
Top Online Pharmacies to Buy Modafinil in the USA with Fast Shipping (2025)
What Is Modafinil? Is It Safe?
Modafinil is a drug widely known for its ability to enhance focus, energy, and wakefulness. While it was initially developed to treat sleep disorders like narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it has since gained huge popularity as a cognitive enhancer or 'smart drug.' Many healthy individuals from all walks of life use it to tackle demanding work schedules, study sessions, or projects that require prolonged focus [1].
One of the reasons modafinil stands out is its excellent safety profile. Compared to other stimulants, it offers similar benefits but with fewer side effects and a lower risk of addiction. As a result of this feature, researchers at Oxford and Harvard Universities termed it the world's first safe nootropic [2].
Is Modafinil Legal in the USA?
Yes, modafinil is legal in the USA and approved for the treatment of OSA, narcolepsy, and SWSD, but it is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance. This means it can be purchased from a walk-in pharmacy and taken for personal use. The classification reflects that it has a low potential for abuse and dependence compared to other controlled substances, making it safer than many alternatives [3].
Do You Need a Prescription to Buy Modafinil?
In the USA, you generally need a prescription to buy modafinil legally. This is because modafinil is a prescription-only medication regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [4]. Licensed doctors usually prescribe it for medical conditions such as narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. However, some online vendors take advantage of legal gray areas, making the drug accessible to people who may not want or are unable to go through the traditional healthcare route.
It's worth noting that this route can be risky, as not all online vendors offer genuine products or adhere to safety standards. That said, if you're looking to buy modafinil online in the US, it's best to consult a doctor and obtain it from reputable vendors. This ensures you'll receive quality medication that is safe and effective.
Can You Order Modafinil in the USA with the Next Day Delivery?
Yes, it is possible to order modafinil in the USA with the next-day delivery, but only through certain online pharmacies. The best vendors offering fast shipping on modafinil typically operate internationally but have distribution hubs in the USA. This allows them to process orders efficiently and ensure speedy delivery.
While the concept of "next-day delivery" sounds ideal, factors like holidays, weather conditions, or order processing times can sometimes cause slight delays. However, reputable vendors usually inform their customers about shipping times upfront to manage expectations.
TOP-5 Online Vendors of Modafinil with Fast Delivery in the USA
When looking for reliable vendors to buy modafinil with fast shipping, it's important to select pharmacies that sell quality products and prioritize customer service and quick delivery times. Below are the best online vendors you can bank on to deliver high-quality 'smart drugs' in record time:
ModafinilUSA
If you're searching for a vendor focused on US-based customers, ModafinilUSA.com is a great choice. Widely considered the best place to buy modafinil online, it sources its medications directly from the manufacturers. This means better prices for customers and guaranteed genuine products.
While it typically fulfills international orders within 7-12 working days, orders sent via its US domestic shipping option typically arrive overnight. The pharmacy provides free shipping on orders worth $170 or more. It usually dispatches parcels within 2 hours of receiving the order and provides a tracking number, allowing buyers to track their package until it reaches their doorstep.
The pharmacy accepts multiple payment methods, including Bitcoin (for which it offers a 20% discount), all major credit cards, PayPal, and eCheck. For people looking to buy modafinil or other nootropics it has up for sale for the first time, who are unsure which brand will work for them, ModafinilUSA.com offers free trial samples.
BuyModafinilOnline
BuyModafinilOnline.com is a trustworthy online store that offers modafinil and a wide range of other "smart drugs" up for sale at highly competitive prices. It obtains its products directly from reputable drug manufacturers in India, which enables it to maintain high-quality standards while keeping prices affordable for customers.
The pharmacy provides domestic deliveries to the USA, the UK, and certain other countries. While this option has a waiting period of 3-4 working days, overnight or next-day deliveries are possible. It also caters to international audiences, shipping via Express Mail Service, which has a waiting period of 7-12 working days for orders from the UK, Australia, and the US, and 14-30 days to other parts of the world.
