First off I apologize for reopening an older post but I came across this post after doing a Google search for tianeptine overdose and I created an account here on BlueLight just so I can post this. Earlier today I feel like I experienced a taineptine overdose from oral use only (the amount consumed was ridiculously high: about 8 grams taken over a 24 hour period but a couple months ago, when I was at my worst in my battle with tianeptine addiction, I used to IV this amount in a 24 hour period.)
First let me start of by saying that tianeptine is absolutely stimulating. I was diagnosed with Lymphoma a little over a year ago (at this time, despite being a former heroin addict, I was using tianeptine in a rather responsible manner; I was even proud of myself for being able to keep my use to 80-100 mg daily for the first several months that I had used it; not long after being diagnosed, being in the depressed state of my mind that I was in, I decided to try IVing tianeptine - I truly believed that I was only going to do it once; just to give it a try - this was over a year ago and despite having up until several days ago when my use again began to spiral out of control, tapered down to a fairly reasonable amount, I am still not out of my battle with what I have come to view as the most addictive drug I have ever come across). So despite having Lymphoma, tianeptine has, over this past year, given me an endless amount of energy - I am able to work out for up to a couple hours daily (maybe due to its cortisol lowering properties) and my cardio endurance when I go jogging is unprecedented if I'm on a large amount of tianeptine. Large amounts also keep me from falling asleep, yet if I'm sick (withdrawing) I cannot get to sleep either. The only reason I feel like I was able to get away with IVing this drug for as long as I had and with the amounts that I had was because I used vaso-dilators (orally) with it (various pre workout pump products including Agmatine Sulfate, Arginine Nitrate, Citrulline Malate, and large doses of Vitamin C and Magnesium. (On a side note, I have not and do not do chemo and have been treating my lymphoma naturally with supplements and have been making great progress; even my oncologist is surprised with the condition that my cancer is in considering I am treating it only through natural supplements.)
So now, it's been close to two months since I stopped IVing the tianeptine (I did finally run out of veins) and have in these last 2 months managed to almost completely get off the tianeptine. As I stated earlier, at my worst I would take up to 8 grams a day through both IV and oral doses throughout the day. About 3 days ago my use again began to spiral out of control and this morning (after a sleepless night, after finally getting to sleep I awoke choking, gasping for air, unable to breathe - to repeat myself, I consumed about 8 grams of the tianep over the last 24 hours, oral use only. An hour or so later I fell back asleep, unable to keep my eyes open, and not long thereafter I again awoke gasping for air, choking, unable to breathe; I am sitting at my computer now, with the fear of falling back asleep, but am having some minor difficulty swallowing.) I too was under the impression that tianeptine, despite being an opioid receptor agonist, was safe as far as OD goes because it wasn’t an actual opioid and did not cause respiratory depression the way opiates / opioids do. I decided to do a web engine search for Tianeptine overdose and came across this post.
To the OP, thank you for posting and thank the Gods (or chance if you prefer) that you're family was there to find you. Thank you for taking the time to warn others about the dangers of high dose IV tianpetine. (After this morning I am convinced that, despite being much safer than tradional opiates / -ioids) high dose tianeptine, even oral use, can result in an overdose. If I had taken another gram or so I am convinced that I may have ODed. Just as with other opiates, my tolerance had been reduced as I hadn't taken that high of a dose in well over two months (even at the end of my IV use a couple months ago I had brought my daily intake down to about 4 grams).
And to all those who criticize, and make comments like "you're the problem" please consider yourselves lucky for not having to ever truly learn first hand how addiction works.