zacbol
10-22-11, 13:28
Modafinil is a "wakefulness promoting agency" that is *not* amphetamine-based.
For those, unfamiliar with the drug here is a brief description PubMed:
Modafinil is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by narcolepsy (a condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness) or shift work sleep disorder (sleepiness during scheduled waking hours and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep during scheduled sleeping hours in people who work at night or on rotating shifts). Modafinil is also used along with breathing devices or other treatments to prevent excessive sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS; a sleep disorder in which the patient briefly stops breathing or breathes shallowly many times during sleep and therefore doesn't get enough restful sleep). Modafinil is in a class of medications called wakefulness promoting agents. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the area of the brain that controls sleep and wakefulness.
Various militaries have either used or experimented with it (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil)
In the United States military, Modafinil has been approved for use on certain Air Force missions, and it is being investigated for other uses.[84] One study of helicopter pilots suggested that 600 mg of modafinil given in three doses can be used to keep pilots alert and maintain their accuracy at pre-deprivation levels for 40 hours without sleep.[85] However, significant levels of nausea and vertigo were observed. Another study of fighter pilots showed that modafinil given in three divided 100 mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprived F-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels for 37 hours, without any considerable side effects.[86] In an 88-hour sleep loss study of simulated military grounds operations, 400 mg/day doses were mildly helpful at maintaining alertness and performance of subjects compared to placebo, but the researchers concluded that this dose was not high enough to compensate for most of the effects of complete sleep loss.[87]
Having myself been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea a year or two ago, I was able to get a prescription for it. I try to avoid using it and driving on naturally (well, with caffeine), but as my job is one that focuses on using my brain, when I am extremly sleep deprived, such as the first few weeks after my son was born where I didn't get more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep for nearly two weeks running, I have found it a Godsend.
As anyone in the military knows, lack of sleep can be overcome, but the longer you go, the more muddled your thinking. That is the primary benefit of modafinil. It does not get rid of weariness, I still feel like warmed over shit, but I've found I'm able to "think" clearly. Just for the hell of it, I vacuum sealed a few pills and popped it in my BOB bag as I think it would be useful in an emergency where one might have to go an extended period without sleep.
I'm curious as to whether there is more current information on its usage within the military, any experiences members may have using it operationally, or consideration people may have given to the broader subject of sleep deprivation in an emergency.
For those, unfamiliar with the drug here is a brief description PubMed:
Modafinil is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by narcolepsy (a condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness) or shift work sleep disorder (sleepiness during scheduled waking hours and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep during scheduled sleeping hours in people who work at night or on rotating shifts). Modafinil is also used along with breathing devices or other treatments to prevent excessive sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS; a sleep disorder in which the patient briefly stops breathing or breathes shallowly many times during sleep and therefore doesn't get enough restful sleep). Modafinil is in a class of medications called wakefulness promoting agents. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the area of the brain that controls sleep and wakefulness.
Various militaries have either used or experimented with it (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil)
In the United States military, Modafinil has been approved for use on certain Air Force missions, and it is being investigated for other uses.[84] One study of helicopter pilots suggested that 600 mg of modafinil given in three doses can be used to keep pilots alert and maintain their accuracy at pre-deprivation levels for 40 hours without sleep.[85] However, significant levels of nausea and vertigo were observed. Another study of fighter pilots showed that modafinil given in three divided 100 mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprived F-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels for 37 hours, without any considerable side effects.[86] In an 88-hour sleep loss study of simulated military grounds operations, 400 mg/day doses were mildly helpful at maintaining alertness and performance of subjects compared to placebo, but the researchers concluded that this dose was not high enough to compensate for most of the effects of complete sleep loss.[87]
Having myself been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea a year or two ago, I was able to get a prescription for it. I try to avoid using it and driving on naturally (well, with caffeine), but as my job is one that focuses on using my brain, when I am extremly sleep deprived, such as the first few weeks after my son was born where I didn't get more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep for nearly two weeks running, I have found it a Godsend.
As anyone in the military knows, lack of sleep can be overcome, but the longer you go, the more muddled your thinking. That is the primary benefit of modafinil. It does not get rid of weariness, I still feel like warmed over shit, but I've found I'm able to "think" clearly. Just for the hell of it, I vacuum sealed a few pills and popped it in my BOB bag as I think it would be useful in an emergency where one might have to go an extended period without sleep.
I'm curious as to whether there is more current information on its usage within the military, any experiences members may have using it operationally, or consideration people may have given to the broader subject of sleep deprivation in an emergency.