BuyModafinilOnline offers a 100% money-back guarantee. This means that if a buyer's parcel is damaged or goes missing during transit, the pharmacy will either refund the full amount or send a replacement package at no extra cost. This commitment to customer satisfaction, combined with its reliable shipping and competitive pricing, has made it a popular choice among modafinil buyers worldwide.
BuyGenerics
BuyGenerics.com is a well-known online pharmacy where you can get modafinil with fast shipping without a prescription. People buying from the US can expect to receive their orders fast with an option for overnight shipping. For those outside the US, like in the UK or Australia, the waiting period typically ranges from 7-12 business days.
BuyGenerics offers various payment options to accommodate different preferences. Shoppers can pay with Bitcoin, which is great for those who like to use cryptocurrency, or they can use more traditional methods like PayPal, credit cards (American Express, MasterCard, Visa), or even Zelle. This flexibility ensures that customers can purchase their 'smart drugs' in a way that's most convenient for them.
Brief Info About Modafinil
Modafinil is a popular cognitive enhancer available in tablet form. It's typically small, oval-shaped, and comes in shades of white or off-white. The tablets are easy to swallow and usually have a scored line in the middle, allowing them to be split into smaller doses if needed. However, it's worth noting that some generic versions may vary slightly. For example, while tablets are the standard form, some manufacturers offer the drug in sublingual form or smaller, circular tablets for those who have difficulty swallowing, and in powdered form for those who prefer to mix it into drinks [5].
Modafinil Mechanism of Action
Traditional stimulants often flood the brain with chemicals, which lead to rapid highs and subsequent crashes. Modafinil, on the other hand, works more subtly. It enhances brain function without overstimulating it, which is why most users don't experience the severe side effects or dependency issues commonly associated with stimulants. But how does it do this? It alters the levels of dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and certain other neurotransmitters in the brain by regulating their absorption and reabsorption. Since these chemicals influence cognitive function, by tweaking their levels, modafinil improves wakefulness, elevates mood, and increases alertness.
Modafinil Correct Dosage
The standard dose of modafinil for most adults is 200 mg, taken once daily. This dose is commonly used because it provides an optimal balance between effectiveness and duration of action. However, for beginners or those with sensitivity to the drug, the lower 100 mg or 150 mg doses are ideal starting points.
For individuals with sleep disorders like narcolepsy or OSA, doctors recommend taking the pill early in the morning. This is because the drug's wakefulness-promoting effects can interfere with nighttime sleep if taken later in the day. For SWSD or off-label uses such as cognitive enhancement, the tablet is to be taken about one hour before the start of a work shift or study session. It's advisable to avoid exceeding 400 mg per day, as this increases the risk of side effects without added benefits. Always follow medical advice before starting modafinil or any medication.
Benefits of Modafinil
Modafinil is widely praised for its ability to boost productivity and mental performance. One of the key advantages is its long-lasting effect, providing up to 12 hours of enhanced wakefulness and mental clarity without causing the sudden energy crash typical of caffeine and several other cognitive enhancers. What's more, the drug has a low risk of addiction compared to traditional stimulants, making it a safer option for individuals seeking enhanced performance. This is not to mention it has relatively few side effects and is very well-tolerated.
Many users report improved focus, memory, and productivity without experiencing any side effects. However, it's worth noting that responses can vary from individual to individual. It's advisable to monitor your body's reaction when starting any new medication.
Modafinil Possible Side Effects and Risks
While modafinil is generally well-tolerated, like any medication, it comes with potential negative effects. Few users report experiencing mild and short-lived issues such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, or dry mouth. These symptoms typically occur when starting the medication and usually subside as the body adjusts to it.
On rare occasions, more severe reactions can occur, such as allergic skin rashes (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome), agitation, or hallucinations. Luckily, these types of adverse effects are mostly caused by using modafinil incorrectly or abusing it. Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly heart problems or high blood pressure, should exercise caution, as modafinil may cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
It's worth noting that although modafinil poses fewer addiction risks compared to traditional stimulants, misuse or overuse can still lead to dependency or disrupted sleep patterns. Always stick to the recommended dose and consult a healthcare provider to discuss risks before using.
