Fatigue is a major problem in the military environment. It can be caused by sleep deprivation, shift work schedules, circadian disruption, anxiety, fear, and other factors.
Medications that promote wakefulness can mitigate combat fatigue and improve performance. Amphetamine and caffeine have long been used as alertness-enhancing psychostimulants. Modalert 200mg Tablet, also known as Provigil, has been shown to have similar effects.
Amphetamine
Amphetamine is a stimulant drug that speeds up messages between the brain and body. It’s prescribed by doctors to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.
It’s also sold illegally in the form of methamphetamine and “ice” (crystal meth). Amphetamine can be dangerous if used long-term or at high doses. It can cause serious heart problems, and it can increase the risk of seizures.
People with certain conditions may need to take lower doses or have special instructions from their doctor.
Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart disease, liver or kidney disease, depression, or mental illness, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Amphetamine can pass into breast milk and harm a nursing baby. Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Keep out of the reach of children.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that boosts the central nervous system, helping you stay awake and staving off feelings of tiredness. It is a member of the methylxanthine class and is found in coffee, tea, chocolate (sweet, dark, and unsweetened), many colas, some candies, energy drinks, and some medicines.
Caffeine has several effects, but the most noticeable is that it helps you feel less tired. It does this by blocking the adenosine neurotransmitter, which usually causes you to feel sleepy. Modafinil Australia The alternative medicine is, can be used in the absence of Modalert 200.
It also interacts with adenosine to stimulate the brain and improve alertness, so you are more likely to stay awake. Caffeine is a very common ingredient in over-the-counter and prescription drugs used to treat drowsiness and fatigue. However, regular consumption of caffeine can lead to tolerance and dependence.
Dopamine
Dopamine is the brain chemical that shapes motivation, memory, and more. While it has earned the nickname “pleasure molecule,” most neuroscientists agree that dopamine doesn’t represent pleasure directly. Instead, it acts as an indirect messenger, widening blood vessels and reducing white blood cell activity.
Dopamine also has a direct role in promoting wakefulness. In fruit flies, dopamine and the insect functional homolog of noradrenaline (octopamine) act on clock neurons, the large ventrolateral neurons (l-LNvs), to promote arousal and inhibit sleep.
In addition, LNvs are innervated by dopaminergic neurons, and a mutation that reduces their ability to transport released dopamine into the dopaminergic cells results in hyperactive, sleepless flies.
A recent study found that one night of sleep deprivation increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. However, this increase does not prevent the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation.
The researchers speculate that the rise in dopamine reflects an adaptation to compensate for loss of sleep, similar to how drugs that increase dopamine promote wakefulness.
GABA
Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain and nervous system. It works to decrease neuron activity by blocking or preventing chemical messages that would otherwise be sent between nerve cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
It acts in opposition to glutamate, which is the main excitatory neurotransmitter, increasing messages between nerve cells.
GABA has a natural calming effect and may help reduce feelings of anxiety and fear by decreasing neuronal excitability. It’s also known to promote sleep and improve mood during premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.
You can increase GABA in your body by eating foods rich in the amino acids glutamic acid and inositol. Good sources of glutamic acid include meats, dairy products and select high-protein vegetable foods.
You can also find GABA supplements in the form of capsules or tablets. Before you begin taking a new supplement, talk to your primary healthcare provider or other healthcare professional to discuss how it might interact with any medications you’re taking.
