The study, presented by Dr. Thomas L. Schwartz and Dr. Susan M. Chlebowski of the State University of New York in Syracuse, reviewed 98 fibromyalgia patients who were being treated with modafinil. Their dosages ranged from 200 to 400 mg./day. On average, two-thirds of the patients experienced a 50 percent reduction in fatigue levels. One-third reported no benefit from the modafinil treatment.
Modafinil, originally developed and approved for the treatment of narcolepsy, also has FDA approval for treating shift work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea. In addition to being used off-label to treat fibromyalgia fatigue, it is also sometimes used in the treatment of other problems, including: Alzheimer's disease, depression, attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), myotonic dystrophy, multiple sclerosis-induced fatigue, post-anesthesia grogginess, cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, spasticity associated with cerebral palsy, age-related memory decline, idiopathic hypersomnia, jet-lag, and everyday cat-napping.
Source: Medscape, May, 2006
