FDA warns against “gas station heroin.”

“On Nov. 21 the Food & Drug Administration issued a warning to consumers not to buy or ingest “Neptune’s Fix”, a brand of tianeptine found in 10-milliliter bottles and pills, and sold in gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores across the country. Although online dosing instructions say to use a few drops of the liquid, some users take the entire bottle in one shot. “(vice.com 11/30/23)

Tianeptine is used as an antidepressant in dozens of countries, but is unregulated in the U.S. It is not a federally scheduled drug and is illegally marketed as a treatment for depression and anxiety and a cognitive booster.

It has been banned in Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Alabama, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Indiana. 

Tianeptine is said to be addictive with severe opioid-like withdrawal symptoms.

News of the FDA's testing comes less than a month after health officials in New Jersey warned they had identified a cluster of poisonings linked to tianeptine products including Neptune's Fix.

“More than half of the patients suffered seizures after ingesting the products, according to the state's health department. Some required hospitalization. Others showed up at hospitals with a variety of other serious symptoms, including hallucinations and vomiting.” (cbsnews.com 11/23/23)