Drug & supplement interaction

Tianeptine + Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate brand name: Anacin w/ Codeine.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate falls into 2 drug categories that Tianeptine can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Tianeptine has sedative effects; high doses may have additive effects with other CNS depressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Tianeptine and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Tianeptine interacts with whole categories of medication. Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Tianeptine in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Tianeptine interacts with.

Tianeptine has sedative effects; high doses may have additive effects with other CNS depressants.
Higher doses of tianeptine have opioid like effects and may have additive effects with other sedative drugs. In one case report, a 42-year-old male presented with respiratory depression and aspiration pneumonia due to concomitant use of high-dose tianeptine and alprazolam.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's what to know about combining tianeptine with this medicine. The codeine part is an opioid, so it already slows breathing and brings on drowsiness on its own. Tianeptine, especially in the high doses found in those over-the-counter 'gas station' products, can act opioid-like too. Stack the two together and those calming, sedating effects can pile up. The real worry is added sedation, slowed breathing, and dizziness, and at worst dangerously shallow breathing. There's a case where high-dose tianeptine plus a sedative led to respiratory trouble.

This concern is based on how these drugs work rather than hard study data, so the risk is theoretical but plausible. I'd strongly urge you not to use over-the-counter tianeptine at all, and please loop in your doctor or pharmacist before mixing anything with codeine.

References
  1. Lauhan R, Hsu A, Alam A, Beizai K. Tianeptine Abuse and Dependence: Case Report and Literature Review. Psychosomatics. 2018;59(6):547-553. PubMed
  2. Lucaj S, Leo RJ. Tianeptine Sodium: A Nootropic With Potentially Lethal Consequences. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018;20(4).
  3. Samuels BA, Nautiyal KM, Kruegel AC, et al. The Behavioral Effects of the Antidepressant Tianeptine Require the Mu-Opioid Receptor. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017;42(10):2052-2063. PubMed
Moderate

ASPIRIN

2 of 2
Chronic use of aspirin might increase the levels and clinical effects of tianeptine.
Aspirin is converted to salicylic acid in the body. In vitro research shows that salicylic acid binds to the same protein sites as tianeptine, displacing protein-bound tianeptine and leading to higher levels of tianeptine in the blood.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

First, an honest heads-up: tianeptine isn't FDA-approved here and the high-dose 'gas station' versions act like opioids. I'd really urge you to talk with a doctor before using it at all. That said, here's what this specific interaction means. The aspirin in your Anacin with Codeine gets turned into salicylic acid, and lab studies suggest that salicylic acid can bump tianeptine off the proteins it normally rides on in your blood. The result is potentially more free tianeptine floating around, which could amplify its effects.

This matters most because your product also contains codeine, an opioid. Stacking more active tianeptine on top of codeine could deepen drowsiness, slowed breathing, and overdose risk. Keep in mind this is based on test-tube data, not strong human studies, but please run it by your pharmacist first.

References
  1. Zini R, Morin D, Salvadori C, Tillement JP. The influence of various drugs on the binding of tianeptine to human plasma proteins. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1991;29(2):64-6.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Tianeptine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Tianeptine has 9 major, 267 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Tianeptine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Tianeptine. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

This page covers Tianeptine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate page lists 398 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).

By severity: 17 major · 334 moderate · 47 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate page

“Anacin with Codeine combines aspirin, caffeine, and codeine, and each of the three picks up its own supplement problems, so this is a list worth real caution. Just over half of the 398 ingredients here, 202 of them, can add to aspirin's blood-thinning action and raise bleeding risk.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Tianeptine and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Tianeptine
Steady interest

#1,075 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate
Steady interest

#1,423 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Tianeptine

What is Tianeptine?

  • Depression (prescription use in some countries)
  • Anxiety
  • Mood enhancement
  • Pain relief
  • Self-treatment of opioid withdrawal
  • Recreational euphoria

Tianeptine is a prescription antidepressant in some countries, but it is NOT approved by the FDA in the United States and is illegally sold in dietary supplements and 'gas station' products. At high doses it acts like an opioid and carries serious risks of addiction, overdose, and dangerous withdrawal. We strongly advise against using over-the-counter tianeptine products and urge anyone considering it to talk with a doctor or pharmacist first.

Read the full Tianeptine monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tianeptine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Tianeptine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

9Major
267Moderate
0Minor
2,553No known interaction
Major

9 interactions

Moderate

267 interactions

Showing 60 of 267 moderate interactions — see all 267 on the Tianeptine page.

No interaction 2,553 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Tianeptine and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Tianeptine with Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Tianeptine and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate?
Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate belongs to more than one drug category, and Tianeptine interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Tianeptine and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.