FDA Warns of 'Gas Station Heroin' Tianeptine, Banned in 10 States, Addictive Drug Leads to Three-Year Addiction in Alabama Woman

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public warning regarding the dangers of tianeptine, a substance increasingly referred to as 'gas station heroin' due to its availability at gas stations and convenience stores. Tianeptine, an opioid alternative used as an antidepressant in some countries, is not approved by the FDA for any use in the U.S. and can lead to severe health risks including death. The drug has been banned in 10 states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina. FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin A. Makary expressed significant concern over the substance, highlighting its potential to harm America's youth. The drug has been linked to a range of adverse effects such as agitation, confusion, sweating, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and coma. Products containing tianeptine are often marketed under names like Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune's Fix, Pegasus, and TD Red, and are sold as dietary supplements or cognitive enhancers. Tianeptine is prescribed in some countries at three daily doses of 12.5 mg, but U.S. consumers have been reported to ingest doses ranging from 50 mg to 10,000 mg daily. The FDA's warning comes after previous alerts and recalls related to tianeptine, including a 2023 warning against Neptune's Fix products due to severe reactions and a 2024 nationwide recall of the same. The agency is urging the public to be aware of the dangers of these products and to disseminate information about them. An Alabama woman, Chrissy Reifschneider, shared her experience of becoming addicted to tianeptine after taking about five pills every four hours, leading to three years of addiction marked by hair loss, weight loss, hallucinations, paranoia, and suicidal ideations.