High Times in Silicon Valley
TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington is the top tech blogger out there for a reason: he writes some pretty original and provocative material. Undoubtedly, when you’re at the top of the heap, more people are likely to let you in on what is brewing. Today is no different, and in my fruitless search for something interesting to write about, nothing seems quite as fascinating as Arrington’s paean to pill-popping.
According to Arrington, the new pill of choice for Silicon Valley startup execs is called Provigil, or Modafinil by its generic title. While Arrington claims the Cephalon-produced drug is used to treat narcolepsy, the description of its uses on the drug’s website appears a lot more open-ended than simply narcolepsy: it recommended for “excessive sleepiness (ES) due to one of the following diagnosed sleep disorders: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), or narcolepsy.”
I was especially curious about “SWSD.” Basically, shift work sleep disorder is exactly what it sounds like: it’s the sleepiness, headaches, and lack of concentration that arise from working strange hours.
While the first image one gets in their head is the graveyard shift-working factory worker, how is this disorder much different from the startup exec putting in ungodly hours to try to make profitable business for him or herself and their employees?
Provigil’s site actually appears to be arguing that usage of their drug by people who work odd hours is a legitimate, and a valid reason for a doctor to prescribe the drug.
Arrington takes some heat for the describing the drug as not being particularly habit-forming or dangerous. Unlike cocaine (which is the drug Provigil seems to be most compared with), it isn’t physically addictive and users can sleep normally after taking it. But there have been some dangerous side effects reported, such as stroke, heart problems, and liver failure.
I suppose every entrepreneur has to ask him or herself the question: how much of my health and wellbeing am I willing to sacrifice in order to become successful? It’s an individual choice in the end, and I won’t begrudge a person their 20 hour workdays. There is a little too much moralizing that goes on about it, and on the other end, a little too much bragging about how little sleep people get. Being a walking zombie is nothing to be proud of.
The most curious aspect of this story appears to be that Cephalon is actively marketing Provigil as a pep-pill. Increasingly, prescription sleep aids like Lunesta and Ambien are becoming widespread “lifestyle” drugs that people use every day. How long until drugs for fatigue become as common as drugs to induce sleep? Starbucks had better watch their backs, and not because of Dunkin’ Donuts. Big pharma is on its way and it has something you should try.
Technorati Tags: provigil, shift work sleep disorder, swsd, cephalon
