Sunosi vs. Modafinil: What Are Differences and Similarities?

Ordinary sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, & sleep apnea can negatively influence every aspect of your life, including your relationships, safety, thinking, school & work performance, mental health, weight, as well as the development of diabetes & heart disease. Certainly, not getting good sleep can undoubtedly hurt your quality of life.

However, some drugs have been approved to treat sleep disorder conditions. This guide explores robust sleep disorder meds — modafinil vs Sunosi. It covers their comparisons & differences, dosage guide, expected negative effects & interactions, as well as where to buy them online from the most reliable vendors. Read it to acquaint yourself with these meds before buying them. But first things first!

What Is Modafinil?

Modafinil dubbed the “smart tab” belongs to a class of nootropics that can heighten brain performance & is sold under the brand name Provigil. It is a med approved to treat sleepiness linked with narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), & obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The “smart tab” doesn’t cure these conditions — it only works as long as a user continues to take it.

Off-label, it’s used by physicians to treat other health conditions, including dementia, jet lag, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic fatigue, weight loss, Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s diseases, etc.

Undoubtedly, the “smart tab” functions by affecting some brain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, histamine, serotonin, orexin, & norepinephrine. Histamine supports individual memory, happiness, learning, & motivation as well as regulates aggression & quality of wakefulness [1]. Besides, orexin is comprehended to regulate the sleep-wake cycle [2]. Dopamine recreates a predominant role in how an individual feel pleasure, think, & plan. This neurotransmitter also aids individuals to remain motivated & focused, as well as regulates sleep & wakefulness [3]. By augmenting the levels of these chemicals, the “smart tab” rewards a lot of positive things aside from encouraging wakefulness.

Healthy individuals use it off-license as a safe & efficacious “smart tab” to heighten cognitive enhancement, where qualities such as alertness, focus, mental acuity, motivation, concentration, & attention are necessitated.

The drug also heightens the capability to study for longer (especially during exam preparations), helps increase productivity & drive, boosts mental stamina or endurance, & undoubtedly offers a more significant interest in work.

The reasons for taking the “smart tab” by healthy students are due to the fear of academic delinquency, the request to meet high work demands, & overcoming procrastination. Beyond these cognitive reasons, some individuals may also be self-medicating the “smart tab” to treat undiagnosed attention deficit issues that they are experiencing [4].

What Is Sunosi?

This med is used to ameliorate wakefulness in individuals who have too much daytime sleepiness due to particular sleep problems (obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, etc.). It functions by altering the amounts of certain substances (norepinephrine & dopamine) in the body.

Sunosi contains solriamfetol & it’s a prescription med. It doesn’t cure the cause of OSA & it is highly advised to continue therapy for OSA, such as using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), while using this med. The drug doesn’t take the place of your CPAP.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is the maker of this med & the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sunosi on March 20, 2019, & was designated a Schedule IV med by the USA Drug Enforcement Agency on June 2019 [5] [6] [7].

Compare Modafinil and Sunosi

What’s your Sunosi vs. modafinil experience after using? When it comes to how these meds foster wakefulness subjectively, their effects are undoubtedly the same. Individuals who have taken both meds can notice that Sunosi and modafinil are subtle due to the same mechanism of action to promote wakefulness with robust wake-fostering effects.

Definitely, as to how it affects certain brain neurotransmitters to promote wakefulness, their effects are very similar. Indeed, solriamfetol enhanced measures of functioning, quality of life, & work productivity in individuals with OSA & excessive daytime sleepiness [8].

How can we compare the similarity or difference between “smart tab” & Sunosi? Which is better than the other one? Here’s a comprehensive table summarizing the same:

