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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bleauberry on July 26, 2008, at 18:28:41
So, day 3 of Tianeptine. Have been on half dose t.i.d. instead of full dose t.i.d., in respect of how sensitive I am to meds. Even so, to start at half the recommended dose and get away with it is almost unheard of with me. That speaks well for the low side effect profile of tianeptine. I think a slightly dry mouth, increased dreaming and nightmares, and light sleep, that's about it for side effects so far.
The good: The longterm resistant heavy depression was 70% gone within 4 hours of the first dose. Amazing. Day 2 woke up very blue like I could cry at anything, but within a couple hours of a dose I was saved. Hardly any side effects.
The bad: Today, day 3, was filled with powerful physical anxiety like I haven't felt since withdrawing from xanax or zyprexa. But hardly any depression at all. Tianeptine is marketed as good for anxious depression. Wow. So far it has done a respectable job on mood but feels like 10 pots of coffee.
I think maybe I'll just do 1 or 2 half doses per day and go slow from there. My only other option is to reach for xanax, but I really don't want to start that. Even after just one dose of xanax, when it wears off things are worse than ever. Kind of have to go all the way or not at all.
Anyway, thought I would share my short experience with tianeptine thus far. I can't imagine living with this kind of anxiety, but it sure is nice to know something can lift those dark clouds real fast. The only other things I've tried that could do that, though they don't anymore, are Ritalin, Adrafinil, or Modafinil. Which leads me to think tianeptine's rapid effect must be in the dopamine department somehow. Would explain the anxiety too.
Posted by chiron on July 26, 2008, at 23:05:23
In reply to Tianeptine for me....the good and the bad., posted by bleauberry on July 26, 2008, at 18:28:41
Is Tianeptine a stimulant? I don't think they have it here in the US, but it is one I have heard about that I haven't tried. (left to try some self-medicating).
What else are you on? What has been your reaction w/ SSRIs?-thx!
Posted by Quintal on July 27, 2008, at 6:29:04
In reply to Tianeptine for me....the good and the bad., posted by bleauberry on July 26, 2008, at 18:28:41
>The good: The longterm resistant heavy depression was 70% gone within 4 hours of the first dose. Amazing.
I'm so pleased tianeptine is working for you. I hoped you would write something like this.
>The bad: Today, day 3, was filled with powerful physical anxiety like I haven't felt since withdrawing from xanax or zyprexa. But hardly any depression at all. Tianeptine is marketed as good for anxious depression. Wow. So far it has done a respectable job on mood but feels like 10 pots of coffee.
I also anticipated something like this. And I think it could be related to the low doses you're taking. When I think back, most of the people who suffered anxiety with tianeptine started with very small doses and worked up. I'd wanted to talk to you before you started tianeptine to try and urge you to take a leap of faith and try the full recommended dose from day one. I've never taken less than two tablets a day except when I was withdrawing, and I had a lot of anxiety at that dose. I put that down to rebound anxiety from the drug wearing off, but maybe that is how tianeptine works? We hear so much about drugs have almost opposite effects at different ends of the dosage scale. How often do you see a post where someone has started Remeron, Abilify, Seroquel and got scared by the particular set of side effects at low doses that might have been completely different if they started off on the full therapeutic dose, or even higher?
>Day 2 woke up very blue like I could cry at anything, but within a couple hours of a dose I was saved. Hardly any side effects.
I still have trouble getting out of bed on a morning. Maybe this is due to the short half-life of tianeptine? Try keeping the tablets on your bedside table with a glass of water and take one when you wake up, even if you go back to sleep you might wake up feeling better and ready to face the day.
It sounds as though you're taking one and a half tablets a day right now. I'd recommend you take the full three tablets, or even four, because in my experience it is more calming at these doses with no more side effects. In fact the problem I've had with taking four tablets is that I felt a little too mellow to get things done, so if I want more energy I drop the dose to two or three. I really think tianeptine might be one of those drugs that change throughout the dosage range, but as you know everybody is different and your milage may vary.
Good luck anyway, whatever you do. It is a good drug and I hope you find a way to make it work for you over the long term. Don't give up!
Q
This is the end of the thread.
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