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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Last Chance on September 10, 2006, at 11:06:29
In reply to 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by sukarno on September 9, 2006, at 8:17:29
Sukarno - maybe I quit too soon with the Tianeptine? I should have kept a journal, because I can't remember why I stopped - I know that I got headaches both times I tried, and I must have felt no benefit. The 2nd attempt I tried harder, a couple weeks. What were the side effects you encountered, and about how much time passed before you felt like it was working? I am still on half 6mg Emsam, and am feeling terrible lately - thinking of stopping, but not sure what withdrawal symptoms to expect - could not handle feeling any worse than right now.
Posted by sukarno on September 11, 2006, at 3:47:26
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon) » sukarno, posted by Last Chance on September 10, 2006, at 11:06:29
"Sukarno - maybe I quit too soon with the Tianeptine? I should have kept a journal, because I can't remember why I stopped - I know that I got headaches both times I tried, and I must have felt no benefit."
Hi there! :-) Yeah, I had a lot of headaches when I first started taking it. I wasn't sure if it was the Stablon or my computer monitor (which gave me eyestrain and headaches before I started Stablon). I think Stablon does cause some headaches at the beginning of treatment.
"The 2nd attempt I tried harder, a couple weeks. What were the side effects you encountered, and about how much time passed before you felt like it was working?"
I would try it again for about 4 to 8 weeks. It seems that tianeptine takes as long as any standard antidepressant to begin working. I don't think tianeptine works any faster than the other antidepressants. I felt the first effects 12 days into treatment, but the full anxiolytic and antidepressant effects took at least 6 weeks.
The first side effects were some headaches, nervousness (but nothing that would cause a panic attack), decreased appetite and partial insomnia. Those gradually disappeared and my mood was much better and I felt much more relaxed. Now I have no side effects except for an occasional mild dry mouth which only lasts a few hours when it does happen.
I hope you can give it another try. You can always lower the dose if you experience side effects and then increase it again after you stabilise for a while. I found that I need 4 tablets a day for it to work. Three tablets just wasn't enough to keep the depression at bay.
Good luck to you! I hope it all works out. Let me know if you start taking Stablon again. :-)
Cheers,
Sukarno
Posted by SLS on September 11, 2006, at 5:15:42
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by psychobot5000 on September 10, 2006, at 10:38:41
> I take it for anergic, anhedonic, asthenic depression. It elevates my mood as much as any medication (which is not enough to make me feel good, but at least brings me out of the horrible pits),
Have you thought to add Wellbutrin?
- Scott
Posted by psychobot5000 on September 11, 2006, at 9:40:56
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon) » psychobot5000, posted by SLS on September 11, 2006, at 5:15:42
Hmmmm
Never tried the two together--wellbutrin caused sleep difficulties, nervousness/irritability, and stomach trouble when I took it before.
But tianeptine is beneficial enough for nerves and anxiety, that wellbutrin, or something like it, might work out. Not a bad idea. ...It's worth mentioning, that methylphenidate used to make me uncomfortable anxious, but that it's more pleasant when used as an augmentor to tianeptine.
May try the Rhodiola next (seems as though it has some reasonably powerful stimulant effects).
Posted by Declan on September 11, 2006, at 15:13:16
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by psychobot5000 on September 11, 2006, at 9:40:56
Rhodiola sounds promising with tianeptine. Yesterday I took 75mg (half a tablet) of moclobemide with my regular normal tianeptine dose, and it was OK. Low dose moclobemide is slightly unpleasant but very clarifying for me. At least I managed to do something. Today I'm taking 1mg deprenyl citrate as well as the tianeptine.
I got slight headaches to begin with on tianeptine but it was no big deal.
Posted by Declan on September 11, 2006, at 15:20:20
In reply to 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by sukarno on September 9, 2006, at 8:17:29
G'day Paul
Nice to see you.
Tianeptine's been great. I can't imagine a better AD for me. Perhaps not so good if you're really depressed. It's comforting. Maybe I've been on it 4 months or so.
Declan
Posted by ed_uk on September 12, 2006, at 14:40:03
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon) » sukarno, posted by Declan on September 11, 2006, at 15:20:20
Dec,
What dose of tianeptine do you take?
