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- Moses
Modafinil Dosage Guide | The Best Practice
Updated: Mar 2, 2022
So you are interested in modafinil for cognitive enhancement?
Maybe you've bought some and took the recommended dosage written on the packaging.
Maybe a friend advised you to take an "X" amount of modafinil, and you were completely overwhelmed? Pulled an unexpected all-nighter?
If you are looking for guidance with modafinil dosages you've come to the right place. In this article we are going to cover the best dosing practice, and we mean it, there is a lot of misconception about modafinil when it comes to dosages, not here.
When it comes to using modafinil, a proper dosing mentality is a centerpiece in pleasant and desired experiences and achieving what you wish from the pharmaceutical drug.
There's a tendency in the biohacking and nootropics industries to leach to the mental paradigm of "the more, the better".
Well, you know all these oxymoron phrases?
"Slow is fast".
"Old news".
"Silent scream"?
So, this article's theme is the oxymoron "Less is more".
We are going to learn about today's modafinil's use, it's history, and the main show for you folks - our dosing protocols and methodologies.
Table of Contents
What is Modafinil | Basic principles | Microdosing | Small Doses |
Modafinil alternatives | Verdict
What Is Modafinil
For the unacquainted: modafinil is a prescription drug that also goes by the name Provigil (Brand name version).
Adrafinil, the precursor (A compound that produces another compound) to modafinil was discovered by two scientists from the French pharmaceutical firm 'Laboratoire L Lafon'.
By 1976 they figured that the active metabolite of adrafinil is modafinil, and in 1986 modafinil began trials for narcolepsy and was shown to be highly successful with treating the disorder, by elevating key neurotransmitters such as histamine, dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline and more...
As a high efficacy wakefulness promoting substance modafinil's label use is for sleep related disorders such as narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder and other forms of daytime sleepiness.
It is a eugeroic substance (Wakefulness promoting) - modafinil is extremely successful in helping patients with sleepiness.
The off label use of modafinil is mainly for cognitive enhancement - the act of improving one's cognitive abilities.
Modafinil is known worldwide as the pretty face of the cognitive enhancement industry It is a very effective "smart-drug", by some it is even referred to as a nootropic substance.
A few decades ago modafinil was an exclusive tool for very specific sectors and social circles of highly competitive individuals, like the hard-working entrepreneur, Wall Street brokers, and even Australian public servants trying to hit federal budget deadlines.
As a result of all the positive anecdotes and the growing number of users spreading out of business savvy communities, modafinil received the attention of big news outlets such as Washington Post, Fox News, CNN and the other big boys in the field.
So we deciphered the public use of modafinil, but how do we know that modafinil's good name is not a mere collective placebo effect?
Medical Literature & Modafinil Research
The medical research about modafinil gives us a warrant that modafinil is safe and the effects are not psychosomatic (Hence, are not made up by our psyche because we believe there should be some effect)
"In summary, it is clear that modafinil effectively enhances cognitive ability within the domain of attention and cognitive control in healthy adult volunteers. Further, this pro-cognitive effect is domain-specific insofar as it is achieved at doses that did not result in hyperactivity"
The empirical evidence helps elucidate the pharmacology of modafinil, in other words how modafinil exerts its cognitive enhancing properties.
It is also important to look at the research based content just to validate what you read in blogs like ours!
Modafinil Side Effects
Yes, modafinil will act as a catalyst to a new sphere of cognitive performance for you, but we are here to advance transparent Information - we'll make it clear right now - modafinil has side effects, anyone who's saying otherwise is not telling the truth - maybe he's trying to have you 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 remove them), invest your time into understanding what the road may have for you, and how you can prepare the best way! Good luck...
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:
Modafinil Basic Principles
As mentioned above - "less is more", and unfortunately in the past years our team has been aware of anecdotes of misuse of modafinil.
Our involvement in the nootropics and smart drugs online communities has revealed to us numerous times the fact that people, healthy individuals, abuse this substance without even knowing it!
Your average nootropics enthusiast beginner may be bewildered by the sheer amount of information out there, in blogs, forums, Facebook groups and so on... Opinions are a commodity that's being consumed by the masses.
Most of the content conveys a message of taking dosages which aren't suitable for cognitive enhancement let alone for a healthy participant who is not suffering from sleep related illness.
Of course each individual person will have his/hers ideal dose of modafinil, and results may vary, but there are some guidelines that you should know about the dosages and their pronounced effects.
Cycling Modafinil
The modafinil life is hard! And I'll tell you why:
There is a general rule of thumb in the nootropics & biohacking fields which is at most importance when it comes to modafinil - rigorous cycling is a must! Hence - a certain frequency of supplementing a substance,
Dave Asprey is a famous character in the field of nootropics, he's recognized as a know- how in everything nootropics and smart drugs, and he's been public about his modafinil use - thereby he opened the door for modafinil land for a lot of modern modafinil users, including us.
All fun and nice, until you understand he told the world that he's been using modafinil for the length of 9 straight years at the doses of 200 mg, NO BREAKS, no cycling.
You see what we mean by misconception?
Trying to emulate that is equivalent for trying young Jordan Bedford's lifestyle, it's almost a death wise, and you need a bulletproof biology (a one in a million biology) to justify that kind of behavior.
You can take your chances or be a bit more rational.
We advise following this cycling regiment:
Using modafinil 2-3 times a week.
Keeping a 48-hour break between doses to lessen the probability of tolerance buildup.
Building up for 4 times per week if needed, while being very observant and aware of how your body reacts - this awareness should help you in approaching this like a scientist - you write down the positive and negative metrics you want to tackle and avoid, and when you are experiencing effects you write them down, that way you can know how different dosages and frequencies affect you.
