4 replies to this topic

[Lolofatty]

I've read that at the 400-600 level Modafinil can cause difficulty breathing- however my situation seems a bit different

Background:
I have anxiety which I am now medicated for (Zoloft generic) but when i was younger I had bouts of difficulty breathing, as well as after I was prescribed Zoloft. I thought it was asthma but after going through asthma testing and chest scans the only thing doctors attributed it to was anxiety, and looking back I think I agree. the only thing that really seemed to help was Primetine Mist (now banned...eek!).

My reason for using Modafinil is because I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and depression and Moda helps IMMENSELY with those things. I'm able to get things done like a normal person instead fo lying around being tired all day.


2012
I was taking around 200 of Modalert for about 5 months (yes, too high of a dosage i know) with Omega 3 and some choline and everything seemed pretty great

Now
I moved in with my fiance and essentially bought a house and everything that goes in it, I have a history of anxiety with moving (i have a lot of possessions and had to go through moving on my own from NYC to TX). I also now live an hour away from work, friends, ect. Unpacking and painting and painting furniture- its all been a big stressor. BUT I love my house and my fiance, and i love decorating out new house.

in the middle of all that, I started really having problems breathing i.e. shortness of breath. since I've had this happen before I assumed it was stress and started trying to calm down, listen to relaxing meditation music ect, but none of it really helped. Somehow, I figured out that Modafinil was a big cause of it and stopped taking it for over 2 weeks.

Breathing got better so I started taking 25mg every other day. I noticed a little shortness of breath. But I really need to take about 50 mg every other day, and when I do this (25 mg with breakfast and 25 mg around noon without food) the breathing gets worse and seems to get a little more worse everyday i take it.

Bottom line
- Why would these breathing problems start 5 months in?

- is it strictly related to stress or would this have happened regardless of my moving circumstances- due to a build up in my system?

- What can I do?

I'm happy to disclose any other information that might be needed- other supplements, ect.


If anyone has any advice or experiences I would love to hear it.
thanks

[LBGSHI]

If the new symptoms were due to accumulation, they would have occurred, either gradually or suddenly, quite some time before the 5-month mark. Certainly, stress can bring on such a problem, and modafinil has been known to increase anxiety in some people. But I would suspect a change in diet or supplements. What have you changed in the two weeks or so before the symptoms began?

[Lolofatty]

If the new symptoms were due to accumulation, they would have occurred, either gradually or suddenly, quite some time before the 5-month mark. Certainly, stress can bring on such a problem, and modafinil has been known to increase anxiety in some people. But I would suspect a change in diet or supplements. What have you changed in the two weeks or so before the symptoms began?

I forgot to mention that I took one or two days off of it a week during that 5 month period- and i actually meant to say now I take 50 mg with little breathing problems every other day and i would like total 100 mg every other day, but have noticed more trouble breathing when i do this.

The only change I can think of before the breathing problems began was my trying to cut out a lot of the wheat i had been eating-- though i mostly cheated on the weekends. I looked at my amazon history for right before I started having the trouble, and realized i would have just received this down comforter, however I've had about 3 different down comforters and have never had an issue (though all of them were from reputable stores). Since we had been painting rooms with latex paint and spray painting some furniture, I thought it might be that but we just painted a room last weekend and I had no trouble. I think the Modafinil and stress is to blame because after i stopped taking it, the problems breathing subsided

Yesterday I took 50 mg in the morning after eating and was fine. However, today I haven't taken any and am having some problems breathing which i think is due to excess caffeine. I usually have 2 cups of coffee in the morning, but today I had the usual two cups as well as two caffeinated sugar-free sodas.

[LBGSHI]

I forgot to mention that I took one or two days off of it a week during that 5 month period- and i actually meant to say now I take 50 mg with little breathing problems every other day and i would like total 100 mg every other day, but have noticed more trouble breathing when i do this.

The only change I can think of before the breathing problems began was my trying to cut out a lot of the wheat i had been eating-- though i mostly cheated on the weekends. I looked at my amazon history for right before I started having the trouble, and realized i would have just received this down comforter, however I've had about 3 different down comforters and have never had an issue (though all of them were from reputable stores). Since we had been painting rooms with latex paint and spray painting some furniture, I thought it might be that but we just painted a room last weekend and I had no trouble. I think the Modafinil and stress is to blame because after i stopped taking it, the problems breathing subsided

Yesterday I took 50 mg in the morning after eating and was fine. However, today I haven't taken any and am having some problems breathing which i think is due to excess caffeine. I usually have 2 cups of coffee in the morning, but today I had the usual two cups as well as two caffeinated sugar-free sodas.

Yeah, caffeine is strange, in that it reduces breathing difficulties in physiological cases, but increases them in psychological cases (via increased potential for anxiety). A clear indicator, in any case, of your susceptibility to anxiety via stimulants.

[Lolofatty]

I'm off of it now completely because even 25-50 mg every other day without caffeine was causing more breathing problems. Now, I'm staring to wonder if i had/have serotonin syndrome? towards the end of my modafinil period I started having major problems concentrating and terrible brain fog- i am still having those problems now.

other things i've noticed possibly causing shortness of breath( depending on dose):
- piracetam
- ALCAR (possibly)
- Schizandra Berries, Rhodiola Rosea, Siberian Eleuthro (added to stack all in the same day so not sure which one)
- caffeine

I'm transitioning off of Zoloft because I'm done with the sexual side effects and am concerned about how it effects my weight. I'm reducing it by 12.5mg every week and increasing 5-HTP by 12.5 mg at the same time.