Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by thomasbk 4820 days ago
Gwern has an amazing writeup of Modafinil, including his own (DIY "double" blind-trial) experience, effects, etc:

http://www.gwern.net/Modafinil

Highly recommended for anyone even slightly interested in the workings of Modafinil. His own experiences are described in the most detail on this page:

http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics#modafinil

2 comments

When drugs are used illegally, reporting on their adverse effects is generally shoddier than for on-label prescription usage, for a variety of reasons. In my personal experience, Provigil is an extremely effective and powerful tool, and like any power tool, should be treated with the proper respect or you're likely to get hurt. See my other comment a few threads below for more information and context, but I wanted to reply quickly to this (admittedly excellent) resource because it didn't seem to have a whole lot to say about the potential dangers, and as I've personally experienced them (and still find Modafanil to be a drug worth taking on occasion) I thought I'd try and make sure that others like me can learn from my mistakes without the need for their permanent consequences. The long and short - If you choose to use Modafanil, drink plenty of water, try not to use it as a sleep replacement (48-72 hours without sleep) more than once or twice a month, and fortify and replenish your body with quality food before, during, and after. If you are reckless, the lack of sleep combined with a histamine agonist can have effects that are roughly the opposite of benadryl, including an increased propensity for immune response (including allergies), that depending on your misfortune may become a permanent part of your life.
There goes my night. That site is like a black hole.
It's not just a black hole, it's a well researched and cited black hole.

Gwern seems to be an awesomely motivated person. It really inspired me to take what I consider to be "interests" more fully.

I do wonder what the source of his seemingly-abundant motivation could be.