pure tianeptine was first synthesized by French researchers in 1981. Since then, it has been widely used in Europe and gradually extended to the American continent. Both the United States and Belgium started clinical research on the effectiveness of tianeptine in 2009, and the research did not come to an end until 2012, resulting in the derivation of a variety of isomers.
Generally speaking, psychiatrists usually prescribe SSRI drugs to treat depression. If SSRI does not work, they will use older antidepressants, such as tricyclic and MAO inhibitors. This makes tianeptine a potential substance of abuse.
Experiments have proved that the efficacy of tianeptine on severe depressive episodes (major depression) is equivalent to amitriptyline, imipramine, and fluoxetine, and the side effects are significantly reduced. Medical experts have tested and found that the treatment with 35% CO2 gas (carbogen) and tianeptine on paroxetine showed equivalent panic blocking effect. A study conducted in Egypt in 2005 showed that tianeptine was effective in men with depression and erectile dysfunction, and had a good effect on alleviating cognitive impairment caused by depression.
What are the positive and negative effects of tianeptine?
Early studies of tianeptine as an antidepressant have shown that this drug may be more effective than other types of antidepressants, especially tricyclic drugs.
| Tianeptine has been studied as a potential treatment: | |
| Severe depression | Adjustment obstacle |
| Depression associated with bipolar disorder | Depression and anxiety associated with alcohol use disorders |
| Bad mood | |
| Although some study participants in other medical studies seem to respond better to other antidepressants, long-term treatment with tianeptine seems to reduce the recurrence of depressive symptoms. In many people, tianeptine is a potential treatment because some people may respond better than others. | |
| Tianeptine appears to have low-risk side effects similar to SSRI, so it is unlikely to lead to: | |
| Abuse or addiction | Sleep problems |
| gain weight | Thinking or memory problems |
| Cardiovascular damage | Changes in voluntary and involuntary movements |
Because of how the human body processes tianeptine through the intestine and liver, it has high bioavailability and a short half-life, so it is quickly eliminated. This means that the effects on the brain occur faster; Previous antidepressants took weeks to take effect. Since the body will quickly eliminate the drug, people taking prescription tianeptine must adhere to the predetermined dose, so the drug maintains a consistent level of activity in the body.
Unlike other antidepressants, tianeptine appears to be a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer rather than an inhibitor. A breakthrough study in 2014 found that the drug acts on some opioid receptors, but the receptors related to poisoning are ineffective. This action helps improve mood by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters, which can also alleviate anxiety.
Tianeptine also increases the amount of serotonin absorbed by the brain. Other classes of antidepressants prevent serotonin receptors from absorbing this important neurotransmitter, but rapid absorption also seems to have antidepressant effects.
Nevertheless, the 2014 study showed that the effect of tianeptine on some opioid receptors may lead to poisoning if a sufficiently large dose of the drug is abused.
| The most common short-term effects of early medical research reports include: | |
| headache | dizzy |
| constipation | nausea |
| Stomach pain or spasm | Change dreams or sleep patterns |
What is the long-term harm of abuse of tianeptine? What are the effects of overdose?
A recent study involved the effects of tianeptine on mice to understand how the drug affects the human brain. The study found that the antidepressant can produce some opioid-like effects - especially analgesia and stimulating the brain reward system. For some people, these side effects may trigger drug-seeking compulsive behavior (psychological factors) associated with addiction. However, there was no indication of drug tolerance, which means that over time, mice did not seek higher doses of drugs. Tianeptine also did not produce withdrawal symptoms. This makes tianeptine different from other antidepressants. If it is taken for a long time, it must be gradually reduced. Although its harm is not reflected in drugs, experts firmly believe that the long-term use of any kind of drugs will lead to the destruction or even collapse of the micro ecological circulation system of the human body, which may be just a moment or undetected.
At the same time, please note that women taking high-dose tianeptine during pregnancy may lead to neonatal withdrawal syndrome. Medical research has not finally found the cause of this situation, but it may be related to the activation of opioid receptors by tianeptine.
The relationship between tianeptine and overdose is not extensive, but because the drug acts on some opioid receptors, some cases have reported that tianeptine overdose is related to respiratory depression. Slow, irregular breathing is often associated with opioid abuse and overdose; However, there is no research support, which needs to be further verified. Overdose of tianeptine is related to cardiovascular injury, which is supported by cases. Therefore, you have heart disease or you feel that the change of heart rate is very unstable. Please check your body and consider the use of this product. If you encounter this situation, please contact your doctor in time. In the emergency room, doctors usually treat patients with overdoses with naloxone. This is because naloxone is one of the drugs most often associated with the temporary cessation of opioid overdoses, but it also seems to be suitable for this case of tianeptine overdose.
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