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on September 12, 2006, at 15:48:35
In reply to 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by sukarno on September 9, 2006, at 8:17:29
Hi Sukarno
Good to hear from you :)
>famotidine 40mg QID
You take 40mg four times a day? That's quite high, I don't think it's a problem though. People have taken much more.
Ed
Posted by Declan on September 12, 2006, at 17:01:08
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon) » Declan, posted by ed_uk on September 12, 2006, at 14:40:03
Hi Ed
I take 12.5mg 3 or 4 times a day. Had insomnia from (I assume) the deprenyl last night, unless it was the double vodka or the alpha lipoic acid.
Declan
Posted by Declan on September 12, 2006, at 17:46:40
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by Declan on September 12, 2006, at 17:01:08
Onme of the descriptions of tianeptine is as a psychotonic.
Posted by myblusky on December 12, 2006, at 14:34:51
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by sukarno on September 11, 2006, at 3:47:26
Sukarno - Thank you for continuing to post about your experience on Stablon. I really appreciate you taking the time 18 months later to post about your positive experience with this medication.
I am very interested in Stablon because so far, the side effects from SSRI's and Wellbutrin have been pretty bad. I'm trying Prozac again, but if the fatigue and headaches don't go away, I will order the Stablon from overseas (I'm in the US and of course it isn't approved here).
Thank you again for all of the detailed posts.
Posted by traceytastsgr8 on May 21, 2007, at 23:51:28
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by myblusky on December 12, 2006, at 14:34:51
i am going to start on Stablon next week after years of failed rx. From reading previous posts, zoloft and paxil for example are horrific to use, you should note that in a bi polar situation maybe that is hurting your progress. they make you manic. help me with your experience balance this.with stablon, and a benzo i would guess. this is my last try. i am in nyc. i am afraid of weight gain.
t
Posted by sukarno on May 22, 2007, at 4:30:18
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by traceytastsgr8 on May 21, 2007, at 23:51:28
Good luck with Stablon. It is a mild antidepressant relative to the SSRIs and works in a different way, so I think it shouldn't cause mania. It just keeps me (mostly) out of depression, whereas Prozac and its clones (Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft) made me very nervous, wired, and agitated...borderline paranoid.
Not sure about weight gain, but that isn't a listed side effect and I've never gained any weight on it. :-) Let us know how it goes.Paul
Posted by Ayuma on August 29, 2007, at 20:32:22
In reply to Tianeptine tolerance, depression returns, posted by sukarno on July 9, 2005, at 11:31:28
I just ordered Stablon on the net. 120 tablets for 100 U.S. Dollars. If/When I receive it in the mail I plan to take it Not daily. I personally do not accept the idea of having to take a drug daily (i.e. being enslaved by the pill.) I'm not willing to be brainwashed by anything as I did with Prozac. Due to my past (bad!) experience with Prozac, I'll proceed with Extreme Caution when it comes to serotonegic drugs. Bascially I take 5-htp or St. John's Wort (all these herbs made me feel lazy and even estrogenic.).
Posted by Ayuma on August 29, 2007, at 20:37:16
In reply to Tianeptine tolerance, depression returns, posted by sukarno on July 9, 2005, at 11:31:28
I just ordered Stablon on the net. 120 tablets for 100 U.S. Dollars. If/When I receive it in the mail I plan to take it Not daily. I personally do not accept the idea of having to take a drug daily (i.e. being enslaved by the pill.) I'm not willing to be brainwashed by anything as I did with Prozac. Due to my past (bad!) experience with Prozac, I'll proceed with Extreme Caution when it comes to serotonegic drugs. Bascially I take 5-htp or St. John's Wort (all these herbs made me feel lazy and even estrogenic.).
Posted by linkadge on September 1, 2007, at 17:53:35
In reply to Tianeptine Not Daily, posted by Ayuma on August 29, 2007, at 20:37:16
What do you mean by the herbs make you feel estrogenic?
I am not doubting what you say, just curious.
Linkadge
Posted by sukarno on September 2, 2007, at 4:21:37
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily, posted by linkadge on September 1, 2007, at 17:53:35
The half-life of tianeptine is only 2.5 hours. This is very short and according to a psychiatrist I know, taking it less than 3 times a day wouldn't be advisable as it would lack efficacy.
