Modafinil and weight loss | A-Z Guide

Is there a scientifically proven connection between Modafinil and weight loss?

Is Modafinil a “miracle diet pill” that will instantly lead to effortless fat loss?

You may have asked yourself these questions after reading numerous anecdotal reports from Modafinil users on the Internet [1].

Modafinil is reported to provide numerous cognitive effects, such as increased concentration, increased energy levels, and sustained concentration for several hours at a time.

The smart drug has consistently proven to be effective for all three purposes. However, there is little information on the topic of using Modafinil for weight loss.

Furthermore, no clear distinction is made between “weight loss” and “fat loss,” as it is entirely possible to lose weight without seeing a desirable change in body composition; For most people, that goal would involve losing body fat.

We wrote this comprehensive guide to help everyone who types “modafinil weight loss” into Google but can't seem to find a satisfactory answer.

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What is modafinil?

For readers who are not familiar with modafinil or how it exerts its cognition-enhancing effects, here is some preliminary background information.

Modafinil is known as “eugeroic,” which is another way of describing it as a wakefulness-promoting agent. Better known by its brand name "Provigil," it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 to treat excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.

What scientists and researchers later discovered was that modafinil could treat drowsiness seen in other medical conditions such as sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, and insomnia.2]. It was advertised as a powerful medicine due to its ability to suppress the human body's natural need for sleep.

Although it was originally indicated for people with sleep disorders, some healthy people began experimenting with Modafinil off-label to see if it could provide any cognitive improvements. To their surprise, the prescribed medication was a powerful smart drug to improve mental traits associated with productivity.

Some of the benefits claimed by long-time Modafinil users include:

• Greater ability to process and retain information.
• A higher level of concentration that can be maintained for several hours.
• Significant reduction in fatigue.
• Unexplained increases in self-sustained motivation

Naturally, this caught the attention of people in careers and industries where extreme levels of productivity are the norm. Ivy League students, surgeons, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and even military soldiers regularly used Modafinil to get a much-needed boost in personal productivity.

A recent 2020 survey of 404 anonymous smart drug users reveals that unauthorized use of modafinil continues to increase among young men [3]:

“This study has found that as the reported frequency of modafinil use increased, the number of perceived benefits increased, while the number of negative effects remained stable and unchanged.

Respondents also reported significantly more benefits than risks and more immediate benefits than longer lasting benefits.

…This study has provided insight into the profile of modafinil users who are, at least in this English study, mostly male, American or British, educated, employed and in their twenties.”

Clearly, Modafinil was not intended to be used as a weight loss medication. However, this has not stopped nootropic users from seeing their body weight decrease with regular use of Modafinil [4].

But before we can examine whether the "Provigil weight loss" trend has any legitimacy, you should be informed about modafinil's safety profile and its potential side effects.5].

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Modafinil for weight loss | The basics

For those of you who don't know how the body loses fat tissue, we'll oversimplify the science and give you a basic explanation.

• How do we lose weight?

Weight loss fundamentally comes down to your caloric intake.

When you consume more calories than your body burns, you gain weight because your body stores excess energy as fatty tissue. But when you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight because your body uses fat tissue to compensate for the energy deficit. And when your calorie intake is equivalent to your body's calorie burn, your weight stays the same [6].

As for how your body eliminates fat tissue, the Cleveland Clinic outlines the pathways to fat loss in a nutshell [7]:

"Your body must eliminate fat deposits through a series of complicated metabolic pathways."

“…Like water, through your skin (when you sweat) and your kidneys (when you urinate).

As carbon dioxide, through the lungs (when you exhale).”

"...the breakdown of fats releases energy for biological functions and physical activity...It also generates heat, which maintains normal body temperature."

In fact, there are many other factors that come into play, such as the various ways your body burns calories, the type of exercise you do, and the quality and quantity of food you eat. But this simplified model of weight loss will be enough to explain why nootropic users take Modafinil to lose weight.

• Do any studies show a link between modafinil and weight loss?

A few research articles published over the past 15 years have attempted to examine a connection between modafinil and weight loss in very specific clinical circumstances.

In 2004, researchers attempted to examine how Modafinil and Adderall affected the food intake of 11 healthy adults ages 21 to 35.

While both medications directly led to a decrease in the total number of calories consumed per day, the results were completely different.8]:

“Like amphetamine, modafinil reduced the amount of food consumed and decreased energy intake, without altering the proportion of macronutrients consumed.

Although both medications significantly increased heart rate and blood pressure at higher doses, the dose of modafinil that was effective in decreasing food intake did not significantly increase heart rate.”

The researchers conducted this study then hypothesized that Modafinil could be used as a treatment for obesity, warranting further research trials in overweight and/or obese people.

A 2008 study confirmed these results in shift workers, where a daily dose of 400 mg decreased average daily caloric intake by 38% and led to a significant decrease in perceived hunger. The most interesting finding was how the proportion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins consumed did not change.9].

And in a randomized controlled trial published in 2016, Modafinil caused dramatic reductions in impulsivity among adults with normal body weight.

The lead researcher went on to make some notable comments about the implications of this study for people who have developed an unhealthy addiction to food [10]:

"Modafinil has been found to have an effect on impulsivity in healthy people and could therefore have an even greater effect in food addicts, who lack certain types of dopamine"

"This medication could be a big help for people who struggle to control their desire to eat even though they know they need to lose weight."

