Posted by Trotter on October 5, 2008, at 17:20:05
Hi everyone out in Dr Bob land! My first post.
50yo male living in Australia.
Probably been clinically depressed for at least 10 years, but possible that I would have been diagnosed with depression as a child as I have never been very happy.
I've been on the AD merry-go-round for around 8 years. Typical story. Been on and off lots of meds. Either didn't work or side effects outweighed the benefit, usually the latter. Tried most of the SSRIs, Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine, Reboxetine, Bupropion, Modafinil, Dexamphetamine as well as alternative supplements like SAMe, St Johns Wort, Tyrosine, fish oil, vitamins, Phenylalanine, DHEA. Never tried TCAs or MAOIs - had too many side effects on the other ADs!
The solution I settled on for a couple of years was Fluvoxamine and a tiny amount of Olanzapine to help me sleep. This kept me out of depression but in a sort of limbo land. My feelings and emotions were blunted and I was not very interested in other people. Sex was problematic.
Towards the end of 2007 I weaned myself off Fluvoxamine and Olanzapine and had another try without any meds. This brought me more in touch with my feelings and my cognitive function improved. Sex got better for a while, then sank again. Perhaps this is the depression, but I also suspect some long term SSRI damage. My mood and energy levels gradually dropped back to my non meds base level, so I'm now vulnerable to depressive episodes again.
5 days ago I started Tianeptine. So far I haven't experienced any severe side effects. My sleep has been disrupted to some extent, but manageable. My blood pressure shot up after the first dose - I saw my MD a few hours after the first tablet. He said come back in a couple of weeks to see if has come down. I have noticed a stimulant effect at times. Some slight headaches. My haemorrhoids have played up a little, probably caused by high blood pressure. Anyway, so far so good. Obviously I would like the BP to come down, but I am optimistic this is a temporary stimulant-like side effect.
For five years I have kept a daily record of my mood on a spreadsheet in order to analyse all the factors that may affect my mood. I rate my daily mood on a scale of 1-9. I have had only one day when I achieved a rating of 9. This was the first day I took Modafinil. I didn't feel euphoric, just fully alive. I wondered at the time whether this was how most people felt much of the time. Never had another 9 on Modafinil. A couple of 8s, then my brain decided I was way too happy and gradually downregulated me pretty much all the way. I suspect Modafinil acted as a stimulant by raising dopamine. Interestingly I did not experience any benefit from Dexamphetamine. Modafinil affected me similar to caffeine, only better.
I am hoping to have a good response to Tianeptine. I hope it raises dopamine in a sustainable way. I also hope it reverses the damage to my brain caused by chronic stress. I also hope it has a positive serotonin action, as I do respond to SSRIs. My worst AD was the SNRI Reboxetine. I note with interest Tianeptine reduces plasma NA. This also is a good indicator.
I've read with interest many of the babble posts about Tianeptine and Agomelatine. I'm excited about the potential of Agomelatine, especially considering my chronic sleep problems. However it is sensible for me to give Tianeptine a good try first as AD responses are very individual and there is no guarantee Agomelatine will work for me.
I would appreciate status updates on others using Tianeptine.
poster:Trotter
thread:855890
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080926/msgs/855890.html