In Closing: So, Where to Buy Modafinil Online in the USA?
There are many places to buy modafinil over the counter (OTC) in the US, but the quality of the medication isn't always guaranteed. To ensure you get high-quality modafinil or another 'smart drug' that is effective and safe, it's important to shop from trustworthy online pharmacies.
Legit vendors typically provide detailed product descriptions, offer secure payment options, and have positive reviews from verified buyers on third-party platforms like Trustpilot and Yotpo. ModafinilXL, BuyGenerics, and Afinil.com are among the best modafinil vendors in the USA, with a proven track record of delivering genuine pills quickly and at affordable prices. If you're looking to buy modafinil with fast shipping, these pharmacies are reliable choices.
References
Modafinil. Retrieved: January 20, 2025. Wikipedia.org. Narcolepsy medication modafinil is world's first safe 'smart drug.' Retrieved: January 20, 2025. By Helen Thomson. Theguardian.com. Modafinil. By Karl Greenblatt and Ninos Adams. Retrieved: January 20, 2025. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Modafinil (oral route). Retrieved: January 20, 2025. Mayoclinic.org. Modafinil Pill Images. What does Modafinil look like? Retrieved: January 20, 2025. Drugs.com.
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Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
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Can you overcome an allergy?
ALLERGIES Are on the rise. Every year more people clog up in springtime or succumb to itchy eyes in the presence of pets. In America the share of children with food allergies rose from 3.4% in 1997 to 5.8% in 2021, and there were similar increases elsewhere. But treatments allowing people to manage their allergies—even the most dangerous ones—are becoming increasingly effective, accessible and safe. Allergies arise when the immune system gets confused. Normally tasked with protecting the body from pathogens, in people with allergies it also reacts to harmless irritants, or allergens. In overactive immune systems, proteins responsible for recognising dangerous invading parasites, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, start to become sensitive to allergens, too. This can cause them to raise the alarm each time they come into contact with the allergen, which prompts the body to produce a signalling chemical known as histamine. When the body is under threat from a parasite, histamine can help expel it by producing mucus and provoking coughing. But for people with allergies, the response can go overboard, causing allergic symptoms such as wheezing and hives. In the worst case, histamine can provoke a whole-body reaction known as anaphylactic shock, which can block the airways and cause suffocation. Desensitisation is possible. A family of treatments known as immunotherapies work by repeatedly exposing the body to tiny and gradually increasing amounts of allergen. For common allergens, such as pollen and dust mites, immunotherapy—in the form of drops, shots or tablets—is now common, and highly effective for most people. Progress has been slower for food allergies, in part because they carry a higher risk of anaphylaxis. The outlook has started to brighten. In 2020 America's Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral immunotherapy for children with peanut allergy, a powder containing peanut protein. Children who take the powder with food react less, but the increased dosage must be given under medical supervision to avoid reactions and children should still follow a strict peanut-free diet. Options that could allow patients to increase their tolerance more safely are on their way. Companies are developing immunotherapies based on small fragments of allergen proteins called peptides. These seem to increase tolerance to the allergens without setting off harmful immune reactions. Another avenue is blocking IgE antibodies. In a trial in 2024, 79 of 118 people with allergies to several foods were able to ingest 600mg of their allergens after taking a monoclonal antibody called omalizumab for 16 to 20 weeks, compared with only five of the 59 participants in the control group. As patients must keep taking omalizumab to feel its effects, some researchers hope to prescribe it to patients while building their tolerance through regular or peptide immunotherapy. The burst of innovation is particularly good news for allergic adults. Because the immune system becomes less flexible with age, adults are harder to treat than children and are often excluded from immunotherapy trials. This, too, is changing. The omalizumab trial from 2024 included a small number of adults, and in April an adult-only trial showed that standard oral immunotherapy, done carefully over months, could build patients up to a dose of four daily peanuts. Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.


Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans
Hundreds of thousands of veterans with PTSD have been prescribed simultaneous doses of powerful psychiatric drugs. The practice, known as 'polypharmacy,' can tranquilize patients to the point of numbness, cause weight gain and increase suicidal thoughts when it involves pharmaceuticals that target the central nervous system, according to scientific studies and veterans' accounts. The VA's own guidelines say no data support drug combinations to treat PTSD. The Food and Drug Administration warns that combining certain medications such as opioids and benzodiazepines can cause serious side effects, including death. Nonetheless, prescribing cocktails of such drugs is one of the VA's most common treatments for veterans with PTSD, and the number of veterans on multiple psychiatric drugs is a growing concern at the agency, according to interviews with more than 50 veterans, VA health practitioners, researchers and former officials, and a review of VA medical records and studies. Polypharmacy has multiple definitions when it comes to central nervous system drugs. The VA defines it as taking five or more medications at the same time, while some medical researchers say it's two or more and the American Geriatrics Society defines it as three or more. There is an emerging medical consensus among VA doctors and researchers that taking multiple central nervous system drugs can wreak havoc on patients. Interactions between such drugs aren't well understood, and their effects in combination can be unpredictable and extreme. The VA maintains that the best treatment for PTSD is talk therapy. But therapists are scarce and wait times are long, so overwhelmed doctors default to pills. Because there is no single drug designed specifically to treat PTSD, veterans often end up on drug cocktails as multiple specialists try to ease a variety of symptoms and prevent harm or suicide, according to VA clinical staff, studies and veterans. 'When it comes to the challenge of polypharmacy in these populations, it's constantly chasing your tail,' said Dr. Ryan Vega, a chief healthcare innovation official at the VA until 2023, who still treats veterans. 'It is where medicine is more art than science. We have medications that treat those symptoms but are we addressing the root cause?' Nearly 60% of VA patients with PTSD were taking two or more central nervous system drugs at the same time in 2019, the latest year for which data are publicly available, according to a VA study. That works out to more than 520,000 patients, up 62% from a decade earlier, driven by a near doubling of the number of VA patients with PTSD due to more combat tours and better screening. One silver lining highlighted by the study was that the percentage of PTSD veterans on five or more CNS medications declined to 7% from 12%, largely due to internal efforts to deprescribe opioids and benzodiazepines. (Central nervous system drugs affect the brain and spinal cord; psychiatric medications are a subset of CNS drugs). The VA declined requests from The Wall Street Journal to provide more recent polypharmacy numbers for veterans in its care. The VA has long been aware of the risks of overprescribing, and has internal research since at least 2016 showing the potential harms, including increased risk of suicide. The internal polypharmacy data 'was pretty concerning,' said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, who headed the VA health system until early this year. He recalled a veteran advocate who told him about three veterans on more than five psychiatric drugs each who died by suicide, one after the other. They had been 'walking around like zombies' before they took their own lives, the advocate told him. The VA's use of psychiatric drugs has come under scrutiny from members of Congress and advocacy groups as the veteran suicide rate is roughly double that of U.S. adults who didn't serve. Studies by VA researchers link the simultaneous use of multiple psychiatric drugs to suicide risk among veterans, including a 2016 paper that found Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans taking five or more central nervous system drugs faced higher risks of overdose and suicidal behaviors. Yet the agency has been slow to mandate changes. It has failed to implement nationwide electronic systems to alert doctors when they prescribe multiple psychiatric drugs, despite evidence from its own studies that these alerts improve care. The VA doesn't uniformly require written informed consent for all psychiatric drugs with suicide risk, something that veterans groups and some members of Congress are urging. Some veterans who have resisted taking cocktails of drugs say they were warned by VA and military doctors that refusing them could jeopardize their eligibility for disability benefits, which can reach $4,500 a month. 