Weed and Modafinil (+A guide to how it works)

In this article, it will be discussed how a person may use the combination of weed and Modafinil and what effects are expected of this combination.

For that, the article will show what weed can cause in a person, and how its constant use can come to impair a person cognitively, aside from that, it will show what are the regular uses of Modafinil, and finally how they work together.

Weed

Weed is the most used illicit drug in the world, its use, nowadays, has become legal in many different countries, and people tend to think of it as a natural drug, one that people hardly get depended on, so although it is still illegal in most countries, weed is followed by an idea that it a safe drug.

Weed can be used in many forms, it can be smoked when rolled in a cigarette-like form or via a pipe, it can be made a tea of it, people might also smoke its oil or use electronic vaporizes for it.

Weed is composed of more than 500 chemicals, but the main components of weed are CBD (Cannabidiol) whose effects can be related to a decrease in pain and inflammation levels, and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) that produces the euphoric feeling that comes when a person smokes weed.

A regular person might feel these effects when smoking weed:

  • Alteration in sensations
  • Mood swings
  • Lose track of time
  • Problems with body motor coordination
  • Increase of appetite
  • The trouble with memory and problem-solving thinking

But it isn’t like that to everyone, not all people will feel its effect only upon use. Research has shown that one in every 12 weed users can become dependent on the drug, being that there are several consequences to the constant use of Weed. Its prolonged use can cause a person to develop severe impairment in the brain, along with respiratory problems, memory difficulties, problems focusing, and having the motivation to do things.

Besides that, the constant use of weed can be related to lower self-esteem, problems with employment, and negative changes in interpersonal relationships.

With all that said, it is important to understand that there aren’t a lot of effective ways to treat a weed addiction, most of it is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy. So it is of great importance to develop a line of treatment specifically for cannabis-related disorders, be it the addiction to it or the abuse of it.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Modafinil

Modafinil is a prescription drug, its use is recommended for people with:

  • Anxiety disorder/Hyperactivity disorder
  • Narcolepsy
  • Sleep apnea
  • Shift worker disorder

The effect of Modafinil in a person’s brain is still being studied, but it is thought that its use can first influence noradrenaline and dopamine transporter inhibition. It also affects serotonin, histamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and glutamates.

Its action on orexin results in an increased hypothalamic release of histamine and one of the consequences of that is a heightened sense of weakness.

It has become quite popular among people even though its original use wasn’t about this since it is thought to be a cognitive enhancer drug, meaning that the use of it will help a person focus, and get better concentration and attention.

According to the study, its use can also help a person improve their decision-making process and with planning, and since it helps a person’s focus, it might help a person keep their attention in a longer project easier.

There is an ample range of side effects to the use of Modafinil, some may cause a person to need medical attention, while others the body may adjust with time. the side effects can be:

  • Upper respiratory tract infection
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Agitation
  • Unusual bleeding and bruising
  • Nervousness
  • Memory problems
  • Headache
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Blurred vision

What are the benefits of using weed and Modafinil together?

There have been studies that try to observe the effects of the combined use of weed and cognitive-enhancing medications, such as Modafinil.

In them it was possible to understand that the combined use of weed and Modafinil can have a large range of benefits, they can improve the action of Modafinil and also reduce its side effects.

The main benefits of its combined use are:

Balance of creativity and productivity

Weed can be a drug, to some people, that can give them a great creativity flow, although while using weed the person usually has little initiative on doing anything about their creative thoughts. The use of Modafinil can help a person to focus better, enhancing their productivity.

Impacts on Parkison’s disease

Since they act on the body’s coordination and in a person’s activity, it can be beneficial to take both together.

Better sleep pattern

Insomnia is a great side effect of Modafinil, if a person uses weed close to its bedtime, it can help a person relax and sleep better and faster.

Improve concentration

If a person uses weed and Modafinil together, they can improve their attention span and feel their concentration improve.

Increases the appetite

When someone takes Modafinil alone, it can have, as a side effect, the loss of appetite, when combined with weed, a person’s appetite pattern can go back to how it normally was.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ): What do the combinations of weed and Modafinil do?

