I couldn't believe the drug commercial (Nuvigil) I head on the radio the other day...a new drug to help people cope with shift work. As I was listening...I began to pay very close attention to the side effects of taking this drug and the related issues it may cause, the list went on and on and on. Then I began thinking...is this a joke and kept waiting for the punch line....

There is seriously a drug on the market for this! Unbelievable...If you have to take medicine for this type of work are you really perfoming your best while drugged up 24/7? I think one should find a new line of work.

Here are the side effects....wth!

•PROVIGIL may cause serious side effects including a serious rash or a serious allergic reaction that may affect parts of your body such as your liver or blood cells. Any of these may need to be treated in a hospital and may be life-threatening. If you develop a skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth, blisters, peeling, or yellowing of your skin or eyes, trouble swallowing or breathing, dark urine, or fever, stop taking PROVIGIL and call your doctor right away or get emergency help. It is not known if PROVIGIL is safe or if it works in children under the age of 17.
•You should not take PROVIGIL if you have had a rash or allergic reaction to PROVIGIL or NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], or are allergic to any of the following ingredients: modafinil, armodafinil, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, croscarmellose sodium, povidone, and magnesium stearate.

What are possible side effects of PROVIGIL?
Stop taking PROVIGIL and call your doctor right away or get emergency help if you get any of the following serious side effects:

•Mental (psychiatric) symptoms, including: depression, feeling anxious, sensing things that are not really there, increase in activity (mania), thoughts of suicide, aggression, other mental problems.
•Symptoms of a heart problem, including: chest pain, abnormal heart beats, and trouble breathing.
Common side effects of PROVIGIL are headache, nausea, feeling nervous, stuffy nose, diarrhea, back pain, feeling anxious, trouble sleeping, dizziness, and upset stomach. These are not all the side effects of PROVIGIL. Tell your doctor if you get any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Talk to your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

What should I avoid while taking PROVIGIL?

•Do not drive or do other dangerous activities until you and your doctor know how PROVIGIL affects you.
•Avoid drinking alcohol. <--I don't work Shift work but this kills it for me.

 

I always thought that restless leg syndrome was a joke too but I guess some people pop pills rather than just living with it.

 

I just love modern advertising..

The first add is always for a drug you can't live without.

The second is from an attorneys office wanting to help the surviving relatives of those who took the drug.

 

^lol
I will agree. I'm still laughing about the commercial...wish I could post it on here for humor!

 

Shift work definitely screws with you, big time. I have been doing shift work for years, in my opinion you learn to deal with it. Those side affects listed were crazy!

 

So.... what's your point? How does this not jive with your years of medical training and experiance?

Have you ever read the side effect profile for motrin? Or tylenol? That will scare you.

 

How's this>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN32xrks-ME

and my feeling about it> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu4lAGp2PHc

 

I agree with Hvytrkmech, I worked 3rd shift for 4 years and it messes with your whole body alot, I have been on 2nd shift for almost a year and still cant sleep at night, my body got used to sleeping during the day and cannot adjust.....BUT I dont think drugs are needed, just 12oz curls when I get home!

 

Who are you addressing this toward?

 

Who and WHAT? I re-read all the threads twice and still can't find where anyone said anything about a contradiction to 'years of medical training and experience'.

Maybe he took the Nuvigil and this is a side effect!

 

Now that's funny right there^^^^

 

Provigil and Nuvigil are also used for tx of Narcolepsy and to help with Multiple Sclerosis fatigue.

My dad takes it for his Narcolepsy and my sister for her MS fatigue.

It is a serious upper plain and simple that can be a little habit forming.

I believe my dad takes it daily. It just really helps with him to keep from falling asleep mid sentence. I haven't noticed him getting squirrely from it.

Now my sister on the other hand, she gets to flying on it. The bad part is when you come down, you go down like a poached rhino. Hard.

My dad sat her down and had a chat about this and now she only uses it as a last resort. She hates using it but there are times when it's needed.

Just my experiences with it.

 

I'm glad this thread can add some humor!

 

I worked shift work on and off for about 30 years.
I was lucky in that for 20 of those years I had a room in the basement (underground) that I could sleep in while working nights.
It was cool, dark, sound proof and comfortable.
Its the only thing that kept me sane.