Drug	Modafinil	Sunosi
What form does this drug come in?	oral tab	oral pill
Drug class	although it’s a wakefulness-promoting agent, modafinil is classed as a stimulant often referred to as a eugeroic med	dopamine & norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (DNRI). It’s not a stimulant but a wake-fostering agent
How to take it?	take once daily for treating sleep disorders conditions (mostly early in the morning); administered as needed for productivity & cognitive-ameliorating; effects (45 minutes to an hour for a scheduled task).	take once daily when you first wake up. Don’t take Sunosi within 9 hours before planning to sleep. Taking it too close to bedtime makes a user harder to sleep; dosage is based on the patient medical condition & response to remedy.
What is this drug used for?	foster wakefulness in people with narcolepsy, OSA, or SWSD & several other health conditions; as a cognitive augmenter.	prescribed as a general wakefulness-fostering agent due to OSA & narcolepsy.
What is it also known as?	armodafinil (Nuvigil®), modafinil (Provigil®), & generics	Solriamfetol. No generic availability
What is it good for?	mental focus; mental acuity; memory; alertness; energy; agility; motivation; cognition.	improved measures of brain functioning, quality of life, & work productivity in those experiencing OSA & excessive daytime sleepiness.
With what does it stack well?	fish oil; Choline; Bacopa; Ashwagandha; Piracetam; Phenibut; Phenylpiracetam; Noopept; L-Theanine, etc.	no interactions discovered
What strengths does this med come in?	100 mg & 200 mg tab	75 mg & 150 mg tab
What instructions should you follow?	take with or without food; mixing it with a fat meal may result in a little longer time to start functioning; it’s most suitable to avoid alcohol.	take with or without food; should not be taken within nine hours of planned bedtime.
What is the half-life of this med?	15 hours	7.1 hours
Is it efficacious?	excellent	good
Is this a controlled substance?	Yes. Schedule IV med. Can be a target for abuse.	Yes. Schedule IV med.
Is there a risk of withdrawal with this med?	no	has a very lower risk
Does this drug have the potential for misuse?	yes, prohibited by the WADA	has less abuse potential & physical dependence potential [9]
What is the typical length of treatment?	long-term treatment	long-term remedy

Furthermore, solriamfetol is a stimulant that has a low affinity for the human norepinephrine, dopamine, & serotonin transporters. It’s a dopamine & norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. The “smart tab” is a mild psychostimulant med. Negative effects of the “smart tab” & Sunosi that are similar include nausea, anxiety, headache, & insomnia.

Just like the “smart tab,” Sunosi started functioning within one hour after ingestion.

Modafinil vs Sunosi: Difference Between…

Much of the comparisons have been covered from the table above – both similarities and differences. Certainly, both meds have some limitations. Some have more abuse liability than others, but there is no direct comparison between the two products. Some have more robust wake-fostering properties than the other ones. There have been no head-to-head comparisons, so we can’t tell you how these meds differ when it comes to waking effects.

However, modafinil has a safety profile as being a cognitive augmenter with the earlier mentioned cognitive rewards. The med seems to be the only known & well-researched pharmaceutical drug that qualifies to be an outstanding cognitive augmenter. That’s the reason why many healthy individuals widely use the “smart tab” to heighten their brain function to achieve an edge & to heighten their productivity.

Let’s take a look at other differences between dosage, side effects, & interactions.

Dosages

Modafinil comes in doses of 100 mg and 200 mg, while Sunosi is available in doses of 75 & 150 mg. These meds should be taken precisely as prescribed by a physician. Follow all directions on the drug leaflet (guides or instruction). Your physician may occasionally change your dose. You may also take Sunosi & modafinil with or without food.

The Sunosi dose may be doubled after 3 days based on its efficacy & tolerability. However, it’s best to maintain a dose of 75 to 150 mg orally once a day. The 150 mg is the maximum daily dose.

Sunosi is usually taken once daily in the morning after waking up. If your physician suggests starting with a 37.5 mg dose, you’ll certainly need to split the 75 mg tab in half. This is the case with modafinil — some individuals may split the 100 mg in half as prescribed.

Depending on the purpose of the “smart tab” treatment, physicians suggest modafinil 200 mg (standard dose) be taken for OSA & narcolepsy (taken once a day in the morning), for SWSD (administered approx. 1 hour before the commencement of the work shift), & other sleep disorder conditions, certain health conditions, for cognitive augmentation or productivity tasks.

Remember that everyone is different. If you aren’t getting the optimal desired results you want with Sunosi or modafinil, talk to your physician about your dosing options. Always monitor any negative effects.

Besides, carefully follow your physician’s instructions about when to increase the dose of these meds. Ingesting more Sunosi or modafinil than prescribed (overdose) will not make it more efficacious & may result in serious negative effects.

