How To Cycle Modafinil

Updated July 3, 2024 by | Reviewed by William Gallagher, MNeuroSci
(Estimated reading time: 3 minutes)

In this article I'm going to share what I have learned so far from cycling Modafinil on and off for months now, the results I achieved and my conclusions on whether it's worth doing or not.

This is not a first-time user's guide to Modafinil. I will assume you are already familiar with how it works, and the effects in general.

This article is about running Modafinil on a cycle, something you might want to try at some point if you decide to use this drug for an extended period of time.

Note: For those of you who prefer to use Modafinil as a pure stimulant on its own, I suggest that you at least stack it with caffeine (they work awesome synergistically and you get more out of your dosages).

So without further ado let's just jump straight into it, shall we?

How Long Should You Be On Modafinil For?

While I am a long-time Modafinil user and have the 'advantage' of having tried many other similar Smart Drug in the past, I've never actually tried to go all-out and run Modafinil for an extended period of time.

That is until I read on a forum on Reddit that someone ran it for 6 months straight without any negative side effects or tolerance build-up. Pretty spectacular if you ask me.

So I decided to give it a try, and run it for around 3 months and everything went great without any negative side effects.

How To Cycle Modafinil (Personal Experience)

First off, I went to get my blood work done which is a must if you're going to push the limits and experiment with smart drugs.

Everything came out fine, so I decided to proceed with creating my dosage schedule. Here's how it looked:

  • Monday through friday (50 mg Modafinil)
  • Saturday and sunday off
  • Rinse and repeat

I took my dosage around 8 am every single day with a cup of coffee. Also, both Saturday and Sunday were 'stimulant-free' off-days without any Modafinil, caffeine etc.

On Sunday I did 24-hour water fast, only consuming electrolytes and water to clear out the system and to get ready for the next day.

The next day I broke my fast with bone broth. Waited until around noon when I took 50mg of Modafinil. That's pretty much it. That's how I cycled Modafinil.

Additional Thoughts And Reflections

I think the reason why this little experiment was a success, is due to a few factors such as:

  • First off, I used a very moderate dose at 50mg. The recommended dosage for patients who get prescribed Modafinil is around 100 to 200mg (sometimes twice a day).
  • I eat a KETO diet high in fats with plenty of eggs (eggs are filled with Choline which might explain why I didn't experience any headaches etc.)
  • I eat OMAD (one meal a day) so my energy levels are stable throughout the day
  • I didn't go overboard with the dosage once I felt Modafinil working. I kept it consistently at 50mg and took days off (I followed the schedule to a tee).
  • After 3 months of running Modafinil consistently I took another 3 months completely off Modafinil

All in all, I think that a low dosage combined with a high-quality diet and healthy lifestyle means I was able to avoid the nasty pitfalls of Modafinil. So I definitely consider this little experiment a success.