It's that simple, all you have to do is be mindful of the effects you perceive, and start low with both dosages and your cycling regiment - we are sure that your experiences with our recommended dosages and usage volume will be better (cognitively and well-being wise) than abusing the substance.
Microdosing Modafinil
Confused? Yes, microdosing is a term from the psychedelic scene's terminology, still, the act of microdosing has place in the nootropics and modafinil scenes as well - actually, it may be beneficial, more than you think.
25 mg Modafinil
Sounds too Little? It may be, however, this is the place you want to start with and gradually with little increments elevate your doses, it's all about experimentation - trial and error.
When starting out this low, you are:
Mitigating any possible side effects that people who are taking higher doses are accustomed to
Getting more bank for your buck (25 mg is a 1/8 of a standard modafinil tablet)
Lowering the chances for tolerance buildup
One Redditor aware of the awesome art of microdosing concluded his feelings:
"My experience with "microdosing", so far, is that I don't need any coffee during the day, the brainfog is gone and I don't have problems falling asleep at 11pm. I still don't feel as rested in the morning but nowhere near my experience with higher doses"
small modafinil doses
50 mg Modafinil
We're not aware of a definitive consensus about the ideal modafinil dose, but after years of contact with regular modafinil users, it is safe to say that this near that 50 mg would probably take you to modafinil utopia land.
You are making 4x more bank for your buck (1/4 of a regular modafinil tablet) and very possibly steering away from any possible overstimulation and side effects that are present with higher doses.
A Redditor expressed his thoughts about 50 mg dosages:
"I take 50mg most weekday mornings (except for when I know I’ll be drinking that evening). This is enough to provide the quiet background hum of concentration which I seek. I have experimented with 100mg and 200mg, but I simply find it unnecessary and somewhat overbearing. I don’t want to be superhuman - I just want to have a clean focus."
So we hope it is pretty clear now that you should be a very pragmatic experimenter - start low at 25 mg and then progress upwards, making 25 mg jumps each time.
Our sweet spot is usually somewhere in between 25-75 mg.
This is a good place to mention our guide on how to make modafinil and armodafinil much more potent and effective, when you're not using monumental doses.
100 mg Modafinil Dose
We are big devotes of the "less is more" mentality - not because we are conservatives by nature, but because of the medical literature and anecdotes supporting our thesis.
Previous research has indicated that 100 mg doses are sufficient for cognition upgrading.
At this dosage range you are getting the full cognition enhancing effects of modafinil but at the same breath you are more susceptible to side effects, such as:
Insomnia (Trouble falling asleep)
Irritability
Headaches
Thirst and urination
Anxiety
Nausea
At 25-75 mg you are minimizing the chances of meeting these side effects, and although they are not serious, there's still no reason to arrange a meeting.
With that being said (or written) - it is not forbidden to try 100+ mg doses, and some individuals may only feel modafinil's effects at this range because of different variables for instance fast metabolism or large sized smart drug users.
Another noteworthy element - you should expect lengthier duration when reaching the 100mg threshold
200 mg Modafinil
Uh, the conformist 200 mg modafinil dose, a lot have being said about you:
"Miracle drug"
"Genius in a pill"
It is the most common dose since most of the packages (Brand name and generic) come with 200 mg tablet pills.
200 mg modafinil dose is a good amount to start with for any one dealing with extreme sleepiness, and the maximum dose physicians are recommending is 400 mg a day. We recommend the lower doses stated above for any cognition related needs - these will be adequate for cognitive enhancement.
There are a lot of side effects associated to that dosage, especially when not being cycled properly.
Modafinil alternatives
The truth is - modafinil is a slick tool to keep in your toolbox, but just like an handyman doesn't use only an hammer and neglects the other tools - so do you should not omit other nootropics out of the equation.
Modafinil you can keep for all-nighters, days you didn't receive adequate sleep or when you need extreme focus for hours upon hours.
However, a much more sustainable strategy 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 studied supplements such as:
Lions mane
Bacopa monnieri
CDP choline
And more...
We highly recommend giving mind lab pro a try:
They offer a 10 % discount for your first order
Modafinil Dosages Conclusions
The main concept we are trying to emphasize here and entrench into your mind is the mantra of "The less is better".
There is a saying "Everything in America is bigger" and "Go big or go home".
The majority of content about modafinil online is stemming from the u.s., so it's not far-fetched to assume that that's why so many nootropics and smartdrugs like modafinil are being misused by newbie users, actually, it's a simple 1 + 1 inference.
Speaking of inferences, another idea we hoped you liked is the process of thinking like a scientist when using nootropics:
Establish your metrics beforehand
Separate the good from the bad - understand what you're expecting and wishing from the nootropic
Start dosing low
Gradually go up
Write down the effects of each dose
Find your sweet spot
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The verdict
1. Monday - start low, at the microdosing districts - 25 mg, that's an eighth of a modafinil's tablet, write down your experience and fill up the metrics
2. Tuesday - you rest from modafinil
3. Wednesday - Ready for 25 mg one more time? Now you would type down your experience again and compare any anomalies and similarities between the first and the second time using modafinil, and reinforce what you know.
A trick: Try to abstain tea, caffeine or any other brain altering compounds - you want the experimentation to omit any outside force that might change your results.
4. Thursday - Rest day
5. Friday - It's time for a little increment, 50 mg is a quarter of a 200 mg modafinil's pill.
Iterations is the name of the game - you dose, you write stuff down, and scale up, you find your "sweet spot" by compression.
It requires some patience, some order, but it's really easy and that way you will find your sweet spot fast.
Good luck!
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.