The Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease With Modafinil

Olivia Anderson

The Treatment of Parkinson's Disease With Modafinil

Modafinil is a prescription medicine used to treat sleep disorders such as shift-work sleep disorder, narcolepsy, and obstructive sleep apnea. It can also be used to improve wakefulness in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Some Parkinson’s medications, including levodopa and dopamine agonists, can cause excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). This is common in people with PD and can interfere with daily activities.

Symptoms

A new study finds that modafinil, a central nervous system stimulant medicine, can significantly reduce sleepiness in people with Parkinson’s disease. Adding the anti-arrhythmic medicine flecainide to modafinil also alleviated excessive daytime sleepiness in people with PD.

Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in the brain are damaged and don’t produce enough of a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine controls the delicate balance between millions of nerve and muscle cells. Without dopamine, people with Parkinson’s have tremor, stiffness (rigidity), slowness of movement, and poor balance.

Many other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including sleep disorders, constipation, and sexual dysfunction, may go unnoticed in the early stages of the disease. These are important to know about so that you can talk to your health care provider about them.

Researchers are working to develop medications that could prevent or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Some medicines that reverse inflammation in the brain and increase dopamine levels may be able to treat the disorder one day.

Dosage

Modafinil is a short-acting wakefulness agent that has several uses, including the treatment of excessive sleepiness due to narcolepsy or shift-work sleep disorder. Modalert Review is also used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (a condition in which the muscles in your throat relax while you sleep, causing you to stop breathing).

Studies of modafinil and Parkinson’s disease suggest that it might help slow the progression of this disease by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. In animal models of Parkinson’s, it has also helped reduce inflammation that destroys the neurons that produce dopamine.

The dosage of modafinil depends on the severity of your symptoms. It may be taken once a day or divided into morning and afternoon doses.

For elderly patients, consider the use of lower doses because modafinil is eliminated more slowly in older people than in younger ones. Taking lower doses can decrease side effects and improve the quality of life for older adults with Parkinson’s.

Side effects

Medications that increase dopamine in the brain are usually effective in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease. However, many people with Parkinson’s also experience daytime sleepiness (narcolepsy).

Modafinil is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness and is a wake-promoting agent. This medication is available by prescription.

It is given by mouth (pills, capsules, tablets, or liquids) and taken before bedtime. Do not drive or operate machinery while taking this medicine.

Studies have shown that modafinil can improve your ability to think and remember things. It can also produce euphoria and pleasurable sensations.

Researchers have found that adding a low dose of the anti-arrhythmic medicine flecainide to modafinil improved excessive daytime sleepiness in some patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Doctors recommend a combination of medications to treat Parkinson’s disease. These include dopamine agonists such as levodopa and carbidopa. These medicines help control tremors, improve muscle movement, and decrease dyskinesia.

Precautions

Modafinil is a medication that helps people stay awake and alert. Modalert and Waklert Online are also used to treat sleep disorders, including shift-work sleep disorder and narcolepsy.

This medicine works by increasing the activity in your central nervous system. It is a stimulant and may increase feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

These effects can be very dangerous if you do not use them properly or at the recommended dose. To prevent this from happening, keep this medicine in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of the reach of children.

You should not use this medicine if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking any other medications that cause sleepiness or decrease your ability to think clearly. You should also tell your doctor about any other medical conditions, including a history of high blood pressure or heart disease.

If you have a history of liver problems, you may have a hard time metabolizing modafinil. Your doctor may adjust your dose if you are a poor metabolizer of modafinil.

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