Also, your blood pressure, as well as heart rate, must be checked often while using these meds.

Sunosi may be habit-forming, & misuse can certainly cause addiction, overdose, or even death. Like modafinil, don’t change the Sunosi dose or stop taking it without your physician’s advice.

As a “smart tab,” modafinil can be used by any individual who desires to stay awake or boost cognitive functions. Also, dosage should be taken at the right time as prescribed & dose adjustment is needed depending on your health.

Side Effects & Safety

Certainly, some “smart tab”’s negative effects can last for a few days, hours, or minutes & certainly fade away with continual use of med. Its negative effects are normally classified into regular, rare, & reactions to overdose or allergy [10].

Some of the regular negative effects include the following:

• nausea;
• insomnia;
• dizziness;
• headaches, and others.

In some rare cases, enthusiasts may experience the following:

• anxiety;
• depression;
• hallucinations.

Taking the “smart tab” may indeed induce allergic reactions like severe rashes. Also, the med is likely to induce dizziness or blurred vision. In this regard, don’t drive or operate heavy machinery after taking the “smart tab.”

On the other hand, Sunosi also induces negative effects. The most typical negative effects include the following:

• lessened appetite;
• anxiety;
• headache;
• nausea;
• issues sleeping.

These aren’t all the possible negative effects of Sunosi. Always call your physician for advice about negative effects.

Sunosi may also induce serious side effects, including heightened blood pressure & heart rate that can augment the peril of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, & death. Your physician should certainly review your blood pressure before & during the remedy with Sunosi. Dosage adjustment may be needed or stopping it if you develop high blood pressure that doesn’t go away during therapy with Sunosi. Additionally, another serious negative effect that might occur is mental (psychiatric) symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, insomnia, & agitation. Inform your physician if you develop any of these manifestations [11].

Interaction with Other Meds, Food, and Alcohol

Before using Sunosi or modafinil, tell your physician your medical history, particularly of: kidney issues, high blood pressure, heart issues (such as uneven heartbeat), mental/mood concerns (i.e., bipolar disorder, psychosis), individual or family history of substance use disorder (i.e., overuse of or addiction to meds/alcohol).

Other meds may interact with Sunosi & modafinil, including prescription as well as over-the-counter (OTC) meds, vitamins, & also herbal products. Inform your physician about all your current meds & any med you start or recently stopped using.

According to Drugs.com, Sunosi interacts with 81 meds & modafinil interacts with 436 meds [12] [13]. Some of the interactions are minor, while others are major.

Modafinil drug interactions include CYP3A4/5 & CYP2C19 substrates, MAO inhibitors, warfarin, birth control meds, CNS stimulants, and others [14]. Certainly, taking MAO inhibitors with Sunosi med may induce a serious (perhaps fatal) drug interaction. Never take any MAO inhibitors (i.e., isocarboxazid, rasagiline, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, metaxalone, etc.) during therapy with Sunosi [15]. Don’t mix Sunosi with meds that augment blood pressure or heart rate.

Mixing the “smart tab” with alcohol isn’t advised. It can augment the risk of dizziness, impaired judgment, & drowsiness, among other unprecedented negative effects. Besides, it’s not comprehended whether Sunosi interacts with booze. Nevertheless, alcohol can augment sleepiness, which solriamfetol is used to treat in individuals with certain conditions. So, consuming alcohol may indeed counteract the effects of solriamfetol in the body. If you have ever been dependent on or misused alcohol in the past, then bypass taking Sunosi.

There aren’t any specific foods that interact with Sunosi. However, mixing the “smart tab” & grapefruit/juice may augment the actions or negative effects of the “smart tab.”

Where to Buy These Drugs Online?

If pondering where you can source a “smart tab” online, we suggest that you only rely on legit, most useful, & suitable e-pharmacies that exist to provide you with quality meds sourced from authorized drugmakers. Some rogue e-pharmacies exist to only offer counterfeit meds or take away the shopper money with no delivery.