As far as I know, all antidepressants, with the exception of fluoxetine (Prozac), must be taken daily, with the short-acting compounds being taken more than once a day.
Posted by tammytab on September 25, 2007, at 1:55:27
In reply to Re: 18 months on tianeptine (Stablon), posted by sukarno on May 22, 2007, at 4:30:18
I tried Stablon for a few weeks. I definitely noticed some positive effects right away - more energy yet an overall sense of calm, no more insomnia, brightened mood. However, a few weeks into taking it (3x day) I had a couple of severe crashes where I fell into some of the deepest pits of depression I have ever experienced. It's tough to say whether or not that was the Stablon or my situation. I'm now on Wellbutrin XL and it's kept me completely level, but I don't have the sense of peace that came with the Stablon. I'm very interested in trying the two together but am not sure how productive that would be. If anyone has experience with that please post it!
Posted by Ayuma on September 25, 2007, at 18:20:09
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily, posted by linkadge on September 1, 2007, at 17:53:35
Posted by Ayuma on September 25, 2007, at 20:07:54
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily, posted by sukarno on September 2, 2007, at 4:21:37
> The half-life of tianeptine is only 2.5 hours. This is very short and according to a psychiatrist I know, taking it less than 3 times a day wouldn't be advisable as it would lack efficacy.
>
> As far as I know, all antidepressants, with the exception of fluoxetine (Prozac), must be taken daily, with the short-acting compounds being taken more than once a day.
>
>Thanks a lot for providing the info. I've been put on (by myself)* Tianeptine 3 weeks ago. So today it's my third-week completion. About every other day I also take 100 mg of Modafinil for better motivation and energy. I then would add caffeine for my exercise and weight lifting sessions about 3~4 times a week and Stablon really seems to help prevent the terrible "crash" that usually comes during or after an intense/heavy free-weight workout plus some sugary post-wk drinks afterwards. Basically stablon seems to act like a stimulant that allows me to experience a very euphoric workout at the gym while listening to my I-Pod the music sounded amazing giving better motivation and intensity instead of giving up and leaving the fitness centre sooner. From within past three weeks I started with 2 tabs a day, and then a few days later I make it up to 3 tablets a day ... and then one morning I woke up with a not-so-pleasant feeling of over-stimulantion (I.e rapid heartbeat, "fight or flight" getting stucks) by Stablon so I cut it back to 2 a day. And then, just 3 to 4 days ago I suddenly experience a "crash" I was terribly depressed so I immediately up the dosage to 4 to 6 tablets a day and then I am perfectly fine again. Overall it seems to be somewhat of a difficult drug to work with, but certainly not impossible , either. (It's nothing - Nothing compared to the last generation of SSRIs that came with a vast array of unbearable side effects and addiction or withdrawal symptoms, etc..) It just takes patience and time, and - my long term dosages are not guaranteed since locally I can't find a physician who even knows what it is too new. No insurance of any kind but I find it isn't difficult to purchase it in bulk with fairly cheap price online, that is - so long you're lucky enough that you don't run into problem with the local Customs. (Stablon isn't a controlled substance so far.)
Posted by Ayuma on September 29, 2007, at 23:46:34
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily, posted by linkadge on September 1, 2007, at 17:53:35
I mean that some herbs such as St. John's Wort or the nutrient 5-htp or soy amongst others they all raises serotonin in the brain and as a result of more serotonin it also means more Estrogen in our bodies that causes side effects such as fatigue haziness lack of motivation aggressiveness, etc. Male (and sometimes, female) bodybuilders try to avoid anything that raise estrogen ... therefore, their better solution would be anti-depression through adrenaline or dopamine means. A good one is cocaine, but since in reality nobody use it anymore we all turn to Zyban or the newer generation of anti-depressants that raise male hormone instead of turning one into a wuss or sis. (I mean for a MALE !!!!!!!!! )
> What do you mean by the herbs make you feel estrogenic?
>
> I am not doubting what you say, just curious.
