The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is intensifying its advisory, urging consumers to refrain from acquiring or using tianeptine, commonly known as “gas station heroin.”
This synthetic substance, available in tablet or powder form, is frequently sold online and in convenience stores, gas stations, and smoke shops, often under brand names like Neptune’s Fix, Za Za Red, and Tianaa.
It carries comparable risks of addiction, withdrawal, and potential overdose. Furthermore, its usage can lead to adverse effects such as psychosis, seizures, kidney damage, and fatality.
Despite the FDA’s persistent warnings to US consumers since 2022, vendors persist in promoting tianeptine as a dietary supplement.
However, the FDA has explicitly stated that tianeptine “does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient and is an unsafe food additive.”
Risks Associated with Tianeptine
Tianeptine acts on the same receptors as widely recognized opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, and morphine.
As these substances travel from the bloodstream to the brain, they engage the “mu” type opioid receptor, initiating the desired pain relief and euphoria associated with these drugs, along with perilous effects like respiratory depression.
Elevated doses of tianeptine can induce euphoria comparable to that of heroin, and it can also induce a dissociative effect—where an individual perceives a disconnection between their mind and their surroundings and body.
This dissociative effect is reminiscent of ketamine, an anesthetic with applications in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, despite its common misuse as a street drug.
Significant Adverse Effects of Tianeptine
The gravest adverse outcomes associated with tianeptine usage encompass slowed or halted respiration, induction of a coma, heart arrhythmia, and fatality.
Individuals who engage in prolonged tianeptine use often encounter withdrawal symptoms akin to those experienced during opioid withdrawal upon cessation.
It is imperative for consumers to recognize that products containing tianeptine may not adhere to established good manufacturing practices.
Consequently, there is a possibility of these products containing lead or other heavy metal contaminants, as well as being susceptible to contamination by microorganisms such as salmonella or mold.
Additionally, undisclosed inclusion of other drug ingredients poses a potential risk, as the intentional or unintentional combination of active ingredients heightens the likelihood of adverse events.