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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Pacha on February 28, 2001, at 6:38:12
I think this is a weird drug. It works well, but then seems to stop working, then starts working again.
Good for panic attacks. Completely rid me of asthma. Haven't used my inhaler for over 2 months (need to use every day before taking tian)
What r your experiences ?
Posted by AndrewB on February 28, 2001, at 12:07:36
In reply to Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by Pacha on February 28, 2001, at 6:38:12
Pacha,
There are a couple of studies that indicate that tianeptine is something of a miracle drug for asthma. Unfortunatley the drug is not available in the United States except by ordering it from overseas.
I've been tracking this board and another (depression discussion) board for over 2 years and have yet to hear of an unequivocalably positive anti-depressive response to tianeptine. Perhaps it has its place as an AD. Perhaps it needs to be combined with other meds. I just don't know. My own short experience with it was not positive.
AndrewB
Posted by Lynne on March 1, 2001, at 11:08:17
In reply to Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by Pacha on February 28, 2001, at 6:38:12
> I think this is a weird drug. It works well, but then seems to stop working, then starts working again.
>
> Good for panic attacks. Completely rid me of asthma. Haven't used my inhaler for over 2 months (need to use every day before taking tian)
>
>
> What r your experiences ?Pacha,
Can you tell me why you are taking Tianeptine? For what type of psych problems? You mentioned it helped your Asthma I would love to find something to help me other than 4 different inhalers. Also It would be great if it helped with OCD,ADD, Depression. Can you share with me your experiences with this drug? Oh Yes,and what about weight gain?
Thanks in advance,
Lynne
Posted by mocdoc on July 11, 2001, at 15:51:16
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by Lynne on March 1, 2001, at 11:08:17
Dear All,
Started tianeptine 12.5 mg pills on July 6. Took one pill on each of the 6th and 7th, 2 on each of 8th, 9th and 10th, (I believe in "start low-go slow") and today, July 11 I'll be starting to take the full dose of 12.5 mg three times a day. I had the strange experience of feeling better on the first 2 days -placebo effect??
My diagnosis is rapidly cycling Bipolar, OCD, and I also have extreme sensitivity to light and color, and occasional taste and smell hallucinations (temporal lobe problem??)
My doctor agreed that I should try it becuse SRIs-specific or nonspecific- make me worse.
I'll keep you posted.
mocdoc
Posted by MB on July 11, 2001, at 22:48:07
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by mocdoc on July 11, 2001, at 15:51:16
> Dear All,
> Started tianeptine 12.5 mg pills on July 6. Took one pill on each of the 6th and 7th, 2 on each of 8th, 9th and 10th, (I believe in "start low-go slow") and today, July 11 I'll be starting to take the full dose of 12.5 mg three times a day. I had the strange experience of feeling better on the first 2 days -placebo effect??
> My diagnosis is rapidly cycling Bipolar, OCD, and I also have extreme sensitivity to light and color, and occasional taste and smell hallucinations (temporal lobe problem??)
> My doctor agreed that I should try it becuse SRIs-specific or nonspecific- make me worse.
> I'll keep you posted.
> mocdocWhat you have sounds a little bit like me...SSRIs, while they "cure" the depression (at least for the first few days I'm on them) cause other problems, and I guess you might say they make me worse in terms of those other problems (racing thoughts, color flashes out of the corner of my eye, irritibility & rage attacks). I'm curious to hear if you've had any weird reactions to caffeine. It's starting to trigger symptoms like the one's I described above (it didn't before) but I can't quit--I'm addicted, and I crash into suicidality if I don't drink it. I'm a wimp: I've actually thought about checking myself in somewhere to get off of it. it's a nightmare. **have you had any similar experiences with caffeine?** I ask because your symptoms sound like mine.
Posted by mocdoc on July 12, 2001, at 13:06:18
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ? » mocdoc, posted by MB on July 11, 2001, at 22:48:07
Dear MB,
There does appear to be overlap in our symptoms. But I'm OK with caffeine-except for the common withdrawal headache if I stop it suddenly. So now I drink only decaf coffee (lots) but may have a maximum of 2 cups of regular black tea a day which probably is the equivalent of one regular coffee a day.
