Tianeptine is a drug with antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects. It has been shown to improve the symptoms of depression and beneficial in the treatment of asthma. However, tianeptine is potentially addictive and can lead to abuse or overdose, especially in those with a history of previous addiction.

Disclaimer: This post is not a recommendation or endorsement for the use of tianeptine. The FDA has not approved this drug for any specific medical or other use, and the available research on it is still in a very early stage, without adequate data to come to any firm conclusions about its general efficacy or safety in human users. We have written this post for informational purposes only, and our goal is solely to inform people about what science currently says about tianeptine’s mechanisms, potential effects, and possible side-effects.

What Is Tianeptine?

Tianeptine is a drug primarily used to improve the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). It has also been used to help irritable bowel syndrome and asthma.

Tianeptine has antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties [1].

Tianeptine has a variety of effects on the body, including motivation enhancement, anxiety suppression, cognitive euphoria, focus enhancement, rejuvenation, and cognitive fatigue [2, 3].

Tianeptine was discovered and patented by the French society of Medical Research in the 1960s. Its brand names include Stablon, Coaxil, Tatinol, Tianeurax, and Salymbra.

Tianeptine is available in some European, Asian, and South American countries. However, it is banned in the United Kingdom, and is not medically prescribed by doctors in the United States due to concerns over its potential for abuse and addiction [4].

Tianeptine has challenged the monoaminergic hypothesis of depression, as well as the proposed monoaminergic mechanisms whereby the action of most known antidepressants was explained [5].

However, no one is sure exactly how tianeptine works or helps the conditions listed. The mechanisms listed are potential mechanisms by which it can help these conditions.

Proposed Mechanisms for Tianeptine in Depression

• Modulating the glutamate receptors, including NMDA and AMPA receptors [6].
• Normalizing glutamate levels. It reversed stress-induced increases of glutamate in the rat basolateral nucleus of the amygdala [7].
• Potentiating AMPA receptor function in the frontal cortex (via phosphorylation of GluR1 subunits) [5].
• Activating the Mu-opioid and delta-opioid receptors, which has antidepressive effects [8].
• Increasing the release of BDNF [6].
• Enhancing serotonin