I can say the same thing for Dextroamphetamine. And I swear by it.

Meh. I took modafinil for about 3 months (I had a legit prescription for it) and it didn't seem to do jack shit. I stayed on it for a while just because I was waiting for it to work, plus we tried a higher dose.

Also, placebos have side effects.

Not saying it doesn't have effects for some people but it's probably mainly placebo.

I appreciate your data point, but going from "it didn't work for me" to "it's probably mainly placebo" is incredibly silly. Modafinil has been studied, and it's pretty obvious that it's doing something.

Here's a quick primer (with 73 citations): https://examine.com/supplements/modafinil/

I think there are a lot of people here underestimating the awesome power of the placebo effect.

I don't think so. It's pretty easy to do an informal single-blind trial on yourself with the help of a friend, or a double-blind with a little more ingenuity. If you're worried about the placebo effect it's a good way to put yourself at ease.

Why even invoke the placebo effect (an extremely popular thing to do here)? What's unusual about a chemical actually affecting the brain?

Why invoke the placebo effect? Because it will be having an effect. The question is, once you remove that, whether there is any remaining effect that is due to the drug.

I agree with you. I'm guessing that people are instinctively incredulous because drugs with such strong psychoactive effects are typically scheduled or hard to come by.