I researched provigil very well when I first went on it and found very little of this information. Can you post sources? ‘m not denying that you went through something horrific with DRESS. For me, provigil has been a lifesaver and I’m not eager to stop taking it, but if it’s too risky, I will weigh the evidence. But I need to find evidence.

I know about Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Sparlon. I’m talking about the number of cardiovascular events and whether the thousands of deaths are more than you’d expect with any other drug of this class?

Anyway, if you point me in the right direction, I’ll look it up. Thanks for the heads-up.

With the grave dangers Provigil presented finally disclosed in that 2006 decision, a year later the FDA issued warnings to the the medical community and ordered Cephalon to include bold-print warnings of Provigil ‘s potential for causing various manifestations of what has been called ” Delayed Reaction Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome”. This syndrome, not to be confused with the everyday allergic reactions which most drugs are capable of causing , is an insidious one because it does not occur soon after Provigil therapy is begun but rather occurs no sooner than 2 weeks after daily use has started and usually no later than 3 months after.

The illnesses Provigil causes once they manifest themselves are invariable sudden, severe , at first inexplicable , and life-threatening if the condition is not recognized promptly . These conditions include Stevens – Johnson syndrome . TENS and other sudden severe manifestations of skin rashes whcih can, within 24 hours, become functionally identical to 3rd degree burns and as disfiguring. Less easily identified and thus far more likely to remain unattributed to Provigil , even post – mortem. is DRESS syndrome, a condition which, once it takes hold can lead to a near total shutdown of the body’s vital systems – the kidneys, the heart, the lungs the liver the intestinal system and the brain. Only heroic and immediate medical aatention in the form of total life support can forstall a rapid death. At that survival is no more than 20% after 48 hours.

I was struck down by DRESS syndrome 2 months after I began taking Provigil. While I did defy the odds in surviving the complete breakdown of my bodily systems, my survival such as it is was not one involving what I would call “luck” , other than it gives me the opportunity to warn others of this so-called ‘innocuous’ drug and to suggest that those who need to remain awake rely upon upon dextroamphetamine, a remarkably safe drug with a 75 year track record of safety.

One factor likely to lessen abuse is the outrageous price of $10/day. No generic is available in this country and the insurance companies only approve it for specific diagnoses, and will not let you exceed your monthly allowance if you are lucky enough to be covered. ( I am not) I wouldn’t know if it is available on the street. .