Zoloft didn't work well. Now on Stablon (tianpetine). Any experiences?

August 30, 2012 1:57 PM

Zoloft didn't work well. Now on Stablon (tianpetine). Any experiences?

I was diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and put on Zoloft (12.5mg, twice a day) for 2 months. The first couple of days, it was amazing because I worked like a machine and got tons done. Then things went downhill from there
- my appetite for sleep shot up till 10-12 hours/day were not enough
- libido went down to zero and even into negative territory at times
- started getting jittery legs (only during the evenings/nights)
- productivity went down significantly, couldn't focus at all

I spoke to my psychiatrist today and he has put me on Stablon/tianeptine (12.5mg, twice a day) for the next 2 weeks. I've been furiously searching online about this drug as this is the first time I've heard about it and am getting mixed reviews that range from "It's a miracle drug" to "Hair loss horrors". Any experiences from users on this forum would be much appreciated. I took my first dose this evening and went for a concert of one of my favorite bands. I did feel slightly better than I did with the Zoloft, I can say

posted by epiphinite to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

They're all different. And what's worse, they're all different for different people. Somewhere out there is an antidepressant with your name on it. Zoloft wasn't it, Stablon might be. If it doesn't work, try something else. Unfortunately there is no science to it. I tried 4 other antidepressants before getting to Welbutrin, but it turned out to be perfect for me. Some of the others were just blah, one made me feel suicidal. Some people I know swear by the one that made me feel suicidal, and some say Welbutrin was hell for them. All of this is to say that no one's experience but your own will be relevant. If you start to notice unpleasant side effects, contact your doctor. Good luck.

BTW, hair loss is not a typical side effect of Stablon.
posted by ubiquity at 2:09 PM on August 30, 2012

Most of the SSR_ classes of drugs will have strange side effects. These often will change your eating and sleeping habits, your sexuality, the perceptual/physiological effects of other drugs on your body, among many other things.

I have tried Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac, as well as risperidone, amphetamine, and many others. The most advice I can offer is to remember that these are lifestyle drugs, not fixes. Each drug is going to put you in a different place and it may or may not address the issues you have. I personally have no experience with tianpetine. My experience with SSR_s was not pleasant.

Best of luck and be safe!
posted by fieldcannotbeblank at 7:03 PM on August 30, 2012