Adrafinil

weak data

Also seen as: Olmifon, CRL-40028, CRL 40028, adra

The Dose Guy’s verdict

Sep 1, 2026
4 sources

Adrafinil works. It converts to modafinil in your liver, and modafinil is a well-studied wakefulness drug. The catch is the conversion itself: you are paying a liver-enzyme tax to arrive at a molecule you could take directly. If you can get a modafinil prescription, take modafinil. If you cannot, adrafinil gets you there with extra steps and extra wear on the organ doing the work. Use it intermittently, not as a daily driver, and check your liver enzymes if you keep reaching for it.

Would I take it?Get modafinil if you can.

What it is

A prodrug of modafinil, meaning your liver does the activation. Adrafinil was discovered in France in 1974 and briefly prescribed for narcolepsy before modafinil itself entered the market and made the prodrug redundant. The reason it persists is regulatory: modafinil requires a prescription in most countries, while adrafinil remains unscheduled and available as a supplement or research chemical. Same destination, different ticket counter, with your liver running the conversion.

The mechanism, once conversion happens, is modafinil’s: a wakefulness promoter that avoids the jittery edge of classical stimulants. The extra hepatic step means slower onset and variable conversion efficiency between people. The original Olmifon prescribing label flagged liver-enzyme elevation with repeated use, and the community treats this as settled: periodic dosing, not daily. No controlled study has quantified the effect, but the precaution is older than most of the people taking adrafinil.

What the research shows

The evidence base for adrafinil is mostly indirect: modafinil has decades of human trials, while adrafinil itself has animal data, a few human reports, and no controlled human efficacy trial:

Adrafinil was identified in 1974 and prescribed to narcoleptic patients in 1977 and 1978, with inconsistent results. Modafinil was subsequently identified as its active metabolite.Sleep 2018 · historical review

In 36 aged beagles randomized among three active treatments for 33 days, adrafinil 20 mg/kg daily significantly increased locomotion in every open-field test.Am J Vet Res 2000 · animal · n=36

In 18 aged beagles, adrafinil 20 mg/kg significantly impaired working memory by increasing errors across eight delayed nonmatching-to-position test sessions. The same dose and species as the locomotion finding above, opposite direction.Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003 · crossover · n=18

In ten rhesus monkeys, repeated oral adrafinil at 60 mg/kg doubled nocturnal activity, while 90 and 120 mg/kg increased it fourfold.1985 · rhesus · n=10

No randomized controlled human efficacy trial of adrafinil exists. The efficacy case rests entirely on modafinil’s own data and the prodrug conversion.as of Aug 2026

Realistic protocols

The reason people run adrafinil is access: they want modafinil and cannot get a prescription. If that is you, take it in the morning, because once it converts you are on modafinil’s clock and that clock runs 12 to 15 hours. Empty stomach speeds onset. Do not run it daily for weeks on end: the liver does real work converting it, and repeated use elevates liver enzymes. Intermittent use, a few times a week at most, keeps the benefit without grinding the organ.

If wakefulness starts to require bigger doses, that is tolerance to modafinil itself, and climbing the dose means climbing the liver cost. Step back, take a break, and reassess whether the tool is still earning its keep.

Standard300–600 mgMorning, empty stomach. Start at 300 and see if that gets you there.

Ceiling900 mgDiminishing returns and more liver work. Rarely worth the push.

Frequency2–3x/weekNot daily. Intermittent use keeps liver enzymes in check.

DurationCycle offTake breaks. If you need it daily, get a modafinil prescription instead.

Side effects

You are taking modafinil with extra hepatic steps, so expect modafinil’s side profile plus the liver cost:

commonInsomnia if dosed too late. The converted modafinil runs 12 to 15 hours. Morning dosing solves this.

monitorLiver enzyme elevation with repeated use, per the original Olmifon label and long-standing community practice. No controlled study has measured the effect, but the precaution is well established. Check ALT and AST if you use it regularly, and stop if they climb.

anecdotalHeadache and mild nausea, especially at higher doses or on an empty stomach. Both track with modafinil reports.

monitorA case report documented persistent orofacial dyskinesia after adrafinil use. Rare but notable, and it took months and a separate drug to resolve.

monitorWADA banned adrafinil and modafinil in sport in 2004. If you compete in tested sport, this pops.

Where to buy

No live listings from tracked vendors right now.