Difference Between Nuvigil and Provigil
There are a lot of people who feel sleepy through out the day. There have been many researches but no explanation was possible regarding this feeling of sleepiness. However in order to have a remedy of this problem, of sleepiness and exhaustion, analeptic drugs like Provigil and Nuvigil are prescribed by doctors. Both of these are drugs that are manufactured by Cephalon. Both of these drugs who have got the approval of FDA for consumption have Modafinil as the main ingredient that was developed by the Lafon Laboratories in France. This company was acquired in 2001 by Cephalon and since then they have been selling Modafinil using the trade name Provigil. This drug effectively cures the problem of the sleepy feeling during daytime. However it does have some side effects like as headache and nausea.
Nuvigil
The generic name of Nuvigil-which is used to induce wakefulness and minimize sleepiness, is armodafinil and it is manufactured by the pharmaceutical house Cephalon. It helps people who are extremely sleepy during the daytime as a result of sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or sleep disorder due to irregular shifts. Apart from that this drug has other uses as well.
Since the central nervous system is the zone of operation for Nuvigil, it affects the power of thinking or reactions. You must consult your healthcare agent about your previous medical history to check any case of angina, blood pressure, heart problem, liver or kidney disease before using this drug. Even a previous history of drug addiction is fatal if you are using Nuvigil. One of the side effects of this drug is drowsiness so if you are doing anything that requires you to be alert you better be careful.
The generic name of Provigil which is manufactured by Cephalon is Modafinil. This is a drug that is approved by doctors in case of excessive sleepiness due to narcolepsy and other sleeping disorders. However it has some other uses as well. Though it is not clear how Provigil works it seems that Provigil alters the neurotransmitters inside the brain to promote wakefulness. There are side effects of Provigil like back pain, dizziness, nausea, headache, and trouble in sleeping.
Provigil is prohibited for those who have any allergy to any of its ingredients or prone to rashes when it is taken. If you are pregnant, breast feeding or planning to be pregnant then also it is advisable to stay clear of it. In case of a heart, liver or kidney problem this drug should be avoided.
While it is true that both Nuvigil and Provigil are drugs that are used in case of excessive sleepiness during daytime, manufactured by Cephalon and have Modafinil as the main ingredient, it should be known that Proovigil has been available in the market for quite some time, unlike the Nuvigil which is still not sold in the market. Cephalon plans to start selling it in another two years time.
According to the scientists Armodafinil, the main ingredient in Nuvigil is the enantiomer of Modafinil, the main constituent of Provigil.VN:F [1.9.6_1107] However there are experts who maintain that that Nuvigil is the same product having a new name. According to them Cephalon is changing the name as it will be losing the patent sometime in 2011. So if it manages a major part of the consumers to switch over to Nuvigil by the time its competitors arrive in the market, this strategy would have done its job.