I have been depressed now for almost 11 months and have been updating the bipolar check-in thread.

My doctor prescribed Modafinil a few days ago to try to combat the depression - this is my third day on it.

Modafinil is kind of a stimulant that's actually prescribed for people with narcolepsy (a disorder where you unexpectedly fall asleep several times during the day even though you are well rested) and people with shift work sleep disorder. But there's some research that shows Modafinil can be helpful for people with bipolar depression.

From what I've read online most people say they feel the effects of Modafinil after up to 2 hours after taking it. It's my third day on Modafinil and I frankly I don't feel any difference at all.

Some people say they get more focus the day they take it, others say they get more work done, and still others say they get a 'wired' feeling after a couple of hours.

I tried 50mg day one...nothing...150mg day two...nothing...and now back to 100mg day three...still nothing! My pdoc wants me to go with 100mg for 7 days and then go to 200mg for a month to find out how it works for me.

I was hoping for some sort of short-term effect at least. All I've got so far is an intermittent headache!

My pharmacist says that it can take a few weeks for any effect on depression. Back to the waiting game.

I hope to update this thread with my experiences.