I Got Out: My Experiences After 1 Month of Daily Tianeptine Sulfate

At last I felt normal again and back to doing the things I normally did before. For several years, I tried to understand what was happening to myself on my own. At first it came on short episodes and small things which I thought were just normal to a person who has been doing a routine job for more than 10 years already. There were normal days, but there also days when I had to drag myself out of bed to prepare for work. There were also days when my spirits are unexplainably high where I get to work very early that my co-workers would want to drop confetti on me as it seldom happens. Eventually, it came to a point where there were far gloomier than sunny days. I was caught up in a dark tunnel where light can only be seen when the doors on both ends would, at times, open. Then I realized that those doors were home and work, and the tunnel between them was how I was inside - alone in the dark, amidst the damp, and feeling all gloomy. That was when I heed my colleagues’ suggestion for me to get professional help.

Meet My Best Friend

I was introduced to tianeptine sulfate, not long enough we became best friends. It was nothing but pleasant. Although, you would probably ask why prefer Sulfate than Sodium when they actually work the same. Below are three reasons why.

·         Stability – tianeptine sulfate is more stable than tianeptine sodium which is notoriously unstable; it reacts to both atmospheric moisture and to light. Tianeptine sulfate on the other hand does not absorb the water from air so it does not clump.

·         Solubility – It I hard enough to take tianeptine sodium when it is soluble, how much more if it is not soluble, which it is not. It only gets worse when you have to take it three times a day. Tianeptine sulfate is soluble and cam be mixed easily with water.

·         Duration – The effect tianeptine sulfate lasts longer than tianeptine sodium. Tianeptine sulfate is absorbed by the body slowly so its effect is also extended and that means less dosing.

There are plenty of drugs that will help combat or treat depression. Medical practitioners prescribe their patients medications as they deem fit, but it wouldn’t harm if you want to know the facts about the drugs you take. The internet has enough information if you want to find out more about tianeptine sulfate.  

How It Felt Like

Initially, tianeptine sulfate intake was pleasant. The tunnel in my mind was gone and I felt lighter. My worries subsided, no trace of anxiety attacks, everything was bright. A dose of tianeptine sulfate became a daily regimen. After sometime, I developed a tolerance to it so I leveled up on dosage until I reached 550 mg. After a month of daily tianeptine sulfate intake, and while keeping on the 550-mg dose, I noticed a few side effects – heavy nausea and sweating. My hands and skin felt clammy and I am doing the best I can not to vomit. It disappeared after an almost an hour. I am not sure though if it was a sign of overdose, but I definitely took it as a sign and warning.

The dark tunnel was cold and lonely but tianeptine sulfate helped me through it. But I tried to abstain thinking about a long-term dependency would be awful, although it has not been reported to be addictive. I disciplined myself and abstained from taking in any tianeptine sulfate. My first day of abstinence was a lazy and low day – with tianeptine sulfate, there would have been more glow. But that was just the first day. I had no idea that the coming days would be far more unbearable. It was difficult to find sleep, I kept tossing and turning in bed - no sleep happened. I fell into a very dark depression I thought I could not get over with. It was scary thinking about the things I had in mind just to feel better. The tunnel was back again. Then I reverted to tianeptine sulfate and after a month with it, I slowly got better. The mood changes have been less frequent. I have learned to control myself and put my mind to work, I am now slowly taking control of my life again.

Tianeptine

Tianeptine is an antidepressant similar to tricyclics that dates back to the 1950s, but it acts differently in the brain. Tianeptine like morphine targets the mu opioid receptor. It modulates glutamate, the excitatory neurotransmitter. Stress affects the glutamate pathway causing fluctuations that can affect the nerve and brain tissue. In this aspect, tianeptine can protect the glutamate pathways and therefore against stress.

It was investigated as potential treatment for major depression, also for depression that is associated with bipolar disorder, and it is also eyed as treatment for depression and anxiety relative to alcohol use. Long time treatment appeared to reduce relapse of the symptoms of depression (read here: https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-symptoms-and-types) although drugs have different effect on different people.

Effects of Tianeptine

For a depressed person, tianeptine works by making their moods brighter, boosted energy level, they have a positive disposition – makes the depressed person sociable and is more energetic. To a non-depressed person, the effect is just like drinking a cup of very strong brewed coffee.

Studies confirmed that tianeptine is safe therapeutically. With respect to clinical side effects as well as paraclinical parameters, it is satisfactory. It does not induce sedation, anticholinergic effects. It is also devoid of hypertensive effects and it does not show any signs of physical or psychological dependence when stopped.    Although tricyclic antidepressants are known to cause cardiac arrests; this was never tested from tianeptine.

Tianepine has a 2.5-3 hours half-life and 4-9 hours in the elderly. It has an active metabolite with a half-life that is much longer. 65% of tianeptine in the body is excreted in the urine while 15% is excreted in the feces.

Is Tianeptine Addictive?

Withdrawal symptoms have been noted when discontinued after a prolonged use. However, other properties or manifestations of addiction such as developed tolerance and compulsive use is very rare. The usual clinical problems that are seen are usage of lower dose than what has been recommended or cessation of the treatment before the scheduled time to stop. The absence of acute euphoria after taking the medication eliminates the possibility of addiction or dependency.