'I've been mortified by practically every veteran I've seen having been prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, often without a timely referral to therapy or without any referral at all,' said Janie Gendron, a therapist who worked for the Defense Department and has seen hundreds of active-duty service members and veterans in the past 25 years. Scott Griffin helps his son prepare for karate class at his home in Allison Park, Pa. A VA spokesman said the agency is looking into the issues raised by the Journal, and that the Trump administration is seeking to address serious problems it has identified in veterans' healthcare that weren't solved by the Biden administration. VA Secretary Doug Collins said at a congressional hearing in May that the agency is pursuing the potential use of alternative therapies, such as psychedelics, to offer more options and reduce the risk of suicide among veterans. The rise of the combat cocktail for PTSD has its roots in the overreliance on a single class of drugs: benzodiazepines. By the 1970s, the military and VA relied heavily on Valium and, later, Xanax as a primary treatment for traumatized service members and veterans returning from deployment. But in the 1990s, Defense Department researchers observed that high doses often yielded poor clinical outcomes, and, along with the VA, ultimately advised against their long-term use on veterans in 2004. Still, against the guideline, the VA has doled out benzodiazepines to more than 1.7 million patients with PTSD diagnoses since 2005, its own data show. It took nearly a decade for the use of those drugs to start to decline. At the same time, prescriptions to veterans with PTSD rose for other powerful psychiatric drugs. VA doctors and patients say that existing tools to limit the number of psychiatric drugs a patient takes, and guidance to avoid the use of benzodiazepines and certain antipsychotics for veterans with PTSD, are frequently ignored. A friend's suicide After his best friend's suicide in 2013, Iraq war veteran Doug Gresenz was diagnosed with PTSD and borderline personality disorder and eventually put on six psychotropic drugs. After one medication's dosage was increased, he attempted suicide and was hospitalized. When he protested the volume of medications there, he said VA doctors questioned his commitment to recovery and told him he needed the pills to lead a normal life. 'I was guilt-tripped,' he said. In 2016 alone, VA doctors prescribed him more than a dozen drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, muscle relaxants and medications for nightmares, anxiety, pain and sleep, medical records show. Over little more than a decade, he received more than two dozen central nervous system medications. He recalled complaining to VA doctors that he was 'so doped up' he would have accidents before getting to the bathroom. 'I remember thinking: I'm literally poisoning myself,' he said. In 2018, he quit benzodiazepines cold turkey and began to taper off the other drugs. Within a couple of weeks, he collapsed, unable to use his legs. He developed a stutter and extreme light sensitivity. Violent spasms led to another fall, which caused complications that resulted in a severe foot injury and, eventually, an amputation last year. After quitting benzodiazepines cold turkey and tapering off other drugs, Doug Gresenz collapsed. Complications from falls led to a foot injury so severe that doctors ultimately had to amputate it. Gresenz walks back to his house with his two dogs in Aransas Pass, Texas. The VA recommends any one of three antidepressants for PTSD—sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil) and venlafaxine (Effexor). But doctors are free to prescribe other additional drugs off-label—and many do. 'It's super normal to see someone on five or six medications,' said Mary Neal Vieten, a retired Navy psychologist who has worked with thousands of members of the military and veterans. 'That's like an everyday thing.' Trauma has been medicalized, she said. 'They're acting as if the problem is in the person,' she said. Instead, it's a normal response to an overwhelming experience, she said. 'Stop-and-go' pills The culture of combat cocktails begins for some who are diagnosed with PTSD while still on active duty. In the military, too, drugs have long been given priority over psychotherapy, according to many veterans, former VA officials and therapists. One Navy chaplain said his repeated calls to the Navy for more mental health resources went unanswered despite his documentation of more than 70 critical events, including suicide attempts, at a high-stress installation with nuclear submarines. When the chaplain himself grew suicidal, Navy doctors suggested that refusing the three-medication cocktail they prescribed could lead to discharge without benefits, instead of medical retirement with care. Some veterans enter VA care dependent on psychiatric drugs that they were prescribed to improve combat readiness. They include Air Force veterans given 'stop-and-go' pills—stimulants followed by sleeping pills. Michael Valentino, who was chief pharmacist at the VA until 2021, said he grew alarmed by the rising numbers of service members entering VA care on stimulants without a diagnosis justifying it. 