"The drug improves self-control, which is a key factor in determining obesity, so our hypothesis is that this drug should help in the treatment of the disease."

However, since the initial discovery in 2004, modafinil has become a topic of interest as it could theoretically overcome the weight gain associated with certain medications used to treat mental health problems:

• Modafinil produced significant weight loss when administered along with clozapine, an antipsychotic medication prescribed to patients with schizophrenia.11]
• When used together with the antipsychotic drug olanzapine, modafinil reduced weight gain compared to a combination of olanzapine and a placebo drug.12]
• In patients with atypical depression, where increased appetite and weight gain are common outcomes, Modafinil caused notable weight loss and improvement of depression symptoms.13]

There are disagreements among scientists regarding the reality of “modafinil weight loss,” as there are studies in the medical literature that did not reach the same conclusion.

A study examining the use of Modafinil in patients with narcolepsy observed an increase in body mass index regardless of the dose used.14].

Another study conducted in 2008 produced some questionable results. Although Modafinil demonstrated notable weight loss in patients taking atypical antipsychotic medications, the difference between patients' initial weight and their weight after 12 weeks was not significantly different from the difference seen in patients taking a placebo.15].

The authors attributed this strange finding to weight gain that possibly could have occurred at an earlier time in the placebo group:

“These findings require further evaluation, since it was possible that at the beginning of the study the maximum weight gain already occurred in the placebo group.

“This particular aspect could not be verified from the existing data as there was a possibility that the placebo group used atypicals for longer periods than the modafinil group.”

With these results in mind, let's examine some possible reasons that may explain why people who use Modafinil for weight loss report a loss of body weight.

• Why does modafinil “work” for weight loss?

To be clear, Modafinil is not officially approved for weight loss.This is made clear in explicit terms in the corresponding product monograph published by the FDA [16]:

"There were no clinically significant differences in body weight change in patients treated with PROVIGIL compared to patients treated with placebo in placebo-controlled clinical trials."

This hasn't stopped test subjects from commenting anonymously about the indirect weight loss they experienced using Modafinil [17]:

“I've lost maybe 2 to 3 pounds in two weeks, but I guess it was caused by going to the gym every day and eating healthier. Provigil reduced my appetite, helps me go to the gym and gives me some stamina. “I already have appetite problems, but provigil reduced it even more.”

One possible reason for the loss of appetite could be attributed to modafinil's ability to increase the production of several neurotransmitters.18]:

• Orexin and histamine regulate appetite and elevated levels of both neurotransmitters lead to appetite suppression.
• Modafinil's ability to increase dopamine secretion leads to increased motivation, which may help people stick to their diet and exercise routine more consistently.

Another explanation for appetite inhibition could be attributed to the cognitive benefits of modafinil. Research subjects are often quick to comment on the 8 to 12 hours of concentration the drug provides.

With an intense level of concentration applied to a single task, there are two natural results regarding calorie burning and dietary intake...

First of all, if one forgets to eat at the usual time, a caloric deficit is naturally created. In a sense, Modafinil users are “fasting” until the effects of the drug wear off and the hunger response is activated.

Secondly, due to the massive increase in energy levels, Modafinil users are more likely to have a greater amount of activity and movement throughout the day. The body burns more calories and therefore contributes to an overall calorie deficit.

Considering that the cognitive benefits of modafinil typically last between 8 and 12 hours, it is reasonable to assume that the conditions for consuming fewer calories and burning more calories are set automatically.

To summarize this discussion in some takeaway sentences:

Modafinil does NOT directly induce fat/weight loss through increased metabolism or a unique mechanism of action targeting fat storage in the body.

Modafinil makes it more likely that a user will consistently perform certain actions that are known to lead to fat or weight loss.

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Is weight loss with modafinil a good idea?

The concept of “modafinil weight loss” is not inherently incorrect [19]. Modafinil may be effective in supporting common lifestyle habits that lead to weight loss: a controlled diet, frequent physical exercise, uninterrupted sleep, and more.

However, taking Modafinil for weight loss alone without following the lifestyle habits mentioned will not lead to the desired result.

If one wishes to maximize the appetite suppressant effects associated with Modafinil, we would like to present some recommendations from experienced test subjects for using the medication safely and appropriately:

• It is advisable to have a decent breakfast before using Modafinil, as your appetite may decrease to the point that you will not consume any amount of food for most of the day.
• The above point can be ignored for people who intentionally follow an intermittent fasting diet.
• Due to Modafinil's ability to dehydrate the body, it is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of cold water on the days you take Modafinil.

Please note that several factors will affect the weight loss associated with the cognitive-enhancing properties of modafinil.

These include, but are not limited to: dosage, medications that counteract or work synergistically with Modafinil, your genetics, and the length of time you use Modafinil.

Modafinil should be considered as a complement to a healthy lifestyle leading to weight loss, rather than as a substitute for it.

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Weight loss with modafinil | The verdict

Modafinil and weight loss They are indirectly linked to each other as a result of various behavioral outcomes that are related to regular Modafinil use.

Appetite suppression, in combination with stricter adherence to science-backed weight loss principles, can lead to weight and possibly fat loss.

Any weight loss experienced while using Modafinil is simply a side effect of using this smart drug to increase productivity, improve cognition, and increase concentration.

Anyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off would be much better off with a proven exercise routine, proper nutrition, and other lifestyle habits that lead to weight loss.

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