The core of biohacking is the search for tricks and tools that have a significant impact with minimal effort. Call it enlightened laziness or an unrelenting pursuit of personal excellence, if there’s any difference between the two. It’s time to write about
Modafinil, a smart drug that enhances performance and is part of the biohacker’s toolkit in at least some cases. This post discusses the experiences of several people who use it, including novice users and an interview with a biomedical engineer who, like me, is a long-time modafinil user.
Enjoy reading.
What is Modafinil?
Modafinil is a "smart drug," also known as a nootropic. It enhances your cognitive function in various ways. There are many "smart drugs," but modafinil stands in its own class of drugs for several reasons:
It’s not a stimulant
Modafinil acts like a stimulant but is actually a eugeroic – an agent that promotes wakefulness. It doesn’t make you speedy or jittery like most classic stimulants. Modafinil also has no crash or withdrawal effects, unlike many "smart drugs."
It’s not addictive
In fact, modafinil can help people overcome addiction.
It has few side effects
Modafinil is safe. I’ve hacked my brain so much with neurobiofeedback that I no longer see much benefit from modafinil, but I took it daily for 10 years and saw no issues with it during that time.
It works, and works very well
Have you ever seen the movie *Limitless* with Bradley Cooper? It’s based on modafinil. This stuff gives you superhuman mental processing with almost no downsides.
How does modafinil improve your brain and mood?
Unlike other "smart drugs," there is plenty of evidence supporting the effects of modafinil.
- It has been shown to increase resistance to fatigue and improve mood.
- In healthy adults, modafinil improves fatigue resistance, motivation, reaction time, and vigilance.
- A study published by the University of Cambridge found that modafinil is effective in reducing impulsive responses, i.e., bad decisions.
- Modafinil even improves brain function in sleep-deprived doctors.
- There is some evidence that modafinil only helps people with lower IQs, but after years of experimentation (and raising my IQ), that’s no longer the case.
Is modafinil safe?
Modafinil is not addictive. However, there is a risk of misuse – some people use it to stay awake for too long, which is likely to lead to consequences.
There is an extremely rare condition (about 5 cases per million people) called SJS, or Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, where individuals with a genetic predisposition may develop a life-threatening rash. SJS is most commonly triggered by antibiotics, followed by analgesics, cough and cold medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, psychoepileptics, and gout medications. Cocaine, phenytoin, and modafinil can also cause it.
It has been shown to increase resistance to fatigue and improve mood.
In healthy adults, modafinil improves fatigue resistance, motivation, reaction time, and vigilance.
A study published by the University of Cambridge found that Modvigil is effective in reducing impulsive responses, i.e., bad decisions.
Modvigil even improves brain function in sleep-deprived doctors.
There is some evidence that Modafinil only helps people with lower IQs, but after years of experimentation (and raising my IQ), that’s no longer the case.
-192x200.jpg "HAB Pharma Modvigil 200 - 10 tab")