Provigil for ADD? - ADD / ADHD Message Board

beach4me · 05-07-2006, 07:43 PM

My son is 13 and takes Adderall for ADD. He has done great but if he misses a dose....he is a wild man and can be very angry.

I have been told that some adults have started taking Provigil (which helps with energy and alertness) with success.

Has anyone else heard of this? Is this a possibility with children?

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks!

addprogrammer · 05-08-2006, 04:57 PM

beach4me,

First, let me say the beach is for me too

.

I asked my doc about Provigil because I was scared to death at the time about taking a stimulent med, aka, Ritalin or Adderall knowing they are widely abused. My doc said, and I should mention, she has 2 ADHD twins, that it is not a good idea. She said Provigil is not for ADHD but for sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. And, that the problem with using Provigil for ADHD is that it oftens makes us irritable and edgy whereas the stimulants promote the calmness so essential for concentration. I must say, I have never used Provigil so take with a grain of salt. If your doc recommends it, it may be worth a try. But my gut feeling is your best course is to make sure your son takes his Adderall on time as prescribed.

To this day the problem I have as an ADHD adult sufferer is the acceptance that I have a brain disorder that isn't going away anytime soon. I don't like the stimulants. But as this point they are the only game in town for anything more than being mildly ADHD. I would like nothing more than for someone to prove me wrong. Let me know if Provigil works for your son.

Bob

fincshelle · 05-09-2006, 09:56 AM

First of all, how long has he been on adderall? You may have to give an adjustment period for the med.

I take adderall and I wouldnt be caught not taking it, its too effective! If adderall isnt working then try another stim med, it may be the change of meds that will help.

Provigil, ive heard, is not as effective as they hoped it would be. The only main problem Ive heard of is it causes more sever liver damage, so you have to get your liver tested frequently.

Schecky · 05-10-2006, 09:43 PM

When I first was diagnosed I started with Provigil because I was scared to try the stimulant type meds as well. It actually worked pretty good for my concentration when it wasn't giving me horrible migrane headache (which was most of the time I was on it). :\ I ended up going off the Provigil and am now taking Adderall XR.

beach4me · 05-12-2006, 06:20 AM

My son has been on Adderall XR for almost 3 years. It has worked great. And even at 13....he never misses a dose. He sees the difference it makes .

I have done some reading about Provigil and that was why I was asking. Sounds like some adults have tried it but perhaps not children.

Thanks for the responses!