Tianeptine = life saver

[[Buddie]]

I started taking 2x12.5 of tianeptine and my mood is brighter and I have more energy! It helps, no Antidepressant helped me but this one is really life saver.

[[Buddie]]

I don’t think tianeptine is available in the US. 

[[Buddie]]

Be careful with that stuff.  I have heard you can get a bad dependency on it.  It's hard to come off.

[[Buddie]]

Even at low dose tianeptine is very effective, all SSRI sucks, so many side effect.. decrease libido, ageing effect..
Even for anxiety Stablon is more effective than benzo damn why those stupid doc don't prescribe it instead

[[Buddie]]

Has anyone used tianeptine safely and without withdrawals? I am desperately depressed and afraid. SSRIs don't agree with me, so I'd like to try this, but don't want additional problems. I know SSRIs cause dependence quickly - can tianeptine be used safely in low dose? Every day or take breaks? Anyone know? I wouldn't go down this road if I weren't a bit afraid for my life.

[[Buddie]]

People might want to take a look at this article. Or do some Googling on your own:

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-marketers-products-labeled-dietary-supplements-contain-tianeptine-making-unproven-claims

If something seems like The Magic Pill That Will Fix You Right Up . . . it probably isn't.

Just sayin' 

[...]

[[Buddie]]

I totally agree, [...]. I try not to use google for medical research, and rely on pubmed for medical literature instead.

I actually based my interest off of some pubmed searches after I saw this post. I would never take it as a supplement as it is a pharmaceutical. That said, I do have to import it, as it is not prescribed here in the US.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11463130/ - a safety and efficacy overview as well as mechanisms. As good as SSRIs but with fewer side-effects

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12647454/ - a study showing that tianeptine helps with benzowithdrawal. I could only read the abstract on this one.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7871006/ - outlines the mechanism for anxiety

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/controversy-over-antidepressant-tianeptine#The-future-of-tianeptine - nice article for lay people.

Overall, for someone who is desperately depressed and fears self harm, I think this is promising. I don't expect it to be magic or to fix my problems as you suggest as that would be stupid and unrealistic. That said, I really want to stay living on this earth, and my brain is trying to convince me otherwise. Benzos lie, but it's pretty terrifying.

It does not have the start up anxiety of an SSRI or side-effects of tricyclics and if not abused, does not cause dependence. It's also been used in treating benzo withdrawal as an added bonus.

So, well, thanks anyway for that comment. Kind of made me feel like an idiot looking for some sort of magic. I am really not. I just want to survive.

[[Buddie]]

Hi [...],

I've been taking Tianeptine since the end of 2020. Yes, be very very careful, it is easy to up the doses.
I started with 12.5mg, 3x daily, am now at 4x daily (but have remained there for many months and refuse to take more).

At first I though it was a lifesaver.

Yes, I think it helps to some degree, but yet here I am searching in the depression forum with extremely low self confidence, debilitating depression and intrusive thoughts.

It might be a lifesaver in the sense that I am not about to end my life, but not much more than that. At first it was very good, bringing my score down from 85 to 45 on the Burns depression checklist, but then deep deep depression hit about 6 weeks after I jumped, (Jan 3rd 2021), and, really, I can't say much more than that. I might be worse off without it, but it's definitely no miracle pill. Might be tolerance, might be the benzo withdrawal.

I have suffered deep depression since I was a child so I was looking for a miracle, having tried absolutely everything barring a lobotomy or electroconvulsive therapy.

Sorry, to be clear, I have suffered depression lifelong, and now am stuck with Benzo withdrawal and trying to distinguish which depression is kicking me in the guts at the moment. I am assuming 80% is Benzo.

Again, be really, really really careful about tolerance and upping your dose. It acts on an opioid receptor in your brain. My apologies if you already know this. I assume you to be an intelligent adult, always, who is capable of taking care of yourself, just wanted to let you know in case you didn't know.
And yes, a small part of me feels I need it, and it could easily get out of control if I am not careful, and I don't like that. It's the only pharma that has made me feel that. I never even liked taking Benzos, just had to after a while because panic attacks and we all know why that is....

It is unavailable in many places (I'm in Italy) and had to buy mine of a crazy guy in china who threatened to 'come and get me' because I asked why the postage was taking so long, ah, the joy of life.

[[Buddie]]

I took tianeptine sulphate, a nutritional supplement, for 2 months. I am not sure it did much so I stopped it. I am not sure I could distinguish withdrawal from it from my current misery. I got nervous after a while about another dependence. I did do a one week taper. Didn't find it to be awesome, but might order the actual tianeptine sodium from an online pharmacy at some point if things get really bad.

[[Buddie]]

Yes Tianeptine can be used safely in low doses and without withdrawals. Last year I ran out and had to wait for a new shipment, I had no withdrawal symptoms, just a return to my previous mental state. I stay on Tianeptine for now because for me there are zero side effects, unlike any other antidepressant I've used, and it may just be keeping me stable at the moment.

If you check out Reddit there are hundreds of folk talking about awful withdrawal hell from Tianeptine. These are users who either used it recreationally, or who quickly upped their doses, and with both groups we're talkign about GRAMS per day, not the therapeutic dose. If you make sure you stick with therapeutic dose (12.5 mg 3-4x per day, of Tianeptine SODIUM), you should be fine.