychiatric effects, palpitations, and blood pressure or heart rate changes. Rare but serious reactions have been reported, including severe cutaneous adverse reactions and hypersensitivity syndromes.
Scientific Evidence
Published reviews and meta-analyses support modafinil as an effective option for reducing excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy. Human studies generally show improved wakefulness and daytime sleep latency compared with placebo. Review literature also notes that modafinil does not reliably treat cataplexy and has a safety profile that requires attention to rash, psychiatric effects, and drug interactions.
Medical Information Notice
This educational summary is based on sources available at the time of review and does not replace the official patient leaflet or assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Modafinil referral page
- DailyMed / U.S. National Library of Medicine, MODAFINIL tablet
- McClellan KJ, Spencer CM et al., “Modafinil: A Review of its Pharmacology and Clinical Efficacy in the Management of Narcolepsy,” Drugs, 1998. PubMed
