Modafinil vs Adrafinil vs Armodafinil The Complete Guide

You browse through plenty of data on nootropics. The ones which must have come to your notice, again and again, are modafinil, Adrafinil, and armodafinil.

You must be curious to know the difference.

In this article, we will talk about the distinction between these 3 drugs in detail.

Modafinil vs Adrafinil vs Armodafinil

Adrafinil, Modafinil, and Armodafinil are three different chemical compounds that cater to more or less similar functions in different mechanisms.
Modafinil is a prescription drug used for the treatment of various sleep disorders which has the most active effects of skyrocketing your wakefulness, energy, focus, and memory. But being a controlled prescription drug it is hard to obtain for off-label uses. Provigil is the brand name for modafinil.

Adrafinil is a mild stimulating nootropic compound that is a precursor to modafinil. Adrafinil gets metabolized to modafinil in the body. Adrafinil is not categorized as a controlled substance by the DEA and hence possession without a prescription is not illegal for adrafinil. Because there is a metabolism process involved after taking adrafinil the effects of the drug take slightly longer time than modafinil to set in. Adrafinil is sold by the brand name olmifon.

Armodafinil is the most complex among the three, it is a newer drug compared to modafinil, approved in 2007 it is the R-enantiomer of modafinil. Enantiomers are molecules that are mirror images of each other. In this way, armodafinil has a slightly different chemical structure compared to modafinil. It is also considered a stronger drug than modafinil and also the half-life of armodafinil is longer than modafinil. Nuvigil is the brand name for armodafinil.

Armodafinil and modafinil are similarly effective in the treatment of sleep disorders like narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, shift work. With armodafinil, there are longer-lasting effects.

Armodafinil comes in doses of 150mg while modafinil is 200mg. Armodafinil is more expensive than modafinil.

Which one ‘afinil’ should you choose among the three?

All three drugs serve the purpose of promoting wakefulness and focus. They differ from each other in their mechanism. And all of them have their own. So, which one among the three will be best for you will depend completely on your lifestyle and on your preference.

For example: if you are an off-label user, adrafinil is the one that can be most easily procured without prescription while both modafinil and armodafinil are schedule IV drugs that require a prescription or need to be purchased from a trusted online vendor.

If you are someone looking for a quick fix for your fatigue then adrafinil is not your option because the effects will take a slightly longer time to set in between 45 mins to an hour as it has to be metabolized in your body into modafinil. In that case, modafinil is what you need.

For Someone who has an entire day of vigorous work to accomplish possibly through the night, armodafinil could be the appropriate option with the longest half-life of 15hrs where you can pop a pill and just work through the day.

People looking for flexible options and something to boost their productivity moderately can opt for adrafinil taking a single dose can help you stay focused for a good 5-6 hrs without hampering your sleep.

For some might think armodafinil is the best in terms of its long half-life but it has a drawback of its own. Like it could mess up your sleep cycle completely if taken at the wrong time. Modafinil is also chosen over armodafinil if someone has a budget constraint.

We hope you found this information on the three nootropics useful and it will help you to choose the most appropriate one for yourself.

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