Modafinil 200mg Tablet is a wakefulness-promoting medication that can be used to treat conditions like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder. It also may reduce fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis and depression.

This medication is usually taken long-term to improve symptoms of narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It is a schedule IV drug, which means it can be abused and cause psychological or physical dependence.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes interruptions in your breathing while you're asleep. The interruptions cause your blood oxygen levels to drop. The drop triggers a survival response in your body that wakes you up briefly to breathe. This disturbs your sleep and keeps you from achieving the deep, restful sleep that's important to good health.

People with obstructive sleep apnea usually experience loud snoring and choking sensations while they're asleep. They're also at increased risk of developing serious conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. People with central sleep apnea don't have airway obstructions, but they suffer from problems with the way their brain controls their muscles and breathing. They're also at higher risk of developing other health conditions, including atrial fibrillation and hard-to-control high blood pressure.

Many people with obstructive sleep apnea don't know they have the condition until they're pointed out by their bed partner or a doctor. It's common for symptoms to appear suddenly and be attributed to other ailments, making diagnosis difficult.

In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, a person might feel tired during the day even though they've slept for eight hours or more. This is because their sleep is interrupted 30 or more times each hour. The repeated awakenings disrupt the flow of blood to the brain and keep them from getting enough nourishing sleep.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness, and the severity of symptoms can vary. In some cases, untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

The prescription drug modafinil (Provigil Australia) and its generic form, armodafinil, are wakefulness-promoting agents used to treat narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. They increase your ability to stay awake compared to a placebo and are the first-choice medications for excessive sleepiness in people with these conditions.

They are typically taken long-term by people with narcolepsy or sleep apnea to improve their symptoms and quality of life. Both Provigil and armodafinil start working 30-60 minutes after taking them, though it takes a little longer if you take them with food. Both of these drugs are similar to the stimulant medication Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), but they affect your brain in different ways.

Causes of Sleep Apnea

A number of health issues are linked with lack of quality sleep. These include obstructive sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop briefly, and central sleep apnea, when the brain doesn’t send the proper signals. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

In obstructive sleep apnea, your throat muscles relax and collapse during sleep, narrowing your airway. Breathing pauses can last a few seconds to minutes and may occur 30 times or more an hour. When you breathe again, it’s typically with a loud snort or choking sound. Some people with sleep apnea also experience a feeling of choking or gasping during their waking periods. These pauses and interrupted breaths can cause severe daytime drowsiness.

Some risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea include being overweight, having a large neck circumference, being male and being over the age of 30. Smoking and using alcohol or sedatives before sleeping increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea as well. Children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids are also at greater risk for the condition. Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), which affects people who regularly stay awake during the night, can also contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. If you’re experiencing excessive daytime drowsiness, ask your doctor about a possible diagnosis and treatment options.

Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Many people with sleep apnea have episodes of reduced or halted breathing during sleep, which disrupt their rest and reduce oxygen levels in the blood. Over time this can cause heart and other health problems, including a high risk of stroke.

The most common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are loud snoring, though not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not all snorers have obstructive sleep apnea. Other symptoms include unexplained tiredness or a lack of energy, memory problems and trouble concentrating.

There are over-the-counter treatments that can help improve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea, such as nasal sprays or adhesive strips. These products increase the space in the nose to make breathing easier, but they cannot treat moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Another treatment is a positive airway pressure device, which pushes air into the windpipe during sleep to prevent it from collapsing during snoring or pauses in breathing. This is usually done with a mask that fits over the nose or mouth. There are many different devices available, and your healthcare provider can recommend the best one for you.

Over time, regular and consistent use of a PAP device will almost always reduce or eliminate sleep apnea symptoms, but the timeline for how long it takes to feel better will vary from person to person. The more dedicated you are to following a treatment plan, the faster you will see results and the sooner you will be able to get a good night’s sleep.