'Then the VA has the burden of trying to undo it.' A Pentagon official said several medications at once are sometimes necessary for patients with multiple medical problems or who are treatment-resistant, adding that 'records are reviewed to determine if the treating provider has provided clinical justification for the use of polypharmacy.' Service members and their families are offered 'a robust and comprehensive array' of mental health programs, the official said. Chemical messengers Psychiatric drugs work by affecting levels of chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters, which send signals between nerve cells and other cells in the body. For instance, many antidepressants increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood. Benzodiazepines enhance the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA, while some antipsychotics block dopamine receptors. Layering on several of these central nervous system agents at once can magnify their effects. Combining an antipsychotic drug that activates dopamine receptors with one that blocks dopamine can exacerbate psychosis, said Dr. Sanket Raut, a research fellow specializing in polypharmacy at Gallipoli Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia. By the same token, benzodiazepines and opioids taken together can increase the risk of overdose. 'Polypharmacy is a big problem,' said Raut. 'There are many side effects: cognitive impairment, dizziness and the risk of falls.' 'They give out these giant paper bags filled with medicine after your first psychiatrist appointment,' said Erika Downey, a 35-year-old retired Army sergeant with PTSD. Women are more likely to be prescribed multiple drugs concurrently against guidelines, VA researchers have found. Downey's bouts of suicidal ideation while taking antidepressants, benzodiazepines and stimulants were so bad she once called a friend to come take away her gun. After that, she decided talk therapy would be the best medicine. She weaned herself off the drugs on her own over two years. She had to wait three years for a VA psychotherapy appointment. 'At the VA, you are more quick to get into a psychiatrist'—someone who can prescribe meds—'than a psychologist,' she said. Erika Downey's bouts of suicidal ideation were so bad she once called a friend to come take away her gun. Downey hugs her daughter at home in North Carolina. Only 15% of veterans diagnosed with depression, PTSD or anxiety are offered psychotherapy in lieu of medication, according to a 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office. 'They're really leveraging the prescribing to keep up with patient demand,' said Derek Blumke of the Grunt Style Foundation, a nonprofit veterans' care group. Many VA providers' impulse is to 'get them in and get them out,' said Chris Figura, a patient advocate at a VA in St. Louis. Navy veteran Dick Johnson, in the VA system for three decades and diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder, was prescribed more than 25 different central nervous system drugs, including antipsychotics, antidepressants and epilepsy medications, sometimes on six concurrently, his medical records show. He blames them for the collapse of his two marriages. 'They pretty much destroyed my life,' Johnson said. When he worsened on one antipsychotic and experienced intense withdrawal tapering off, VA doctors tried to patch him up with a cocktail of other medicines including benzodiazepines. In 2006, he started a prolonged dose of Seroquel, a powerful antipsychotic, to get off benzodiazepines, because doctors said it was supposed to be easier to stop. His weight soared and he developed diabetes. Quitting Seroquel 'nearly killed' him, as he suffered intense vomiting, diarrhea and a near-inability to digest. He's still tapering off Paxil and Tegretol today, using a jewelry scale and sandpaper. Dr. Saraswathy Battar, a VA geriatrician, launched a passion project in 2016 to decrease the use of potentially inappropriate medications. After noticing veterans suffering from debilitating symptoms that she attributed to overprescription, she developed an electronic tool that has helped providers discontinue more than three million prescriptions. About half of VA providers are using the optional tool, she said, but they're mostly caring for older veterans or those in palliative care, while it's been hard to get mental health providers to adopt the tool. Some said they were unaware of its existence. 'Suicide and homicide get attention,' but 'there's no penalty for not prioritizing polypharmacy reduction,' she said. A path forward After years on psychiatric drug regimens prescribed by military and VA doctors, a growing number of veterans are taking healing into their own hands, often exploring unconventional treatments. Many veterans said they are frustrated and angry that the country spends heavily training them to be lethal, but there's little support for their fragile mental health as they reintegrate back into society. Scott Griffin, the former special operations soldier who contemplated suicide last year, reached out to a group called Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, or VETS, after the episode. Their suggestion: ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic derived from an African plant and illegal in the U.S., but only after tapering off his current medications. When Griffin asked his VA prescriber for help tapering, 'he point-blank refused,' Griffin said. He embarked on a grueling self-taper. 