Posted by orbital on August 5, 2011, at 11:34:38
In reply to Re: Does Tianeptine actually work? +Decreasing Sap » orbital, posted by uncouth on August 3, 2011, at 19:13:21
Okay, I'll be long winded and go into detail.
I remember how it felt very clearly, as it was my very first real AD long-term experience, after a horrendous aborted Prozac trial (sheer panic after a week, I know Phillipa can relate to this).
Anyway, Stablon.
I took it for 10 months, 12,5mg TID. 6 years ago. For moderate depression, GAD/social phobia. I was also on Xanax 1mg/day at the time and Klonopin 4mg.
Stablong certainly was not free of side effects, don't believe the hype... ime of course. I had some GI upset, so had to take pills with food. VERY strong headaches. Insomnia, pretty bad at first, which called for a short course of .. I want to say Vistaril, maybe Phenergan (definitely a prescription-strength antihistamine). For a while (and this is important) there was also this very marked feeling that I cannot put into words.. I felt weird and everything seemed a bit surreal and dream-like. It was like constant dejavu. Not unpleasant at all, just strange, it came in waves and it only lasted a few minutes.
All of the side effects disappeared after 2 weeks, then nothing... as in nothing at all. My doc asked for patience.It's strange that we doubt our meds if we're not experiencing side effects!
Around the second month, I suddenly realized that I felt quite normal. Not well, just normal. The depression was mostly gone, no more anxiety attacks or SP. I felt "restored", that's the proper word. I also realized that I'd spontaneously quit drinking alcohol sometime during those months and have remained abstinent ever since (I later learnt that tianeptine has an excellent track record treating alcoholics -not my case, I used to binge drink on occasion). The one time I drank on Tianeptine I was very ill.
I quit the Xanax (1 mg/day) cold turkey and had no withdrawal. Was able to lower Klonopin to 1mg quite quickly. As an anxyiolitic, tianeptine is pretty amazing once it has kicked in. I would call it "the silent worker". It works in the background, it's not an inyouface med. Still, it's very powerful.
Around maybe the..4th.. month, I was feeling good. Not manic, just an overall sense of wellness. At this poin, how much of this was due to the tianeptine is debatable, as I'd started getting a life after my first depressive episode - work, school, friends, dating etc confidence. I remember going on a (short) trans-oceanic vacation, something which I've not been able to do again since.
Then the problems started. Bouts of insomnia. Dose was increased to 12.5mg QID,which made insomnia worse. Reduced to 12.5 mg BID, no change. Then that feeling I described earlier -the dream-like sensation- began again, and I started feeling weirded out and uncomfortable.It's so hard to describe. Doc said it was no longer worth it, I agreed and tapered off quite quickly with absolutely no withdrawals. I'd achieved remission and I was fine for about a year or so.
So... that's my experience: Stablon was a very strong anxiolytic. The one issue is "patience", if you're expecting a rush, I doubt you'll get it. It treated my (moderate) depression very effectively at the time. Compared to other meds, it's very solid I think, but not as aggressive. After writing all this, I feel like trying it again!
Hope this helps :) Orbital
> Please! Be as detailed as you care to be, especially with its differential response vs. other meds you may have tried and how it felt subjectively. Are you still on it? What is your diagnosis?
> thanks orbital
> uncouth
poster:orbital
thread:992701
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110728/msgs/992882.html