Indications:

Major depressive episodes (mild, moderate, or severe).

Properties:

In man, tianeptine is characterized by an action on anxious symptomatology associated with depression.

Dosage and administration:

The recommended dosage is 3 tablets daily, 1 in the morning, 1 at midday, and 1 in the evening before the main meals of the day. In chronic alcoholics, whether cirrhotic or not, no alteration of dosage is necessary. In subjects over 70 years of age, and in subjects with renal insufficiency, the dosage should be restricted to 2 tablets per day.

Contraindications:

Children under 15 years of age; combination with MAOIs; pregnancy; lactation.

Precautions:

Given the inherent suicide risk in depressed patients, patients should be carefully monitored, especially at the beginning of treatment; precautions in case of anesthesia; the attention of drivers and machine-operators should be drawn to the risk of drowsiness; as with all psychotropic agents, if the treatment is to be interrupted, the dosage should be gradually reduced.

Drug interactions:

With nonselective MAOIs.

Side effects:

Rare and generally not severe: epigastric pain, abdominal pain, dry mouth, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, flatulence; insomnia, drowsiness, nightmares, asthenia; tachycardia, extrasystoles, precordial pain; vertigo, headache, lipothymia, tremor, hot flushes; respiratory discomfort, lump in the throat; myalgia, back pain.

How supplied:

Coated tablets of 12.5 mg tianeptine sodium salt per tablet.