Tianeptine by Intellimeds

Biohacker Review: A happiness-hacking antidepressant (but not for stoics)

The anecdotal reports of Tianeptine led me to believe that it's an antidepressant with cumulative effects. So I've been taking two little capsules of Tianeptine a day and it's a pretty subtle effect but I think I like it, although I didn't experience any pronounced cumulative effects.

It adds a background hum of happiness. The best way I can describe it is kind of like rolling; if you've ever done good ecstasy or MDMA and you just had this feeling of inner happiness and satisfaction. It's like that, although not to such an intense degree minus the potent pro-social effects of MDMA. I didn't find myself being impetuously affectionate with everyone. The effect half-life seems a little short, I notice a subtle optimism for about 3-4 hours after dosing.

Tianeptine is not particularly great for my concentration and staying focused on a task. The real way to tell the difference between a true focus drug and merely a mood enhancer is doing the breath counting during meditation; while on Tianeptine I am not as capable of strong persistent focus. While meditating, the mood enhancement effects of Tianeptine are more noticeable and pleasurable but I'm not the same tour de force of concentration on Tianeptine that I am on Modafinil or Caballo. Some tranquilizing Nootropics can be great for creativity or a productive writing session but not this one.

I did combine it with 5-HTP which is a cofactor that stacks well with Tianeptine according to several Biohacker accounts I read online and there wasn't much of a noticeable effect. My stomach got a little upset to so it's unlikely that I'll stack these two again.

Tianeptine plus a Racetam or another Nootropic that you find motivating would make a good stack. As the energizing Nootropic would offset the lackadaisical mindset that Tianeptine puts you in but you would still get that nice feel-good background buzz.

I imagine Tianeptine would be a great drug to use if I was like one of these stressed-out people who really need to take a vacation and then when they finally do take a vacation they are freaking out about little things. I do meditation so I'm able to properly relax on command, but I'll probably use some Tianeptine next time I go on vacation and need to get away from it all.

The beachside biohacking was VERY SERIOUS

As I get older and more stoic I see happiness as a whole lot less worthy goal. Happiness should be a mere side effect of one's efforts. To borrow from the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.

Well...
I'll preserve life by Biohacking myself for longevity and vitality.
I'll preserve liberty by acting like and man of thought and thinking like a man of action.
Happiness I'll pursue by being a disciplined ethical hedonist, but happiness will find me if I devote myself vigorously to life and liberty.
Tianeptine is one of the better pharmacological happiness hacks I've tried but It's not happiness I've earned, it's just happiness I swallow 10 milligrams at a time. So I don't see myself making a habit out of using this one.

What is Tianeptine?

Tianeptine is an anxiolytic compound that is primarily used for its mood-boosting and anti-anxiety properties [1]. This substance also has nootropic abilities in regards to individuals whose cognition is negatively impacted by mood disorders [2]. It has the ability to improve focus and concentration in individuals who have poor attention spans as well [3].

This compound gets its mood-boosting abilities from one of two mechanisms. The first possible explanation is that it enhances serotonin reuptake. However, more recent research indicates its function as an AMPA and glutamate receptor modulator is the more likely explanation [4, 5].

Of these explanations, the latter of the two also explicates the nootropic properties of tianeptine as it alters neuroplasticity and secretes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein released in the brain that ensures the survival and proliferation of neurons [5, 6, 7, 8].

Tianeptine

Category: Nootropic Ingredients

⚠️ Update: It was reckless of me to combine this antidepressant with other Nootropics. Take it alone if you try it.