I don’t know about the neuro-protective and GI benefits, but I don’t think this would be a first line supplement for either purpose
I have had my fair share of experiences with Tianeptine, and it’s largely very positive. Vicaine was certainly much more than Tianeptine- and the formula in its entirety was designed to reduce the potentially addictive nature of Tianeptine. Vicaine was amazing, and I went through many bottles. The only negative was a reduced libido after a few months or so. I never experienced any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. IMO, that product blew away Kratom- by a long shot. More positives and MUCH less negatives.
I also tried pure Tianeptine Sulfate 25mg x 3 doses per day, and really didn’t experience anything that special. Just potentially a bit more relaxed- and even tired if I took 50mg at once. It basically just feels like a dose of a mediocre racetam. Tianeptine Sodium as a solo ingredient was also relatively mediocre, but it did have some nice results on a few occasions combined with the right stim product.
I actually just ordered some capsules a few days ago that contain sodium, sulfate, and free acid. I wanted to experiment with this product in hopes that it will yield some nice results on occasion. I would rather revert to taking Tianeptine in any form than be stuck in a Kratom war.