What is armodafinil? Armodafinil is a medication that promotes wakefulness. Armodafinil is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder. Armodafinil may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. Warnings You should not use armodafinil if you have ever had a rash or allergic reaction caused by armodafinil or modafinil (Provigil). Stop taking armodafinil and call your doctor if you have a skin rash, no matter how mild. Other signs of a severe reaction include fever, swelling in your face or tongue, mouth sores, trouble breathing, swelling in your legs, yellowing of your skin or eyes, and skin rash or blistering sores. Before taking this medicine You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to armodafinil or modafinil (Provigil). To make sure armodafinil is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had: liver or kidney disease; a heart muscle or valve disorder such as mitral valve prolapse; high blood pressure, heart disease, or prior heart attack; mental illness or psychosis; or drug or alcohol addiction. It is not known whether armodafinil will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Use a barrier form of birth control (condom or diaphragm with spermicide). Hormonal contraception (birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings) may not be effective enough to prevent pregnancy during your treatment. It is not known whether armodafinil passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. Armodafinil is not approved for use by anyone younger than 17 years old. How should I take armodafinil? Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take armodafinil in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Armodafinil may be habit-forming. Never share armodafinil with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Selling or giving away armodafinil is against the law. Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Armodafinil is usually taken each morning to prevent daytime sleepiness, or 1 hour before the start of a work shift to treat work-time sleep disorders. You may take armodafinil with or without food. Armodafinil is usually given for up to 12 weeks. Follow your doctor's instructions. If you are taking armodafinil to treat sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea, you may also be treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This machine is an air pump connected to mask that gently blows pressurized air into your nose while you sleep. The pump does not breathe for you, but the gentle force of air helps keep your airway open to prevent obstruction. Do not stop using your CPAP machine during sleep unless your doctor tells you to. The combination of treatment with CPAP and armodafinil may be necessary to best treat your condition. Taking this medication does not take the place of getting enough sleep. Talk with your doctor if you continue to have excessive sleepiness even while taking armodafinil. Armodafinil will not cure obstructive sleep apnea or treat its underlying causes. Follow your doctor's instructions about all your other treatments for this disorder. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep track of your medicine. Armodafinil is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription. What happens if I miss a dose? Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but avoid taking the medication if you do not plan to be awake for several hours. If it is close to your normal bedtime hour, you may need to skip the missed dose and wait until the next day to take the medicine again. Talk with your doctor about what to do if you miss a dose of armodafinil. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. What happens if I overdose? Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, diarrhea, confusion, feeling restless or excited, fast or slow heart rate, chest pain, trouble sleeping, or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real). What should I avoid while taking armodafinil? Armodafinil may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Avoid other dangerous activity until you know how this medication will affect your level of wakefulness. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking armodafinil. Armodafinil side effects Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling). Skin rashes serious enough to require hospitalization have occurred in people using a medicine similar to armodafinil. These rashes usually occurred within 1 to 5 weeks after the first dose. Stop taking armodafinil and call your doctor at the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how minor you think it might be. Seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, unusual bruising, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes). Stop using armodafinil and call your doctor at once if you have: bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness; unusual bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums); skin sores or blistering; mouth sores, trouble swallowing; chest pain, uneven heart beats; or depression, anxiety, hallucinations, aggression, unusual thoughts or behavior, suicidal thoughts. Common side effects may include: headache, dizziness; nausea; or sleep problems (insomnia). This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.   Armodafinil dosing information Usual Adult Dose for Narcolepsy: 150 to 250 mg orally once a day in the morning Comments: -In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), doses up to 250 mg/day have been well-tolerated but there is no consistent evidence of additional benefit beyond the 150 mg/day. -This drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction in OSA. -In cases where continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to initiating this drug. Uses: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with OSA and narcolepsy. Usual Adult Dose for Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome: 150 to 250 mg orally once a day in the morning Comments: -In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), doses up to 250 mg/day have been well-tolerated but there is no consistent evidence of additional benefit beyond the 150 mg/day. -This drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction in OSA. -In cases where continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to initiating this drug. Uses: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with OSA and narcolepsy. Usual Adult Dose for Shift Work Sleep Disorder: 150 mg orally once a day approximately 1 hour prior to the start of the work shift Use: To improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder.   What other drugs will affect armodafinil? Taking armodafinil with other drugs that make you sleepy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking a sleeping pill, narcotic medication, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures. Other drugs may interact with armodafinil, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

What is modafinil? Modafinil is a medication that promotes wakefulness. Modafinil is used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder. Modafinil may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. Warnings You should not use modafinil if you have ever had an allergic reaction or skin rash while taking modafinil or armodafinil (Nuvigil). Modafinil can cause skin reactions that may be severe enough to need treatment in a hospital. Stop taking this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have a skin rash or hives, blisters or peeling, mouth sores, trouble breathing or swallowing, fever, swelling in your legs, dark urine, yellowing of your skin or eyes, or swelling in your face. Before taking this medicine You should not use this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction or skin rash while taking modafinil or armodafinil (Nuvigil). To make sure modafinil is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have: angina (chest pain); cirrhosis or other liver problem; kidney disease; high blood pressure, heart disease, or history of heart attack; a history of mental illness or psychosis; or history of alcoholism or drug addiction. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Modafinil can make certain birth control less effective. Hormonal contraception (birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings) may not be effective enough to prevent pregnancy during your treatment. Talk with your doctor about the best methods of birth control to use while taking modafinil. It is not known whether modafinil passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Modafinil is not approved for use by anyone younger than 17 years old. How should I take modafinil? Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take modafinil in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Modafinil may be habit-forming. Never share modafinil with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away modafinil is against the law. Modafinil is usually taken each morning to prevent daytime sleepiness, or 1 hour before the start of a work shift to treat work-time sleep disorders. Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You may take modafinil with or without food. Modafinil is usually given for 12 weeks or less. If you are taking modafinil to treat sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea, you may also be treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This machine is an air pump connected to a mask that gently blows pressurized air into your nose while you sleep. The pump does not breathe for you, but the gentle force of air helps keep your airway open to prevent obstruction. Do not stop using your CPAP machine during sleep unless your doctor tells you to. The combination of treatment with CPAP and modafinil may be necessary to best treat your condition. Modafinil will not cure obstructive sleep apnea or treat its underlying causes. Follow your doctor's instructions about all your other treatments for this disorder. Call your doctor if you continue to have excessive sleepiness even while taking modafinil. Taking modafinil does not take the place of getting enough sleep. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Modafinil is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription. What happens if I miss a dose? Talk with your doctor about what to do if you miss a dose of modafinil. Avoid taking the medicine if you do not plan to be awake for several hours. Skip the missed dose if it is almost bedtime. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. What happens if I overdose? Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. What should I avoid while taking modafinil? modafinil may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Avoid other dangerous activities until you know how modafinil will affect your level of wakefulness. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking modafinil. Modafinil side effects Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Modafinil can cause skin reactions that may be severe enough to need treatment in a hospital. Stop taking this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have: skin rash or hives, blisters or peeling; mouth sores, trouble swallowing; fever, shortness of breath; swelling in your legs; dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or swelling in your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using modafinil and call your doctor at once if you have: depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or actions; hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior, aggression, being more active or talkative than usual; chest pain, trouble breathing, uneven heart beats; or the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how minor you think it might be. Common side effects may include: headache, dizziness; feeling nervous or anxious; back pain; nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach; sleep problems (insomnia); or stuffy nose. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.   Modafinil dosing information Usual Adult Dose for Narcolepsy: 200 mg orally once a day in the morning Comments: -In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction. -If continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to and during treatment with this drug. Use: Treatment to improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy and OSA. Usual Adult Dose for Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome: 200 mg orally once a day in the morning Comments: -In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this drug is not a treatment for the underlying obstruction. -If continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for excessive sleepiness, a maximal effort to treat with CPAP for an adequate period of time should be made prior to and during treatment with this drug. Use: Treatment to improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy and OSA. Usual Adult Dose for Shift Work Sleep Disorder: 200 mg orally once a day, approximately 1 hour prior to the start of the work shift Use: Treatment to improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder.   What other drugs will affect modafinil? Other drugs may interact with modafinil, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.