Gas Station Heroin: A Drug to Watch Out For
Despite some hospitalizations occurring as a result of people taking the drug, tianeptine, or “gas station heroin,” it is still readily available across the country. People need to understand what this drug is and why they must avoid it.
It goes by many names, “gas station heroin,” “Neptune’s Fix,” etc. The drug, tianeptine, is a relatively new mind-altering substance that can be found at gas stations and convenience stores. The highly addictive stimulant has been reported to include synthetic cannabis, at least in some strains, that has led to overdoses and hospitalizations along the East Coast.
What Is Tianeptine?
Image Courtesy of FDA.gov
Tianeptine is often labeled as a dietary supplement promoted as an antidepressant, a stimulant, and a pain reliever. The drug is highly unpredictable in the effects it can cause. It’s not approved for medical use in the U.S., nor is it regulated by the FDA, so users never know what other drugs have been mixed into a batch of tianeptine. By itself, tianeptine is addictive. When other drugs are added in, users run the risk of becoming hooked on multiple substances at once.1
Sold under a variety of brand names (the most common is Neptune’s Fix), tianeptine is still relatively new on the drug scene. However, it’s already been reported to produce seizures, brain swelling, and hallucinations. In 2023, 17 adults in New Jersey experienced severe results from taking the drug, 13 of whom were hospitalized as a result.
The Tianeptine in New Jersey Was Laced with Multiple Drugs
After the 17 adults used tianeptine in New Jersey in 2023 and had to seek medical attention immediately following, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested samples of the drug they’d used. Labeled as Neptune’s Fix and sold at some local convenience stores, the drug had more than just tianeptine in it. It also had kavain, a substance used for anxiety, and two different types of synthetic cannabis. The concoction of four different drugs (tianeptine, kavain, and two strains of synthetic cannabis) likely explained the adverse health events the users experienced after consuming the drug.2
As for those health events that led to hospitalizations, none of the 17 died, but that was something of a miracle. Several of the patients experienced high blood pressure and seizures, as well as irregular or rapid heartbeats, and at least one patient suffered a heart attack.
FDA Issues Warning on Tianeptine
In November 2023 and January 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) administered warnings that cautioned the American people to stay away from dietary supplements containing tianeptine, no matter what brand name the substance was sold under or how benign it looked. According to the FDA, the drug can cause a host of unwanted medical side effects. While there have not yet been any confirmed deaths in the U.S. from the drug, the FDA went as far as warning consumers that the drug can cause death. 3
The FDA has published a series of warnings and sent letters to manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of tianeptine-based products, asking them to stop making, distributing, and selling the drug. The FDA reiterated that the drug is not approved for any medical application and should not be consumed. In some of its warnings, the FDA mentioned that tianeptine-based products may also interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a user may be taking.
A Drug-Free Life Is the Best Life
Sometimes, drug makers and distributors try to advertise and promote their substances as “dietary supplements,” “alternative medicines,” and “herbal remedies.” Such has been the case with dealers of synthetic cannabis, kratom, psilocybin, and now tianeptine.
However, in every instance, drugs that masquerade as alternative medicine are just as dangerous and harmful as regular street drugs. People must be aware that if a substance has a mind-altering effect and it isn’t clear what chemicals are in that substance, one must avoid using it. Because the FDA does not regulate these drugs, manufacturers do not have to disclose what is in them. Users might be taking a highly toxic, potentially lethal dose of a substance they had no intention of taking simply by consuming a cleverly packaged “supplement” they picked up at a gas station.
A drug-free life is always the best life, and people shouldn’t deceive themselves into thinking some drugs are “ok” just because they’re sold at gas stations. Those who need help kicking a drug habit should seek assistance at a qualified residential drug rehab center as soon as possible. They shouldn’t keep using drugs, no matter what form or shape those drugs take.
Sources Cited:
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USNews. “CDC Warns That ‘Gas Station Heroin’ May Contain Synthetic Pot.” U.S. News, 2024. usnews.com ↩︎
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CDC. “Notes from the Field: Cluster of Severe Illness from Neptune’s Fix Tianeptine Linked to Synthetic Cannabinoids — New Jersey, June–November 2023.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024. cdc.gov ↩︎
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FDA. “FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use Neptune’s Fix or any tianeptine product due to serious risks.” Food and Drug Administration, 2024. fda.gov ↩︎
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