Can the combination of Modafinil and weed cause anxiety and/or depression?

Yes, the use of both substances can cause a person to develop symptoms of anxiety, depending on how much the person uses it. Using Modafinil, a stimulant can make you more agitated, with a rapid thought line, and that, in an unhealthy intensity can be a symptom of anxiety. With the use of weed, it is also possible to develop symptoms of anxiety as well. 

They might appear because once a person uses a type of weed that is reached in THC, their brain will receive a greater amount of cannabinoids than it is used to, those can overestimate an area of the brain called the amygdala, which can cause a person to feel fear and anxiety.

Those are their spare effects, but some people might experiment with the combination of both substances in their brain, causing a higher sense of anxiety. If that use becomes frequent, and the symptoms of anxiety continue to increase, it might be that the person develops depression.

How can I reduce the anxiety from the use of Modafinil?

When a person develops anxiety due to the use of Modafinil, the first important thing to think about is the dosage of medication this person is using. Talk to a professional and discuss if there is a need to adjust it. 

Aside from that, a person can bring to their life a habit to do meditation or breathing exercises. Those will help your nervous system establish itself, reducing your anxiety.

If I don’t smoke weed, how can I cancel the effect of Modafinil so I can sleep better?

First, you can adjust the time you take the medicine so its time of action doesn’t happen close to your bedtime. Besides that, you can drink a lot of water a few hours before your bedtime so you can eliminate the remains of the medication from your system.  A person can also use Melatonin, since it is a natural hormone, it is a natural way of helping you get sleepy.

Can there be a downside to the combination?

Although there might be many benefits to the combined use of Modafinil and weed, there might be downsides to it. Although this is not scientific information, those are the most common side effects said to be related to it.

Dry mouth or dehydration

People that use Modafinil usually complain of dehydration symptoms, something that is also a common side effect of using weed. Thinking of that, when using both it might be important to take care of your water intake.

Increased anxiety

Studies have shown that the use of weed can cause a person to develop symptoms of anxiety, and while it is not always that taking Modafinil will make you anxious because it is a medicine that can make you more agitated, the use of both of them can cause a person to become anxious.

Unwanted long-lasting effects.

Both substances can have an impact on a person’s organism for hours. While the effect of Modafinil can last something between 12 and 15 hours, the THC contained in the weed can have an effect on a person’s organism from a day up to a week.

Since they have different functions, one is a central nervous stimulant (Modafinil), the other is a central nervous agent (weed), the use of both can help one mask the effects of the other. Which can cause a person to use a higher dose of them to try and achieve a certain level of awareness or relaxation.

Can the use of weed and Modafinil cause brain damage?

To answer this question it is important to know that any drug that alerts our brain function, there is a risk of brain damage. What can help a person know the risk and extent of the damage they might be exposing themselves to is by looking for professional help.

Although weed might not be legal in every country, a doctor might know a lot about the effects the intense use can have on your brain, the same can be said about the use of Modafinil. Talking to a specialist will give you a notion of how much can be a healthy use for you and what might cause problems to your health.

Conclusion

This article explained what are the consequences of a person’s addiction to weed, and what are the effects it might have on their body. Aside from that, the article shows what the medication Modafinil is, why it is used in its regular form and how the combination of it with weed can be beneficial to people using it.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.

Reference

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Stephens RS, Babor TF, Kadden R, Miller M, MTP Research Group The Marijuana Treatment Project: Rationale, design, and participant characteristics. Addiction. 2002;97:109–124.

Sofuoglu M, Sugarman DE, Carroll KM. Cognitive function as an emerging treatment target for marijuana addiction. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010;18:109–19.

Sugarman DE, Poling J, Sofuoglu M. The safety of modafinil in combination with oral  Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol in humans. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2011 Mar; 98(1):94-100.

Kedzior KK, Laeber LT. A positive association between anxiety disorders and cannabis use or cannabis use disorder in the general population-a meta-analysis of 31 studies. BMC Psychiatry. 2014; 14:136.

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