DOSE:

37.5 mg

oral

Pharms - Tianeptine

(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

105 lb

I've been taking Tianeptine now for about 5 months, with a break of about one month after the second. I've taken Fluoxetine (Prozac), Buspirone (Buspar), and (Buproprion) Wellbutrin, all of which helped in varying degrees but had side-effects that outweighed the benefit for me. Throughout my course of taking Tianeptine, I experienced about 3 sleepy days when I first started taking it - naps every day at about the same time and an early bedtime. Frequent vivid, but not what I'd call frightening dreams, accompanied my sleep and tapered off to only occasionally about 3 weeks into treatment.

The only other side effect I experienced from Tianeptine was the ability to smile and laugh at myself and things I found comical along my daily routine. Normally, the nuances of traveling NYC would just piss me off and stress me out, but within even the first week of Tianeptine I was finding it easier.

One interesting thing about this drug is when it is combined with caffeine. I'm a green tea drinker, so I don't go too heavy on the caffeinated beverages, but I noticed that one cup of nice strong tea and my dose of Tianeptine produced a relaxed energy, and very mild euphoric sensation. It's the perfect combo for a creative or social surge, and being a bit of both, I found it useful. Overdoing it thinking I could have a latte instead of the green tea just produced the typical anxiety and nervousness I get when I drink coffee, so I keep it to the occasional cup of tea to boost my focus and energy levels without bringing on the anxiety from caffeine alone.

Both Prozac and Buspar killed my sex drive dead. Or if was already dead from depression, it did nothing to get me excited again. Wellbutrin did actually increase my sex drive, however my Wellbutrin experience was manic and frustrating and my friends tell me I was a real pill (pun intended) to be around. Add the weeks where I cried every night to the equation, and I can't imagine why I took it for 3 months. Tianeptine, on the other hand, certainly seem to have a positive effect on my sex drive. Even my fantasies are a bit more vivid. As for the crying, Tianeptine seems to make me a bit more sensitive and appreciative...maybe compassionate. Network TV is able to trick me into thinking their stories are moving or something. I don't know what it is, but where Prozac made me heartless, unemotional, and blank, Tianeptine has opened me up to experience more emotionally, and delve more into myself and my problems.

The COOLEST part is that I'm asthmatic, and Tianeptine helps with my asthma! It's spring and I should be on Advair, but I'm not (yet...keeping fingers crossed). I find my workouts/yoga are more strenuous and I feel great after them. I should also mention that I've taken Lorazepam (Ativan) on and off for GAD for years, and the Tianeptine allows me to taper my dose down more easily. While I'm not ready to give up the benzos just yet, I feel that if I continue to stay with the Tianeptine and the depression continued to lessen, then my anxiety will be much easier to manage.

All up, this is a very interesting drug, and I'm still surprised it works.

[Reported Dose: 12.5mg x 3/day]

Exp Year: 2009	ExpID: 78264
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Dec 13, 2015	Views: 19,740
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Pharms - Tianeptine (466) : Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Depression (15), Medical Use (47), Retrospective / Summary (11), Combinations (3), Various (28)