Lets face it-caffeine is a brain-active drug. Are you on any prescribed drugs?
Take care,
mocdoc
Posted by MB on July 12, 2001, at 17:15:02
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by mocdoc on July 12, 2001, at 13:06:18
> Dear MB,
> There does appear to be overlap in our symptoms. But I'm OK with caffeine-except for the common withdrawal headache if I stop it suddenly. So now I drink only decaf coffee (lots) but may have a maximum of 2 cups of regular black tea a day which probably is the equivalent of one regular coffee a day.
> Lets face it-caffeine is a brain-active drug. Are you on any prescribed drugs?
> Take care,
> mocdocRight now, I'm on l-thyroxine and Aciphex (for acid reflux). I haven't been on antidepressants for about 8 months. Last time I saw a pdoc was about 8 months ago...he wanted to try Celexa (supposedly fewer side effects) and within a day I was raging and anxious with the blue flashes, etc., and I decided I just couldn't take it. I've decided that in the long run, my mood isn't any better on SSRIs (except for the first week, when the depression is gone, but I'm bouncing off the walls and yelling at people and paranoid and obsessive, etc.).
I've recently been worrying that my thyroid medicine is too high. I have to be careful because I can be sort of a hypochondriac, but I think I've decided I feel better if I don't take it for a few days (my intolorance to caffeine gets better too!). When I do take it, I feel like I'm going to die (now even without caffeine). I think I need to see an endocrinologist fairly soon.
Posted by mocdoc on July 12, 2001, at 18:21:13
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ? » mocdoc, posted by MB on July 12, 2001, at 17:15:02
Dear MB,
We seem to share an intolerance to SSRIs-they really aggrevate rather than help my OCD. The worst anxiety I ever experienced in my life followed a single dose of Paxil. I have tried low dose Zoloft (a mere 6.25 mg daily) and by day 3 I had severe akathesia.
I am familiar with the use of thyroid hormone to potentiate antidepressants but I'd not heard of using it alone in psychiatry. Or are you hypothyroid?
Regards,
mocdoc
Posted by Cecilia on July 13, 2001, at 3:27:55
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by mocdoc on July 12, 2001, at 18:21:13
> Dear MB,
> We seem to share an intolerance to SSRIs-they really aggrevate rather than help my OCD. The worst anxiety I ever experienced in my life followed a single dose of Paxil. I have tried low dose Zoloft (a mere 6.25 mg daily) and by day 3 I had severe akathesia.
> I am familiar with the use of thyroid hormone to potentiate antidepressants but I'd not heard of using it alone in psychiatry. Or are you hypothyroid?
> Regards,
> mocdocDoes anyone have some links to articles on tianeptine, especially regarding drug interactions? Can it be used to augment SSRI`s or should it only be used by itself? Is tianeptine chemically related to Buspar-I recall reading that both actually lower Serotonin.
Posted by mocdoc on July 13, 2001, at 8:16:49
In reply to Re: TIANEPTINE -Questions, posted by Cecilia on July 13, 2001, at 3:27:55
Dear Ceclia,
I have a lot of info on tianeptine and saved it as files but did not save the links. I could only send them via e-mail attachments and you probably don't want to reveal your mailbox. The only interaction I recall is a prohibition against taking it with MAO inhibitors.Using it with SSRIs seems illogical since they have opposite effects on serotonin but I'm no psychiatrist. I'm feeling very depressed at the moment but when I feel better I will try to answer your query re Buspar and tianeptine.
I have now been on tianeptine 7 days and feel worse-I'm not sure whether to try to ride it out or quit.
Be well,
mocdoc
Posted by MB on July 13, 2001, at 12:47:43
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ?, posted by mocdoc on July 12, 2001, at 18:21:13
> Dear MB,
> We seem to share an intolerance to SSRIs-they really aggrevate rather than help my OCD. The worst anxiety I ever experienced in my life followed a single dose of Paxil. I have tried low dose Zoloft (a mere 6.25 mg daily) and by day 3 I had severe akathesia.
> I am familiar with the use of thyroid hormone to potentiate antidepressants but I'd not heard of using it alone in psychiatry. Or are you hypothyroid?
