FDA issues warning against "gas station heroin" tianeptine

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The Food and Drug Administration is informing the nationalist astir the harmful effects of products containing tianeptine, besides referred to arsenic "gas presumption heroin" owed to its availability successful state presumption stores.

Tianeptine is an opioid alternative prescribed arsenic an antidepressant successful immoderate Latin American, Asian and European countries. It is not approved by the FDA for immoderate usage successful the U.S. and tin origin a scope of adverse events. 

"I americium precise concerned. I privation the nationalist to beryllium particularly alert of this unsafe merchandise and the superior and continuing hazard it poses to America's youth," the FDA's Commissioner of Food and Drugs Dr. Martin A. Makary said successful a letter Thursday. "While the FDA is intimately pursuing the organisation and merchantability of these products, it is captious that you admit the magnitude of the underlying information of these products, and disseminate accusation astir it."

According to the letter, tianeptine tin pb to superior harm, including death. Other symptoms see agitation, confusion, sweating, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and coma.

Some merchandise names that see the substance see Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune's Fix, Pegasus and TD Red, the missive said, adding that it is often marketed arsenic a "research chemical," "nootropic" cognitive enhancer oregon a dietary supplement.

"Case reports successful the aesculapian lit picture U.S. consumers ingesting regular doses connected the bid of 1.3 to 250 times (50 mg to 10,000 mg) the regular tianeptine dose typically recommended successful labeled overseas cause products," the missive read.

This isn't the archetypal clip these products person made headlines. In 2023, the FDA warned consumers not to usage oregon acquisition immoderate products from Neptune's Fix aft receiving aggregate reports of terrible reactions, including seizures and hospitalizations. In 2024, Neptune's Fix products sold nationwide were recalled due to the fact that of their usage of tianeptine.

Alexander Tin contributed to this report.

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• Drug Use
• FDA