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- Moses
Armodafinil Vs Modafinil | Which one is Better For You?
Updated: Mar 2, 2022
We all knew it will come to this: the big battle, the clash of the two giants and renowned smart drugs Modafinil and Armodafinil.
Brand names are Provigil and Nuvigil, respectively, And the most common and potent generic brands are Modalert and Waklert - by Sun Pharmaceuticals.
Like every story of brother against brother we need some context here, we'll try to elucidate who uses these compounds; how they interact with the brain; their history; chemical differences and more...
This is the story of the Afinil family.
Table of Contents
What is Modafinil? | What is armodafinil? | Pharmacology | Differences |
Modafinil alternatives | Verdict
What is Modafinil?
Modafinil is a smart drug synthesized in 1976, the accurate wording will be "distilled" from his older brother Adrafinil (the black sheep of the family) which is the pro drug of modafinil, hence it doesn't exert any effects on its on, but breaks down into modafinil in the body.
Modafinil, the active metabolite of Adrafinil is an eugeroic drug AKA wakefulness promoting compound, that can be fathomed as a stimulant by some people, because of the so-called "waking" effects.
In the last two decades there was a recognition boom of modafinil via all sort of mediums including official media coverage in prominent magazines, prime-time TV outlets and newspapers.
All using phrases such as "miracle drug" or "genius in a pill" and covering the use of the pharmaceutical drug in healthy people trying to maximize their performance.
That recognition didn't appear out of the blue, it arrived because modafinil was being used time and time again by high performance individuals from all walks of life, trying to boost their output and live life to the fullest.
To be frank, while we consider modafinil as a smart drug, we do owe it, for the noticeable public attention it allocated towards the nootropics niche.
Needless to say Modafinil and Armodafinil are FDA approved substances, schedule iv.
A Racemic Compound
Now, don't get confused with the Racetams class of nootropics
Modafinil is a compound that's characterized with duality, in the sense that it's made out of two main parts.
"Racemic mixture also called racemate, a mixture of equal quantities of two enantiomers, or substances that have dissymmetric molecular structures that are mirror images of one another
"Say what?!?" Ok, obviously we need a more intuitive way to explain the science:
In chemistry some compounds have an exact copy but flipped, like how your hands are opposites of each other; they are mirrored like... well, you in the mirror.
"Enantiomers" is the term for the left and right versions - Modafinil being a racemic that contains both enantiomers is made up of both S-modafinil (left version) and (right version) R-modafinil.
Our recommended vendor offers free samples straight to you, so before you make a purchase you can get acquainted with modafinil and learn if it fits you:
What is Armodafinil
If the Afinils were humans on a reality show, armodafinil would be the more successful younger brother, that does not get the attention his older sibling is receiving.
Synthesized in 1990, 14 years after his older version.
It got its name by welding the two words "arm" and "modafinil" - hence the act of arming modafinil and making it stronger... I kid, I kid! It is a stronger version but if I were you I'd be pretty skeptical of that story iv'e just made up.
Armodafinil was finally approved by the FDA to be used in patients with sleep disorders in 2007 and in 2016 the Foods and drugs administration approved the generic production of Armodafinil, thus cepchalon inc had to forgo of their exclusivity producing the patented pharmaceutical drug.
Remember all the scientific mambo jumbo said above?
Armodafinil, unlike his social butterfly nemesis Moda, contains solely the R-modafinil version, hence, armodafinil didn't bring something new into the table, it's not a novel compound, but made something else by removing a chemical piece.
Like we've mentioned above, armodafinil haven't received the media glory modafinil did.
Pharmacology
Yes, it's a scary word but bear with me.
Before we continue with our little soup opera between armodafinil and modafinil we need to understand how these molecules affect our neurology.
Modafinil became a worldwide praised smart drug for good reasons - it exerts noticeable cognitive enhancing properties whilst a much safer agent compared to other smart drugs such as Concerta or Adderall, the times these dangerous prescription drugs are the better option are seldom - Moda, relatively, is a much safer compound.
Plus, it's much easier to get, since there are reliable vendors that send the packages straight to your home.
The Benefits of Modafinil & Armodafinil :
Energy ! - Supercharged with power and wakefulness sounds good? It is, unlike your average cup of Joe, which is infamous for its caffeine crash, the afinils provide a much better experience compared to coffee in that aspect, and the crash becomes a smooth landing, after a long-lasting energy, averaging at 8-12 hours with modafinil, and 12-15 hours with armodafinil.
The wakefulness happens because of the affinity towards the orexinergic and histaminergic systems in the central nervous system - orexin and histamine play important rules in mitigating wakefulness and sleepiness.
Motivation - A very prominent effect of afinils, they act as weak DAT inhibitors.
They latch to the DAT protein and remove it - for those of you unfamiliar with neurochemistry terminology: DAT's job is to remove dopamine out of the synapses (Area of communication between brain cells) and dopamine is a major neurotransmitter that has a huge rule in ambition and will power.
You get it? Modafinil or armodafinil removes the remover of dopamine, by doing that they make the amount of dopamine already present in synapses have more "weight" to it, more pronounced.
