Who should not use modafinil?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take modafinil.

Modafinil

Provigil

Armodafinil

Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific modafinil products they stock.

Do not take modafinil unless it has been prescribed to you by a healthcare provider. Take it as prescribed.

Do not share modafinil with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Keep modafinil out of the reach of children. Modafinil is a controlled substance because it can be misused or lead to dependence. Store modafinil in a safe place to protect it from theft. It is illegal to sell or give away this medicine. 

Modafinil can affect your alertness or coordination. Do not drive or do other activities that require alertness or coordination until you know how modafinil affects you.

Modafinil can decrease the effects of hormonal birth control products. If you use a birth control option that includes a hormone, you should use a non-hormonal backup method of birth control while taking modafinil and for one month after stopping it. Examples of non-hormonal birth control options include condoms and copper intrauterine devices.

You should take modafinil around the same time each day. Your healthcare provider will help you determine the best time of day, as this can be different depending on why you are taking it. Taking modafinil around the time you need to go to sleep may make it hard for you to fall asleep. 

If you take modafinil to help with obstructive sleep apnea, it is important to continue your other prescribed sleep apnea treatments, such as using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, unless your healthcare provider tells you not to. 

It is still important to get plenty of sleep and to use good sleep habits while taking modafinil. Talk with your healthcare provider about good sleep habits.

You may need to take a lower dose of modafinil if your liver is not working as well as it should be. If there is a concern about the health of your liver, your healthcare provider may do tests to determine how well it is working. 

You may need a lower dose of modafinil if you are 65 or older. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are in this age group.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them determine if modafinil is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following.

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how modafinil could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take modafinil while you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. 

If you get pregnant while taking modafinil, you can sign up for the modafinil pregnancy registry by calling 866-404-4106. This registry collects safety information about the use of modafinil during pregnancy. 

Breastfeeding. It is not known if modafinil passes into breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take modafinil while breastfeeding.