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Reversing a strange Tianeptine tolerance

Kudos

Bluelighter
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
172
I acquired tianeptine while outside of north america and began taking a daily regimen of it. The first pill I took produced immediate, full-fledged anti-depressant effects in a way which seemed impossible to that point. This included the oft-referenced stimulating sensation of the drug, which seemed quite key to its symptom-relief.

I took it for 4 months, with narry a side-effect and that stimulating sensation maintained the way through. Tianeptine seemed to push my brain into an absolutely perfect state of balance. I felt a return to a state of mind I had not experienced in eons and was suddenly adverse to muddling it with any other recreational drugs. Alcohol depressed the effects; adding nicotine to the stimulus became overbearing to the point of nausea; caffeine seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

But then I ran out. Back in north america, where it is not available at market. I was forced into withdrawal as I waited for a supply solution. The withdrawal was punctuated by constant headaches which felt best described as my brain shriveling down to a dead state. I acquired a small supply off the internet. It didn't work, or at least it was severely muffled from before. I put a tremendous amount of hope and stock in the fact that the package seemed to indicate it was expired, or that perhaps it sat in the Turkish sun for too long and degraded.

However, four months later, I have now acquired unexpired medication through perfectly legitimate means, from western Europe, and I am devestated to find no difference. There is no stimulating sensation, and there is a negligible change in mindset. Mostly it just induces fatigue after it's apparent peak and fall in my bloodstream.

My question is what happened? And how can I reverse it? It seems that a tolerance to it developed in its absence, which is awfully counter-intuitive. I am willing to try anything to get its original effects back and I have access to anything prescribe-able should a mix of something else be the solution.
 
That's very curious indeed.

When I was in Thailand, I could get it OTC as well and used it daily for several months, although my dose never went above 25mg at a time. I did not notice any accumulation of tolerance.

What doses were you taking?
 
It does sound odd, I'm a little suspect of the suppliers myself.

It would make sense that SSRIs would undo whatever tolerance has accumulated, then again I know nothing of Tianeptine tolerance/withdrawals.
 
I was taking the standard 3 12.5mg/day. At the very beginning two was enough.

The supplier I first got it from, once back home, was definitely suspect. The taste of the pills (which is distinctively sweet) was a bit off, for starters.

However, what I have now is government-approved, direct from Servier in France or Britain. It's certainly the real thing. I've tried doubling the dose to little effect, which is particularly odd considering I am typically extremely sensitive to these things.
:\
 
I used tianeptine for 8 weeks and had no withdrawal upon abrupt discontinuation. The effects you describe are also quite rare--I'm guessing you bought some euphoric drug in the place of tianeptine.
 
^ I am inclined to agree with both ideas (that it is an idiosyncratic reaction, or that you got a different drug) since, at least IME, Tianeptine should not be stimulating at all at the recommending dose...
 
Or does it not work anymore because you are healed (absent the wd))? Altough it all sounds more like you had amineptine in the beginning.

Tianeptin, in my case, usually just works a few days where I'm starting to get too stimulated, agitated and edgy, particularly due to a bad sleep. Never had the guts to go further to be honest. The effectiveness of Tianeptin has been questioned, I think Austrian docs don't prescribe it anymore for that reason. I a few very exotic brains (like Jaz) it does work, though...
 
I'm not exactly sure that we know how tianeptine works, but we do know that one of its metabolites is reactive (i.e. the metabolite covalently bonds to proteins). This is probably consistent with its mechanism of action--whatever that mechanism may be. But the upshot of a reactive metabolite is antibody-formation, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that you've developed an immunity to tianeptine. If this is the case, it may never work for you again.
 
I used tianeptine for 8 weeks and had no withdrawal upon abrupt discontinuation. The effects you describe are also quite rare--I'm guessing you bought some euphoric drug in the place of tianeptine.

This seems pretty unlikely. I bought packages of it on 5 different occasions from a pretty legit and functional pharmacy. It came with a proper box and instructions, blister pack and distinctive taste.

Unless there's something different in Servier's Argentine recipe....
 
Fuck, I'm normally emotionally-resistant to seeing stuff like this, but that's absolutely horrendous.

Especially the woman at the end (See 4:45+).

Any informed BLers have an explanation for such a reaction?

I can't say if it's because of tianeptine itself. I haven't got a clue of it's solubility.

However what i'm quite sure of it must be because of injecting insoluble particles that would block the veins.
 