Memory - studies showed that modafinil enhances cognition by improving certain memory (Spatial memory and working memory, episodic memory) types.
"Modafinil significantly enhanced performance on tests of digit span, visual pattern recognition memory, spatial planning and stop-signal reaction time"
"Subjects reported feeling more alert, attentive and energetic on drug"
Yes, as you can see the afinils can and will act as a springboard to a new sphere of cognitive performance, but we are here to promote a transparent conversation, and we'll make it clear right now - anyone who tells you modafinil has no side effects is a liar or an ignorant, maybe he's trying to manipulate you into buying through his affiliate links without telling you... Well, that is not the case here, we are both open about this site being affiliated by modafinil vendors and about the fact that modafinil has negative facets (And of course we're here to help you overcome or omit them)
So at the end of the day, modafinil and armodafinil are very similar to each other with regard to the benefits & user experience, the question is, what are the differences? We need to understand the differences between R-modafinil and S-modafinil
Which is better? R-modafinil or S-modafinil?
R-modafinil (the enantiomer that armodafinil exclusively holds) is hands down a STRONGER molecule.
It has a much longer half life - after 15 hours there's still 50% of the substance present in the body compared to the short 4 hours elimination half life of the left enantiomer. That's why armodafinil is so long-acting, and why you should always take afinils as soon as you wake up.
Believed to show more affinity to dopamine transporter (DAT) and norepinephrine transporter (DET), better binding means better disabling these proteins and letting more natural neurotransmitters flow and enhance cognition.
So armodafinil is made solely from the superior enantiomer out of the two, that's a good start for him.
Differences
1. Different dosages
Armodafinil is stronger, that's why both generic (Waklert & Artvigil) and patented versions (Nuvigil) are smaller in amount - 150 mg compared to the 200 mg modafinil brands.
2. Half life
One would assume that the half life of armodafinil and modafinil is the same, because both contain the strong enantiome.
Well, there is no huge distinction between the two, armodafinil's half life is 15 hours just like R-modafinil, modafinil's half life is around 12 hours.
However, modafinil's come ups and come downs are considered to be a little rough, and anecdotally it has been known to be a little sporadic as well; armodafinil on the other hand is much more subtle and provides a "cleaner" experience in that sense.
That's a result of the substantially different pharmacokinetic profile between the two drugs.
Armodafinil plasma level's demeanor is monophasicly whilst modafinil's pharmacokinetics are biphasic.
One Redditor explained it perfectly:
"At first I liked Modafinil better but after using for a while Armodafinil feels cleaner and smoother. The Moda hits harder at first and tapers down for me . Wheres Armo stays consistent and makes me feel light for a lack of a better term"
3. Pricing
We are not going to cover the price tags for brand name modafinil and armodafinil: they are 10X expensive, and obviously generic versions are much better options.
Sun pharmaceuticals are the manufacture who provides high-end and most potent generic Afinils, their products are more pricey than HUB pharmaceutical's accordingly
Hub pharmaceuticals products are little less potent and shorter acting which may be suitable for inexperienced users, plus they are cheaper.
With that being said, we do think that healthy individuals taking the dosages recommended on other sites ARE CRAZY!
According to our modafinil's doctrine, you should start very low, in our opinion every 200 mg pill should be enough at the very, very least of two dosages - It's better for your health, and you get more bang out of your buck
Sun pharmaceuticals' brands are:
Modalert Ranging at $169 for 100 pills
Waklert Approximately at $169 for 100 pills
HUB pharmaceuticals' products are:
Modvigil Ranging at $109 for 100 pills
Artvigil Approximately $109 for 100 pills
As you can see there is no difference whatsoever in pricing between armodafinil and modafinil.
Modafinil alternatives
Modafinil is a must in your biohacking toolbox, with that being said, just like a handyman uses a variety of tools - so do you should not remove other nootropics out of the equation.
Modafinil is perfect for all-nighters, days you havn't got enough sleep or when you need prolonged concentration.
However, a much more sustainable routine would be using a safe nootropic stack with a lot of science backing it up.
Mind lab pro is a very elegant blend of nootropic substances that produces a comprehensive cognitive enhancement with the idea of utilizing the reciprocity between natural and highly studies supplements such as:
Citicholine
Rhodiola rosea
Lions mane
L-theanine
We highly recommend giving mind lab pro a try:
They offer a 10 % discount at your first order
Armodafinil Vs Modafinil - The Verdict
The rivalry between Modafinil and Armodafinil may never come to an end, Moda would keep his position as the "pretty face" of the biohacking or the nootropics' world, whilst armodafinil will be kept under the surface, away from the spotlight even though it is a superior substance.
Well, real talk now: I can not crown a clear winner here - even tough the dry details convey that armodafinil is the winner, in the supplements world like in the supplements world, different organisms with different biologys might have utterly different experiences - in other words, it's a totally subjective topic.
One might like the roughness of modafinil and the shorter duration, or the smoothness of armodafinil and the fact that it's all day lasting.
Important note: this article may contain affiliate links, with that being said, our articles are always made with good faith and intentions.
Please contact us if you find any outdated information in one of our guides or articles; we put a lot of time and effort into researching, so the info is always scientific literature based from platforms such as NCBI.