Provigil (Modafinil) for Depression and Weight-loss?

Wish you could pop a pill that would give you more energy, boost your mood/overcome depression, improve your memory and help you lose weight - all at the same time? Provigil (Modafinil) sounds like a wonder drug to me and I’d love to try it. Too bad it’s not approved for any of the above uses. Right now it’s only approved for excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) or narcolepsy.

I wonder if Provigil (Modafinil) will ever be approved as an adjunct to anti-depressant therapy? Some studies have been done showing it can be effective as a mood brightener. Many people suffering from depression also have severe fatigue and can’t get out of bed or enjoy life, so could certainly use an energy boost.

Several studies have been done on Modafinil as an augmentation for antidepressant treatment… but I don’t believe it’s FDA approved for this use yet, so it’s difficult to get insurance to cover it and Provigil is very expensive.

I’m intrigued by the fact that some consider it a smart drug, so I wonder if it could give us boomers a cognitive boost too. See: Is modafinil ( Provigil ) a smart drug ? and A Dose Of Genius - washingtonpost.com

Last but not least, studies on modafinil indicate that it has an appetite reducing/weight loss effect. Sounds like the perfect anti-depressan to me. More energy, weight-loss - instead of gain and mood enhancement all in one med. I’m going to ask my psychiatrist about it.