I can't say if it's because of tianeptine itself. I haven't got a clue of it's solubility.

However what i'm quite sure of it must be because of injecting insoluble particles that would block the veins.

Careful now: even if something is completely dissolved in a syringe doesn't mean it won't precipitate in the body. Promethazine is a good example cuz one of its formulations is IV and it's administered parenterally in hospital settings all the time. But it's a vesicant, and even nurses fuck up with it:

A 19-year-old woman arrived in the emergency department (ED) with flu-like symptoms. She received IV promethazine. During the injection, she yelled out in pain and was tempted to pull out her IV line. Afterward, she told the nurse that her arm was still in pain and that she felt “something was wrong.” The nurse reassured the patient and left the room. The patient’s arm and fingers became purple and blotchy. The patient remained in the hospital for 30 days, during which time she watched her previously healthy fingers turn black and shrivel. Her thumb, index finger, and top of her middle finger had to be amputated.

A patient received 12.5 mg of promethazine into an IV site in the hand. The patient complained of extreme burning, during the injection, but the nurse continued administering the agent. An area of necrosis developed on the patient’s hand, and skin grafting and physical rehabilitation were eventually needed.

A professional guitar player, Diana Levine from Vermont, was awarded $2.4 million for past and future medical expenses and $5 million for pain and suffering after she endured two amputations following accidental arterial administration of the branded drug, Phenergan. Because of a migraine, the patient had gone to the ED, where she received Phenergan, intended for IV administration. She experienced circulatory problems and then progressive gangrene, which led to amputation of her arm in stages. Her case eventually reached the Supreme Court.
 
I experienced extreme withdrawal effect from 3x 12.5mg perday for 2 months.

Symptoms:
Schizophrenia-like
Paranoia-like
Complete lack of concentration
can not keep a clear mind
Digit span went from 8 to 4...
Insomnia
Anxiety attack
Panic Attack


Whilst being on Tianeptine, it made me feel beyond intelligent. now complete opposite. i dont even have a working memory anymore because of lack of concentration
 
Seeing that I have acquired some I would like to bump this thread.

Questions:

1) For those have used and discontinued - why did you stop using? And how did you feel when you stopped? Did you get withdrawal like some people here had?

2) For those who still use and intend to continue - do you feel you are addicted and scared of going off? or do you feel that iit is doing you good?

3) I have read somewhere that the drug is supposed to improve brain plasticity or something, allowing for the formation of new neural pathways etc... out with the old, in with the new, or something. I would have thought this is a (semi-)permanent benefit. So, if this is so, then how come so many seem to feel real bad once they go off the drug?

@Kudos... this sometimes happens. Once upon a time I used Prozac, and after intial bad side-effects it worked super well for me... so well that i just stopped and slid back into depression. So I went back on it... to no avail, it just wouldn't work any more. 2-3 years la, i tried again... to no avail. Just anxiety, restlessness, bad dreams and sweating. No moodlift to speak of whatsoever. It only really worked the first time I went on it. After that, it wouldn't, no would another ssri i tried at the time.
 
^^^
That is not an uncommon effect. David Foster Wallace used phenylzine for decades, decided to go off because of a adverse reaction he had an indian meal, and when he went back on the drug had lost its efficacy. He ended up hanging himself as a result.
 
I found Tianeptine worked well for a few months, then stopped working after I had a break from it. Strange drug. I stopped taking it after a few months cause I was getting a lot of Neuropathic type pain from it, and the pain went mostly away when I stopped.

But my body reacts badly to most drugs in the end, so I was not surprised.
 
^^^
That is not an uncommon effect. David Foster Wallace used phenylzine for decades, decided to go off because of a adverse reaction he had an indian meal, and when he went back on the drug had lost its efficacy. He ended up hanging himself as a result.

<3David Foster wallace<3

Finally reading infinite jest was the most important thing I did last year. And, although I usually abhor the publication, the article on his last days in Rolling Stone after his death was actually decent...

waaaay off topic, sry
 
i couldnt find any concrete information on the topic of tianeptine tolerance.
i did however stumble apon this
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://journals.lww.com/behavioural...tine_reduces_morphine_antinociceptive.15.aspx

This study outlines is morphine antinociceptive tolerance and dependence.

longterm use of morphine can cause neuronal dystropic changes administration of Tianeptine along with Morphine can reduce antinociceptive tolerance and dependence
 
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