'I was white knuckling. I broke my teeth from clenching,' he recalled, battling intense vertigo and suicidality. After 12 hours of altered consciousness on ibogaine in Mexico, Griffin took 5-MeO-DMT, a psychoactive compound most famously found in Colorado River toads' poison, which he says was a profound spiritual experience. Since returning home in March, he has discarded his pills, prays daily and spends time with family, reconnecting after years of being 'consumed by panic and anxiety.' Scott Griffin, shown relaxing after work, turned to alternative medicines for relief from his PTSD symptoms. A Stanford study of 30 special operations forces veterans published last year found that ibogaine sharply reduced PTSD and related symptoms. A bipartisan bill in the House aims to fund VA research into psychedelics, which doctors caution remain largely unproven in clinical trials. Says Griffin, 'How does bark from a tree and venom off the back of a toad beat all this crap, all these pharmaceuticals they push down your throat?' Write to Shalini Ramachandran at and Betsy McKay at Scott Griffin photographs by Nate Smallwood for WSJ; black and white photographs provided by the Miller family, Lucas Hamrick, Doug Gresenz, Heather King and Erika Downey. 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans 'Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans


NDTV
15 hours ago
- NDTV
US FDA Vaccine Chief Vinay Prasad Leaves Agency 3 Months After Appointment
Washington: The Food and Drug Administration's polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad 'did not want to be a distraction' and was stepping down from his role as the FDA's top vaccine regulator 'to spend more time with his family,' a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement late Tuesday. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was ousted following several recent controversies. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Prasad did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning. FDA's drug center director, Dr. George Tidmarsh, will take over Prasad's job in an acting role, according to an agency email shared with the AP. Tidmarsh started at the FDA last week after a decades-long career as a pharmaceutical executive and adjunct professor. Prasad joined the FDA in May from the University of California San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. His contrarian approach appeared to match that of his boss FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who repeatedly praised Prasad's work and intellect. But in recent weeks Prasad became a target of right-wing activists, including Laura Loomer, who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders. 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Loomer posted on X last week. Trump previously fired several national security officials a day after Loomer raised concerns about their loyalty. Prasad also attracted scrutiny for his handling of a recent safety issue surrounding the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Under his direction, shipments of the therapy were briefly halted after a series of patient deaths, then resumed late Monday following vocal pushback from families of boys with the fatal muscle-wasting disorder. Prasad has long been skeptical of the therapy and other muscular dystrophy drugs sold by the drugmaker, Sarepta Therapeutics. As an academic, Prasad gained prominence by attacking the FDA for being too lenient in its standards for approving cancer drugs and other new therapies. That approach is at odds with Trump's Republican supporters, who generally favor speedier approvals and unfettered access to experimental treatments. During Trump's first term he signed the ' Right to Try ' law, a largely symbolic piece of legislation that won popular support from conservatives seeking to give terminal patients expanded access to unproven drugs. Prasad's decision to pause Sarepta's therapy was criticized last week by a columnist and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Separately, Prasad's division issued three rejection letters this month to small biotech firms seeking approval for new gene therapies. Those drugs have been vigorously embraced by many of the anti-abortion groups in Trump's base for their potential to address intractable diseases that sometimes lead parents to terminate pregnancies. Prasad's predecessor in at FDA, Dr. Peter Marks, oversaw a dramatic rise in approvals for new gene therapies, which aim to treat or prevent disease by replacing or modifying a portion of patients' genetic code. Prasad has been an outspoken critic of Marks' leadership at FDA, which included overseeing the approval of the first COVID vaccines and therapies.