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Modafinil and Blood Pressure
– Is there any explicit relation between blood pressure and Modafinil? The smart drug users might be longing to know if the combination creates any issues or not. The wakefulness-promoting pharmaceutical medication may have interactions with your blood pressure levels either inversely or favorably.
A healthy and young nootropic user never desires to initiate unwanted side effects such as hypertension. The smart drug enthusiast will show intensity to avoid consuming Modafinil upon capturing high blood pressure as a result.
This is the prime concentration of the blog indeed. It intends to bring various aspects about Modafinil and blood pressure forward based on various researches and their outcomes. Moreover, it is also amongst the main motives of the discussion to examine the interactions between blood pressure pills and Modafinil. Above all, let’s start peeping into the debate with a brief introduction of Modafinil.
What is Modafinil?
Simply put, Modafinil is a medication that is prescribed to treat medical conditions;
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD)
- Narcolepsy
Further, Modafinil promotes alertness and wakefulness and avoid excessive sleepiness during the daytime. It is the generic version of the brand-name medication, Provigil.
Modafinil acts as a stimulant to support the Central Nervous System (CNS). However, its modus operandi (technique of work) is so unique that it doesn’t impact the body the same way as other drugs such as amphetamine do. FDA approved Modafinil in 1998 under the brand name (Provigil) to treat conditions i.e. narcolepsy, OSA and SWSD.
Moreover, the smart drug has gathered huge popularity, especially amongst young people due to the impeccable results it delivers. It heightens alertness and minimizes fatigue in narcolepsy patients remarkably without arousing usual side effects.
Apart from that, healthy or non-narcolepsy people also have registered enhanced alertness and cognition power. Therefore, it has become the foremost choice of university professors, grad students, accountants etc. who want to improve their mental fertility.
In the nutshell, Modafinil is popular due to its ability to provide ‘superhuman energy’ and uplift mental performance. Peoples from all walks of life prefer to consume Modafinil to enhance their brain and concentration power and earn more money, secure more grades and perform at high-level jobs.
Blood Pressure: Is it Inevitable to Discuss?
Before we proceed to know the connection between Modafinil and blood pressure, it seems imperative to have a summarized debate about the condition itself. What the blood pressure actually is and various factors affecting BP levels?
In simpler terms, blood pressure (BP) is a force that helps the blood circulate through the circulatory system. The blood travels through arteries and provides oxygen, antibodies, essential nutrients and expelling wastage from the body. The process of blood pressure starts with the heartbeat. Every time your heart beats, it pushes the blood outwards that enters the heart. Your blood needs force from behind to reach every part of the body through arteries.
Blood Pressure Types –
According to Blood Pressure UK (a charity institution in the UK) describes how blood pressure is measured and disclosed:
Blood pressure is incredibly pivotal for the human body system. It is responsible for distributing essential nutrients, antioxidants and oxygen to tissues and organs in the body.
Further, BP is measured in ‘millimeters of mercury’ and often written as mmHg, in short. It is mentioned in two numbers, for example, 120/80 mmHg. What does it mean? Suppose your blood pressure reading is 120/80 mmHg. It means your BP is 120 over 80. It is a normal BP value of humans.
The top number (120 in this case) is your Systolic blood pressure. This number indicates the highest level your BP reaches when your heart beats. Similarly, the bottom number (80) is called Diastolic that is the lowest level your BP reaches when your heart relaxes between beats.
Then, what ‘High Blood Pressure’ and ‘Low Blood Pressure’ terms refer to?
In the event, a person’s BP is too high or too low, these conditions are termed as follow:
- High Blood Pressure: Hypertension (>130/80 mmHg)
- Low Blood Pressure: Hypotension (<90/60 mmHg)
Modafinil and Blood Pressure Association
Now is the time to adjust Modafinil in the frame. Technically, it isn’t a ‘stimulant’ and can be viewed as ‘stimulant-like.’ However, whenever you come across an official list of Modafinil side effects, you might witness the following conditions:
- Fast heartbeat
- Agitation
- Excitement
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
This chapter is to concentrate on scientific findings of Modafinil and high blood pressure relations. If we consider the 2004 review of 7 placebo-controlled studies, Modafinil was expected to go safe in patients with controlled hypertension. Similar is the observation of a 2012 paper. It says that Modafinil-driven increases in BP were normal as compared to traditional stimulants.
Interaction Between Modafinil and Blood Pressure Pills
Is there any direct contradiction when someone takes BP pills and Modafinil together?
There’re some medications that may interact with Modafinil: drugs for high blood pressure such as clonidine, methyldopa, guanabenz and warfarin etc. Moreover, Modafinil can also fasten or slow down the removal of various toxins and drugs from the body.
Modafinil: Common Side Effects
Some of the common side effects of Modafinil (reported in clinical and scientific studies) conclude dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, headache, insomnia, and diarrhea.
Further, Modafinil side effects are severe in connection with high blood pressure but they do occur infrequently. Therefore, health providers suggest monitoring the BP levels and heartbeat of patients regularly who are on Modafinil medication. Patients should also stop taking Modafinil upon developing arrhythmia or moderate to severe hypertension. Similarly, the nootropic is also avoidable when the diastolic BP level is 100 mmHg or greater before treatment.
In the verdict, aspiring health practitioners shouldn’t worry about Modafinil and blood pressure. Every stimulant is subject to impact the blood pressure level, especially when the person carries cardiovascular concerns. Hence, Modafinil and blood pressure aren’t a huge concern if you’re a healthy adult under 45.
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