October 25, 2023 Dr. James D Jablonski

How long does it take for Modafinil to work in your body?

Modafinil is a generic medicine that treats sleepiness and obstructive sleep apnea linked with narcolepsy and other sleep problems.

This medicine is good at promoting wakefulness. It can increase dopamine & glutamate in the brain, making it a stimulant.

However, it is not a stimulant drug and will not cause nervousness, shakes, or a post-stimulant crash.

Known by its brand name Provigil, Modafinil is given to people who have busy work schedules.

In case, you are taking Modafinil then knowing how long Modafinil takes to work is necessary to avoid interactions with drugs.

When compared to other medicines, the effects of the Modafinil pill are long-lasting. While its half-life is between 12-15 hours.

Though metabolism of Modafinil might get affected by various factors such as kidney disorders, genetic predispositions, and liver health.

After you take the Modafinil tablet, it begins to work within 30 to 60 minutes in your body.

However, if you take Modafinil medication on a full stomach then Modafinil can take a little long time.

Modafinil is responsible for affecting several areas of your brain to make you feel energized and awake.

Once you take Modafinil, its blood concentration generally peaks around 1 to 2 hours.

However, some people can also experience the effects of this medicine as quickly as 30 minutes after its administration.

What is the working mechanism of Modafinil in the body?

In your brain, Modafinil works by blocking dopamine’s transporters which take dopamine away from the brain’s synapses.

This further increases the amount of dopamine in your brain. Remember dopamine is considered an incentive mechanism in the brain.

Modafinil targets particular dopamine transporters in the brain. When dopamine reuptake is obstructed, orexin neuropeptides & histamine are released.

In this way, a user starts to feel more awake. Both methamphetamine and cocaine cause the same actions in the brain.

The only difference is that methamphetamine and cocaine do it in a short amount of time and give users powerful results.

You need to know that modafinil encourages people taking substances to be alert just like amphetamines.

How long does Modafinil stay in your system?

If we talk about Modafinil’s half-life, it range between 10 to 12 hours, while in some patients it lasts for 15 hours.

Like other medications, the modafinil pill is metabolized in your liver, and its inactive metabolites are excreted via urine.

So, for how long does modafinil stay in your body? To be eliminated from the body, this medicine takes multiple half-lives. 

When it comes to a standard dose of 100 to 200mg dose, modafinil's half-life lasts up to 15 hours.

How long Modafinil lasts depends on various factors like the dose of medicine, the person’s age, liver function, tolerance of the drug, and more.

It is said that Modafinil remains in the system for 30 hours or anywhere between 2 to 3 days.

This medication can stay in your body for a few days but its side effects are not long lasting.

Can Modafinil show up on any drug tests?

Generally, modafinil will show up on a medicine test that is particularly designed to pick up traces of this medication.

Moreover, any Modafinil drug test is going to detect traces of medicine in your urine and blood samples.

You can detect modafinil in your urine between 48 to 72 hours and between 10 to 12 hours in blood.

What you can do if Modafinil does not work?

It is necessary to know that the effects of Modafinil must appear within 30 minutes of administration.

Feeling of modafinil drug must last in the body for 8 hours but if no effects are felt, your dosage is probably too low.

Modafinil’s lower dosages like 100-200mg are most effective, while higher doses effects begin to wear off quickly.

In case, you are taking the Modafinil drug for the first time then try increasing the dosage to 200mg to check if it is working better for you.

What are the interactions of the Modafinil drug?

Modafinil interacts with certain beverages, medicines, and food. When you are taking this medication will also determine how soon the effect will take place.

People who take Modafinil tablets while they are mildly sleepy might experience the effects of this drug soon. 

However, people who are extremely sleepy can experience a delayed effect. Due to this reason, Modafinil must be avoided before bedtime.

Related Article -  Is Modafinil Bad for Your Heart?

This medicine can keep you awake for several hours, so if you want to sleep at night do not take Modafinil in the last three hours.

Also, Modafinil interacts with certain antiviral drugs, antibiotics, antifungal medicines, and heart medications. 

Therefore, Modafinil should be taken only under a doctor’s supervision to attain its maximum benefits.