Hydrafinil

Hydrafinil (Fluorenol) is an unregulated research chemical originally synthesized by Cephalon Pharmaceuticals (now owned by Teva) as a eugeroic (wakefulness-promoting agent).  After its synthesis, fluorenol was one of several agents to be considered as a hypothetical successor to the popularized and FDA-approved drug, Provigil (Modafinil).  Comparative data from animal trials indicated that fluorenol exhibited ~39% greater eugeroic efficacy than modafinil over a short-term (4 hour) span.

Hydrafinil (Fluorenol) Effects

It is unknown exactly what the effects of hydrafinil are in a majority of human users.  That said, it is believed to increase wakefulness and vigilance.  Anecdotal reports indicate that it may be less stimulating than modafinil, but superior in regards to promoting wakefulness.  Furthermore, it may improve mood to a slight extent as a result of serotonergic effects.

• Attention: It is viable to assume that hydrafinil may improve measures of attention. In other words, taking it could improve a users’ ability to sustain focus.  This attentional enhancement may be facilitated via prefrontal increases in dopamine and norepinephrine.
• Cognitive enhancement: Many individuals take hydrafinil to enhance overall cognitive function. Whether it actually enhances cognition remains unknown and isn’t clear.  One would need to conduct a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial before concluding that it significantly enhances cognitive performance and/or ameliorates deficits.  That said, 5-HT6 receptor antagonism is understood to improve various measures of cognitive function.
• Energy increase: Some individuals may experience a noticeable increase in energy level after taking hydrafinil. This energy boost may be less noticeable than experienced while taking modafinil and/or armodafinil.  Any substance that increases concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine typically bolsters neurophysiologic energy.
• Learning/memory: It may become easier to learn new information while taking hydrafinil simply due to the fact that dopamine and norepinephrine are upregulated. However, it is possible that hydrafinil-induced glutamate increases also improve ability to learn and memorization.
• Motivation: Studies investigating modafinil suggest that it increases dopaminergic receptors (D1R) associated with motivational behavior. It is possible that hydrafinil elicits a similar effect, perhaps to a lesser extent.  For this reason, some users may report a spike in motivation after taking hydrafinil.
• Subtle mood boost: Anecdotal reports suggest that hydrafinil may improve mood to a modest extent. This mood boost may be due to increased synaptic build-up of serotonin.  When serotonin levels increase in combination with prefrontal dopamine/norepinephrine, this may ameliorate depressive symptoms.
• Wakefulness: In animal studies, eugeroic efficacy was deemed 39% greater among mice that had received hydrafinil (fluorenol) compared to those that received modafinil. In other words, hydrafinil was considered more effective for inducing/maintaining wakefulness than modafinil.  Whether this increased wakefulness efficacy is evident among humans isn’t known.