Be vigilant when shopping modafinil online. Trust and the quality of meds an e-drugstore offers are illustrated from online reviews – particularly on Trustpilot & Yotpo. BuyModafinilOnline.com (BMO), ModafinilXL.com (MXL), BuyModa.org (BM), & HighStreetPharma.com (HSP) are indeed the best “smart tab” online pharmacies helping customers to get quality modafinil generics.

Vendors such as BMO & MXL offer free “smart tab” trial samples and a wider category of generic modafinil meds. You can swiftly select the brand you need to order.

All these 4 vendors also have free parcel shipping if you pay their shipping fee. Also, in case of any failed parcel delivery, they offer another reshipment or a refund. Their order payments are flexible.

A shopper can save more by paying using crypto on BMO (23% OFF), BM (20%), HSP (15% OFF), and MXL (20% OFF). Besides, e-pharmacies such as BMO and MXL offer insanely great shopper-tailored price-lessening experiences by the use of coupons & offers. Always make sure to check if the vendor has the best savings experiences to help you save more money.

Furthermore, mentioned vendors have swift modafinil shipping times. Always check the vendor shipping details and ascertain if it can ship to your destination. Certainly, our recommended vendors have quality shopper service, cheap “smart tab” costs, outstanding payment options, best coupons & sales deals, as well as ultra-fast parcel shipping with a refund guaranteed.

Although mentioned vendors offer modafinil, they don’t offer Sunosi for sale. However, if you need this med, we suggest that you order it from Amazon or other pharmacies that stock it. The best e-pharmacies that stock Sunosi include Blinkhealth.com, Sunosi.com (its website), CVS Pharmacy, etc.

Final Thoughts: Modafinil vs Sunosi

Which is the supreme med for your desired purpose? Certainly, Sunosi is efficacious in treating sleep disorders linked with OSA & narcolepsy, but it’s not a “smart tab.” Modafinil is a powerful “smart tab” that works longer than Sunosi – approx. 13 or so hours. Both meds are FDA-certified and are safe if used as prescribed.

We recommend you use modafinil if you require a highly studied, very efficacious, & well-tolerated med that not only treats sleep disorders but also offers immense cognitive benefits. Millions of people use modafinil for various purposes. Compared to Sunosi, we conclude that the “smart tab” is indeed a powerhouse when it comes to cognitive-ameliorating effects. Sunosi is just used to foster wakefulness in adults with immoderate daytime sleepiness due to OSA or narcolepsy.

References

1. Histamine H₁ receptor on astrocytes and neurons controls distinct aspects of mouse behavior. By Anikó Kárpáti, Takeo Yoshikawa, Fumito Naganuma, et al. Published: November 11, 2019. Nature.com.
2. What Are Orexins? By Madeline Laguaite. Medically reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD, on July 08, 2021. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Webmd.com.
3. What Is Dopamine? By Hope Cristol. Medically reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD, on June 14, 2021. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Webmd.com.
4. The off-prescription use of modafinil: An online survey of perceived risks and benefits. By Rachel D. Teodorini, Nicola Rycroft, and James H. Smith-Spark. Published: February 5, 2020. Journals.plos.org.
5. Jazz Pharmaceuticals Announces U.S. FDA Approval of Sunosi™ (solriamfetol) for Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Associated with Narcolepsy or Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Published: March 20, 2019. Investor.jazzpharma.com.
6. Drug Approval Package: Sunosi. Published: April 29, 2019. Accessdata.fda.gov.
7. Placement of Solriamfetol in Schedule IV. Published: June 10, 2019. Deadiversion.usdoj.gov.
8. Effects of Solriamfetol on Quality-of-Life Measures from a 12-Week Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial. By Terri E. Weaver, Christopher L. Drake, Heike Benes, et al. Published: April 30, 2020. Atsjournals.org.
9. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (pdf). Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.
10. MODAFINIL Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Webmd.com.
11. How to Take SUNOSI. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Sunosi.com.
12. Sunosi (solriamfetol) Interactions. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Drugs.com.
13. Modafinil Interactions. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Drugs.com.
14. Provigil® (modafinil) Tablets (pdf). Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Accessdata.fda.gov.
15. Sunosi 150 Mg Tablet Narcolepsy Therapy-Dopamine And Norepinephrine Reuptake Inh. – Uses, Side Effects, and More. Retrieved: February 28, 2022. Webmd.com.