I’ve not seen anyone taboo mental stimulant drugs, the closest I’ve seen to that is (1) people don’t like things associated with treating mental illnesses and (2) that it’s hard to tell the difference between real medicine and quackery.

Outside those two categories, caffeine is one of the most used mental stimulants in the world, and sold in forms emphasising this use.

You can't buy or request modafinil for performance enhancement, even with doctor supervision, despite known side effects being very benign.

I can say that about a very large number of substances with no mental stimulation effect — There’s a reason pharmacology is a degree all by itself, but that’s still not “$category is taboo”.

I don't get your argument ? What would be the benefit of giving such drugs in comparison to risks and how does that relate to modafinil ?

Walk in to your doctors office and ask getting modafinil prescribed for improved work performance. What's the argument against it ? The ones I've heard are about them being there to treat conditions, etc. and giving stuff like this to boost performance of healthy individuals is very much a taboo.

A quick search for modafinil contraindications tells me it should not be taken with alcohol and it makes certain kinds of birth control less effective.

I’m not even remotely qualified to so much as read and understand medical jargon, but even I can recognise that several items on this ([0]) long list of stuff that interferes with (or is interfered by) mondafil includes both food and stuff you can get without prescription from the new-age-hippie section of a supermarket. Given the dumb things my hippie mum gave me as a teenager (and my dad without telling him [1]), all I can say is that this seems to me to be unwise to make trivially available.

Perhaps I’m wrong. After all, the fact a random person like me can’t read and interpret the warnings like a professional would is as much a limit on how seriously to take my concern as it is a reason to be concerned.

[0] https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/modafinil-index.html

[1] at the very least Bach flower “remedies”, which would probably be harmless except for all the alcohol. She thought she was doing all of us a favour.

> Unfortunately mental performance boosting seems taboo (eg. Modafinil) almost like steroids.

Well both have effects only as long as you keep taking them. If i recall correctly there's a whole lot of mind altering substances that are illegal because of that...

But it's not like you have reduced mental capacity once you stop taking it (after you get some sleep) or I haven't seen any evidence of it. It's also not addictive. And available as a cheap generic drug. So what would be the problem ?

It's addictive as in you'll miss the effects and you'll continue taking it. Doesn't seem safe.

Did this happen to you ? Because frankly that hasn't been my experience at all. I've probably went through 40 pills in 5 years and it was always a great way to get through crunch time, prep for big days, wave off bad sleep days, etc. But I never felt the need to use it day-to-day - it would probably mess with my sleep and I would likely develop a tolerance.

For me - there is no effect other than not feeling tired and being able to focus really well. It's not even feeling rested because physical aspects of fatigue still kick in (eg. back pain from sitting long, eye strain, etc.)

Caffeine is probably worse because I get hard withdrawals symptoms after I get off (light migraines first couple of days and generally tired) - I don't really notice anything different after taking modafinil and getting proper rest.

> 40 pills in 5 years

But how would you do if you took one every day?

Sounds less addictive than caffeine.