> Regards,
> mocdocWell, I was originally put on the thyroid to augment Effexor, but when I quit taking the Effexor, they retested my Thyroid and said to keep taking it. When I took Effexor, I had the 37.5mg tablets, which I broke into quarters. I took a quarter a day (9.375mg). It was probably the most effective AD (for me) I've taken, even at that small dose...but over the years with poop-out, switching meds, stoping meds, etc, my tolorance to these drugs has gone down, and they just plain make me nuts. I used to smoke marijuana, also, so that might explain my ability to tolorate SSRIs better in the past. Now I have nothing to combat the irritibility, akathisia, anxiety, cramps, etc. It's hard to say whether my tolorance has gone down to the SSRIs or whether I'm just lacking the mitigating properties of marijana that I used to have (I have to add here that I wish I never smoked it because I think it has somewhat complicated my mood problems).
Posted by mocdoc on July 13, 2001, at 15:37:46
In reply to Re: Any fellow TIANEPTINE users out there ? » mocdoc, posted by MB on July 13, 2001, at 12:47:43
Dear All,
Well I have declared the tianeptine experiment a failure-despite being a serotonin reuptake enhancer, it has (I believe-or is it coincidence) greatly aggrevated my OCD. Just like the SRIs-selective or non-selective. I also have Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy and urinary outflow was also compromised even though tianeptine got only a plus 1 (compared to Anafranil's plus 4) on an anticholinergic rating scale I found on the Web. The prescribing information does warn of dry mouth so I should have predicted this. Dumb me.
If not for possible legal implications, I would offer the remaining 5 weeks worth of this drug free to anyone, however technically-and legally- I have imported it only for my own use.
mocdoc
Posted by Cecilia on July 14, 2001, at 2:12:44
In reply to Re: TIANEPTINE -Questions, posted by mocdoc on July 13, 2001, at 8:16:49
> Dear Ceclia,
> I have a lot of info on tianeptine and saved it as files but did not save the links. I could only send them via e-mail attachments and you probably don't want to reveal your mailbox. The only interaction I recall is a prohibition against taking it with MAO inhibitors.Using it with SSRIs seems illogical since they have opposite effects on serotonin but I'm no psychiatrist. I'm feeling very depressed at the moment but when I feel better I will try to answer your query re Buspar and tianeptine.
> I have now been on tianeptine 7 days and feel worse-I'm not sure whether to try to ride it out or quit.
> Be well,
> mocdocYes, I agree that using Tianeptine with SSRIs seems illogical because of their opposite effects on Serotonin, but I`m sure I read somewhere that Buspar also decrease the Serotonin level and it`s used all the time to augment SSRI`s, though it did nothing for me.
It`s so frustrating-no one really has a clue how any of these meds work-even the FDA approved ones, let alone those that aren`t. I relly don`t know if my current combination of Celexa, Trazodone and clonazepam does anything for me or not but I`m afraid to go off it because I had the worst most overwhelming depression of a lifetime of depression last summer when my doctor told me there was nothing more to try except ECT, I went on clonazepam then to help with the overwhelming panic that suggestion filled me with and later added the previously tried trazodone and celexa because they don`t have any side effects, maybe they help a little with anxiety, I`m not in that horrible place I was last summer, but I don`t know whether the meds are doing anything at all or whether it`s just the release of anxiety once I accepted I would never be brave enough to try ECT.
Posted by mocdoc on July 15, 2001, at 18:08:16
In reply to Re: TIANEPTINE -Questions, posted by Cecilia on July 14, 2001, at 2:12:44
Dear Cecilia,
I'm a little fuzzy re Buspar-I recall reading as you point out that Buspar decreases serotonin neuronal activity but I also have read that it's a serotonin 5-HT1A agonist, as well as having other effects. It did nothing for me either(except reduce my bank account).
I had ECT over 30 years ago and after the 4th or 5th treatment I began to have smell hallucinations which I had never had before-and still have, so I share your reluctance regarding that! (although many have been helped by ECT-but the relapse rate is high).
Tianeptine did what every other antidepressant does to me-terrible anxiety, worseningof OCD. I'm going to try to ride out this depression for a while on just clonzepam as a stabilizer-anxiolytic.
Hope by the time you read this you're feeling better.
mocdoc
This is the end of the thread.
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