>
> Linkadge
Posted by sukarno on September 30, 2007, at 15:26:28
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily (follow up for linkadge), posted by Ayuma on September 29, 2007, at 23:46:34
I just did some googling and it appears that estrogen can increase serotonin levels, but I'm not sure if serotonin can raise estrogen. I guess it's possible.
There is a large group of people who suffer from post-SSRI sexual dysfunction that persists long after the SSRI was discontinued. In many of these cases, the hormone testosterone was low and their doctor prescribed them testosterone.
I feel amotivational, fatigued and a bit emotional at times. I also have almost no libido whatsoever. I'm not on SSRIs though and this has been going on long before I began taking Stablon in March/April 2005.
Dopaminergic drugs would be interesting. I know they help libido, energy, motivation and depression in many cases. The sad thing is that pharmaceutical companies keep developing serotonergic drugs and one of the few good dopaminergic drugs, namely amineptine, was removed from the market in 1999.
I've heard that pramipexole (Mirapex) has been useful when used off-label for treatment-resistant depression. It is a dopamine agonist (D2/D3 receptor agonist).
Posted by fuchsia on October 1, 2007, at 8:08:09
In reply to Re: Tianeptine Not Daily (follow up for linkadge), posted by Ayuma on September 29, 2007, at 23:46:34
>t of more serotonin it also means more Estrogen in our bodies that causes side effects such as fatigue haziness lack of motivation aggressiveness, etc. Male (and sometimes, female) bodybuilders try to avoid anything that raise estrogen ...
I am a female and when my oestrogen is higher I feel the opposite of what you describe ie I am more energetic, more motivated and in a better mood. When it falls I get the symptoms that you describe that you get when the oestrogen is increasing.
fuchsia
Posted by Ayuma on October 2, 2007, at 14:42:01
In reply to Tianeptine good for panic disorder?, posted by sukarno on March 23, 2005, at 5:50:47
I've had panic attacks while on Stablon. only that it seemed somewhat less severe. I didn't take stablon for panic attacks, because, I was already able to deal with them through a special technique, called "One Move", that can really only be learn by working with professionals (who's trained for such rare technique.) The very first time I applied "One Move" into my anxiety attack experience it blew my mind totally, because it is the first time that I don't have to take a drug that it can immediately trick my brain (anytime, anywhere - unnoticed by others) into releasing massive amount of naturally occurring relaxing chemicals that resemble that of an effective dosage of Alprozolam (Xanax). Ever since I'm forever freed from panic attacks and I'm able to consume massive amount of coffee/caffeine or stimulant and still never afraid of another panic attack again ... if anything I'm expecting or haunting one down the road (you have to want one to come your way daily to keep one from coming back, after applying One Move) I have been housebound for years but as a result of finally-free (due to One Move taught by my utmost updated therapist) I plan to travel all over the world in the near future (but won't take meds with me in case there might be customs problems.)
Posted by Maria3667 on October 7, 2007, at 14:29:17
In reply to Re: Tianeptine good for panic disorder?, posted by Ayuma on October 2, 2007, at 14:42:01
Just the opposite I guess! Tianeptine GAVE me panic disorder, if anything.
Yes great for depression, but I'd steer well clear if you already have panic/anxiety attacks...Just my 2 cents.
Maria
> I've had panic attacks while on Stablon. only that it seemed somewhat less severe. I didn't take stablon for panic attacks, because, I was already able to deal with them through a special technique, called "One Move", that can really only be learn by working with professionals (who's trained for such rare technique.) The very first time I applied "One Move" into my anxiety attack experience it blew my mind totally, because it is the first time that I don't have to take a drug that it can immediately trick my brain (anytime, anywhere - unnoticed by others) into releasing massive amount of naturally occurring relaxing chemicals that resemble that of an effective dosage of Alprozolam (Xanax). Ever since I'm forever freed from panic attacks and I'm able to consume massive amount of coffee/caffeine or stimulant and still never afraid of another panic attack again ... if anything I'm expecting or haunting one down the road (you have to want one to come your way daily to keep one from coming back, after applying One Move) I have been housebound for years but as a result of finally-free (due to One Move taught by my utmost updated therapist) I plan to travel all over the world in the near future (but won't take meds with me in case there might be customs problems.)
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