Expand / Collapse search
☰

FDA warns of 'gas station heroin' risk to youth

By
Published  May 12, 2025 12:12pm EDT
Opioid Epidemic
FOX 5 Atlanta

Tianeptine (Photo By BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The FDA warns against "gas station heroin," or tianeptine, an unapproved drug sold at gas stations and vape shops that poses serious health risks.
    • Tianeptine is not FDA-approved in the U.S. and can cause severe side effects like coma, agitation, and even death when misused.
    • Products like Zaza, Tianaa, and Neptune’s Fix contain tianeptine, and the FDA urges the public, especially youth, to avoid them.

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the health effects of "gas station heroin," or products containing tianeptine that are sold at gas station stores and not approved by the FDA for any use.  

The administration is calling it a "dangerous and growing health trend facing our nation and particularly young people."

What is tianeptine?

Dig deeper:

The FDA said tianeptine is licensed and marketed as an atypical antidepressant in many other parts of the country. 

RELATED: What is tianeptine? Lawmakers sound the alarm on 'gas station heroin'

Higher doses can produce euphoria. Some countries have restricted how the drug is prescribed and dispensed. 

HHS Sec. RFK Jr. speaks on opioid crisis

HHS Sec. RFK Jr. speaks on opioid crisis

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the opioid crisis Thursday while speaking in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the U.S., tianeptine is not under the Controlled Substances Act. The FDA has not approved it for medical use. 

Where to find tianeptine?

Why you should care:

Tianeptine is commonly found at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops, and online retailers, according to the FDA.

The drug can be included in product names such as Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus, and TD Red. 

The FDA has issued warnings to consumers about severe side effects and has written warning letters to companies distributing and selling unlawful tianeptine products.

RELATED: Rick Harrison of 'Pawn Stars' talks about son's overdose death: 'There is nothing worse'

The FDA has also placed said products on import alert to help detain tianeptine shipments at our borders.

What they're saying:

"I am very concerned," FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary wrote in an online letter.  "I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America’s youth."

"Historically, there has been a delayed recognition of fast-growing trends, such as opioid abuse and vaping addiction in youth," he continued. "Let’s be proactive in understanding and addressing the use of tianeptine products, which are available even to our nation’s youth."

Tianeptine side effects

Big picture view:

The FDA said tianeptine is often taken recreationally, but it has also been used to self-treat a variety of ailments.

Side effects can include: 

  • Agitation
  • Coma
  • Confusion
  • Death
  • Drowsiness
  • Hypertension
  • Nausea
  • Respiratory depression
  • Sweating
  • Tachycardia
  • Vomiting

Treatment for tianeptine use

What you can do:

The FDA is recommending that healthcare providers encourage patients not to use products containing tianeptine, including those claiming to treat an ailment or disorder. 

Providers should also consider talking with patients about treatment options for opioid use disorders, depression, anxiety, or pain, and about how to access overdose reversal medicines, including over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray.

The Source: The information in this story comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which issued public warnings about the dangers of tianeptine. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

Opioid EpidemicHealthNews