The Truth About Modafinil & Armodafinil: Not the Limitless Pill You Think
This video explains how Modafinil and Armodafinil really work in the brain, where they help clinically, where they don’t, and why they’re not the “limitless” smart drugs many people imagine.
In this episode, Dr Sanil Rege (MBBS, MRCPsych, FRANZCP) – consultant psychiatrist and educator – breaks down the neuroscience, clinical uses, off-label hype and risks of Modafinil and Armodafinil. We’ll look at dopamine, norepinephrine, orexin, histamine and GABA systems, how these medicines stabilise arousal, and what that actually means for narcolepsy, shift work, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression, ADHD and so-called “cognitive enhancement."
⏱️ Chapters
0:00 – The “limitless pill” myth vs neuroscience
1:33 – Backstory: Adrafinil, Modafinil & military use
2:36 – Modafinil vs Armodafinil: racemic mix vs R-enantiomer
3:38 – How they work in the brain (dopamine, norepinephrine, Orexin, histamine & GABA: stabilising wakefulness)
5:02 – Approved uses: narcolepsy, shift work, OSA residual sleepiness
5:27 – Off-label use in depression & ADHD
6:36 – Smart drugs, cognitive enhancement & “performance debt”
7:35 – Side effects, rare risks & addiction potential
8:15 – Should healthy people use Modafinil? Clinical takeaways
#modafinil #armodafinil #smartdrugs #sleepmedicine #narcolepsy #ADHD #psychopharmacology #mentalhealth #DrRege #PsychiatrySimplified #TheAcademyByPsychScene
Relevant Resources:
1. Adult ADHD Clinical Training Program | 6-Course Series for Psychiatrists & GPs-https://www.academy.psychscene.com/courses/clinical-excellence-in-adult-adhd/
2. Sleep And Psychiatry: Neuropsychiatric and Precision Approaches- https://www.academy.psychscene.com/courses/sleep-and-psychiatry/
👉Psychiatry Training: https://www.academy.psychscene.com
ADHD Playlist : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0KZkVDyoOEOaE9DoJgpXzCXi_0b4sZz&si=qeae_JcxvJVwUh1M
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Follow Sanil Rege on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanilrege