Fatal intoxication with tianeptine (Stablon)
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Paula Proença1, Helena Teixeira, João Pinheiro
1National Institute of Legal Medicine- Delegation of Coimbra, Largo da Sé Nova, Coimbra, Portugal. paulaproenca@dcinml.mj.pt <paulaproenca@dcinml.mj.pt>
Abstract:
Tianeptine (Stablon), although structurally similar to tricyclic antidepressants, acts by enhancing the reuptake of serotonin. A fatal case is presented involving a 26-year-old man, found lying in bed with a "mushroom of foam" around his mouth. Empty blister packs of Stablon and a suicide note were found next to the body. A liquid-liquid extraction procedure with n-hexane: ethyl acetate and n-hexane: 2-propanol, followed by LC-DAD-MS analysis, using positive mode electrospray ionization was performed. The detection limit was 0.001 microg/mL. The toxicological results revealed the following tianeptine concentrations in the post-mortem samples: blood 5.1 microg/mL; urine 2.0 microg/mL; liver 23 microg/g; stomach contents 22 mg. Femoral blood analyses also revealed an ethanol concentration of 0.53 g/L. The present method was also developed and validated for the other post-mortem specimens, since no previous published data had confirmed the post-mortem distribution of tianeptine. The absence of other suitable direct causes of death (macroscopic or histological) and the positive results achieved with the toxicological analysis led the pathologist to rule that death was due to an intoxication caused by the suicidal ingestion of tianeptine in combination with alcohol.
More Related Videos
11:14Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 2, 2016
08:36Neurotoxicity Assessment in Adult Danio rerio using a Battery of Behavioral Tests in a Single Tank
Published on: November 3, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Toxidromes: Clinical Features
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies
Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Drug Toxicity: Overview
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios