Adrafinil

The Medicine Adrafinil was launched in 1985 by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon. The drug treats narcolepsy and sleep disorders associated with narcolepsy.

What is Adrafinil?

The preparation Adrafinil belongs to the group of psychostimulating substances that have a stimulating effect on the organism. In terms of effect, it is similar to morphine-like substances, but Adrafinil differs significantly from this group of active substances in terms of its molecular structure.

The preparation is a prodrug. These are substances that have only a minor pharmacological effect. The active ingredient Modafinil, which is the main metabolite in Adrafinil, is only released during metabolism. Therefore, both preparations are identical in terms of their effects on the human organism.

The big difference is that Adrafinil only takes effect after a certain time lag. The preparation was developed by the US pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Cephalon. Because Adrafinil, like Modafinil, has a performance-enhancing effect, it is considered a prohibited doping substance.

Pharmacological effect

The mechanism by which Adrafinil affects the body and its organs is not yet fully understood. In some studies, however, it was found that after administration of Adrafinil, the concentration of various neurotransmitters such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine increased significantly. It is assumed that the active part of adranfinil, i.e. Modafinil, stimulates the transmission of chemical or electrical excitations in the nerve cells.

A possible explanation for this effect has been found in various tests with the organism of a mouse: Here it was found that after administration of Adrafinil there is an increased release of histamine in the central nervous system. Histamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in a wide variety of organisms. In other mammals and in humans, histamine plays an important role in allergic reactions and in the immune system.

Here, histamine is one of those messenger substances that cause the tissue to swell when there is inflammation. Histamine also plays an important role in the central nervous system. It is particularly important here when it comes to controlling appetite and controlling the sleep-wake cycle. Histamine is formed from the amino acid histidine during metabolism and is then mainly stored in nerve cells.

Medical application & use

Adrafinil is only used to treat sleep disorders. The most common is the treatment of narcolepsy and the symptoms associated with narcolepsy. This sleep disorder, which is also popularly known as sleeping sickness, is based on a disruption of the sleep-wake rhythm.

The causes of narcolepsy, which is estimated to affect around 40,000 people in Germany, are still largely unknown. Typical symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness, an almost complete inability to move during sleep (sleep paralysis), emotion-related and brief loss of muscle tension and hallucinations in the hypnagogic state. Further symptoms include disturbed night sleep with many and sometimes long interruptions as well as concentration and memory disorders.

The last-mentioned symptoms, however, are more a result of daytime sleepiness. Diagnosing narcolepsy is difficult in that the symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. In addition, numerous narcolepsy patients also suffer from other impairments, such as sleep-related breathing disorders or restless legs syndrome. Although this is actually a neurological disease, it is classified as sleep-related movement disorders. Adrafinil is mainly given to narcolepsy patients to suppress the symptoms of daytime sleepiness. The other symptoms are partially treated with antidepressants.

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Risks & side effects

Adrafinil must not be administered to certain pre-existing conditions such as addictions or dysfunction of the liver and kidneys. The reason: side effects such as hepatotoxicity or the DRESS syndrome can occur.

This is a serious reaction of the immune system to the active ingredient, in which various organs such as the liver, kidneys or lungs can be attacked. If side effects occur, they are often indicated by allergic reactions of the skin. The skin diseases Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Lyell syndrome will also be listed under the side effects of Adrafinil.