Artvigil

Common use

Artvigil (armodafinil) may be used to improve wakefulness in adults who are very sleepy due to narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or shift work disorder (SWD). Artvigil is taken in combination with other treatments for sleep disorders.

Dosage and direction

Take Artvigil exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Artvigil is usually taken 1 time a day. Artvigil is usually taken each morning to prevent daytime sleepiness, or 1 hour before the start of a work shift to treat work-time sleep disorders. You may take this medicine with or without food. Do not change the time of day you take Artvigil unless you have talked to your doctor. Artvigil is usually given for up to 12 weeks.
Adult Dosage for OSA or Narcolepsy: Artvigil 150 mg to 250 mg once a day in the morning.
Adult Dosage for Shift Work Disorder (SWD): Artvigil 150 mg once a day, taken approximately one hour before starting your work shift.

Precautions

To make sure Artvigil is safe for you, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have ever had: liver or kidney disease; heart disease or a heart muscle or valve disorder such as mitral valve prolapse; high blood pressure, heart disease, or prior heart attack; mental illness or psychosis; drug or alcohol addiction.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, intending to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Contraindications

You should not use Artvigil if you have ever had a rash or allergic reaction caused by armodafinil, Nuvigil, modafinil (Provigil), or any of the inactive ingredients in Artvigil tablets.
Do not drive a car or do other dangerous activities until you know how Artvigil affects you. People with sleep disorders should always be careful about doing things that could be dangerous. Do not change your daily habits until your doctor tells you it is okay.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It is not known how drinking alcohol will affect you when taking Artvigil.

Possible side effect

The most common side effects of Artvigil are: headache; dizziness; nausea; sleep problems (insomnia).
Artvigil may cause serious side effects including a serious rash or serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema, and multiorgan hypersensitivity. These may need to be treated in a hospital and may be life-threatening. Stop taking Artvigil and call your doctor right away or get emergency help if you have any of these symptoms: a severe skin reaction that spreads and causes blistering and peeling; a skin rash, hives, or sores in your mouth; fever, sore throat, or burning in your eyes; swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue, throat, or lymph nodes; trouble swallowing, breathing, or hoarseness; shortness of breath, flu-like symptoms, swelling of the legs, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, or dark urine.
Stop taking Artvigil and seek urgent medical attention at the first sign of rash, no matter how minor it is, unless the rash is not drug-related. These rashes usually occur within 1 to 5 weeks after the first dose.

Drug interaction

Artvigil can interact with strong CYP3A4/5 inhibitors (like ketoconazole and itraconazole), hormonal contraceptives (like ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone) and CYP2C19 substrates (such as omeprazole, diazepam, propranolol and phenytoin).

Missed dose

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but avoid taking the medication if you do not plan to be awake for several hours. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. If it is close to your normal bedtime hour, you may need to skip the missed dose and wait until the next day to take the medicine again.

Overdose

Seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of an overdose of Artvigil may include: Trouble sleeping; Confusion; Feeling excited; Nausea and diarrhea; Chest pain; Anxiety; Restlessness; Feeling disoriented; Hearing, seeing, feeling, or sensing things that are not really there (hallucinations); A fast or slow heartbeat; Shortness of breath.

Storage

Store Artvigil at room temperature between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C) away from moisture and heat. Keep out of the reach of children.