WARNING: Deadly ‘Gas Station Heroin’ May Be Lurking In Idaho According To FDA

Whether it’s a summer road trip with the family or an 1,800 cross country move for a new job, stopping at a gas station for a quick fill-up is inevitable. The FDA has a serious warning for Idahoans shopping at convenience stores during their journey. 

When we’re on long road trips, I approach stopping for snacks the same way I would going for a run. The adage is “don’t try anything new on race day.” On travel days, I’m not putting anything new in my body that I haven’t tried before. Sticking to the things I know like Red Bull, Pop Tarts, Gatorade and Goldfish crackers really reduces the risk of an upset stomach or otherwise not feeling well behind the wheel. 

READ MORE: Beware of 'Sliders' Stealing Purses When Getting Gas in Idaho

FDA Issues New Warning About “Gas Station” Heroin That Could Be in Idaho

But not everyone's quite as cautious and may feel tempted to try some of the sketchy products on gas station store shelves: off brand energy drinks, supplements to keep you awake while driving, unregulated sex enhancement pills. 

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Those products are all risky, but there’s a certain type of product being sold primarily at gas station convenience stores that takes danger to a whole new level. The FDA says that Idahoans should avoid products containing “Tianeptine” at all costs. The drug has been nicknamed “Gas Station Heroin.” 

Companies selling these products claim that the supplements that can improve your mood, help you focus, reduce anxiety and improve brain function. However, the FDA says these claims are dangerous and unproven. Tianeptine and the products containing it have NOT been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any medical use in the United States. 

What Makes Tianeptine Dangerous?

NPR explains that for a period of time, the drug was marketed as an antidepressant in France but no one could explain why or how it worked. In the years that followed, researchers eventually discovered that it interacts with receptors in the brain like morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl and other dangerous opioids do. 

If you’re familiar with the Hulu docudrama Dopesick, this pattern will sound familiar. People started becoming addicted to it. In countries where it was prescribed through doctors, users were going to multiple doctors and pharmacies to try to get as much of it as they could. 

In the United States, manufacturers are getting away with selling products containing Tianeptine by calling them “research chemicals” or “dietary supplements.” That makes it too easy for people to try to self-medicate and take considerably more of the drug than they’d be prescribed in a country where it’s been approved for medical use.

The FDA explains that they’ve received reports of people experiencing seizures and loss of consciousness after using a particular brand called Neptune’s Fix. Other negative side effects of using tianeptine on its own or mixed with other drugs include: 

• Agitation
• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Sweating
• Rapid Heartbeat
• High Blood Pressure
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Slowed or Stopped Breathing
• Coma
• Death 

What Gas Station Products Contain Tianeptine?

The FDA actually has a Flickr account of products set-up so that Idahoans can look through pictures and know what to stay away from during their travels.You can view that here. Some name brands include:

• Neptune’s Fix
• Neptune
• Purple Magic
• TD Mega
• TD Plus
• TD Red
• Tianna Green
• Tianna Red
• White MAgic
• ZaZa Red
• ZaZa Silver 
• Ta Ta Tumeric Supplement
• Tia Power Silver
• SPAR Red
• SPAR White

Sale of Tianeptine is banned in 10 states, however Idaho is NOT on that list.