Gas station heroin supplements are widely available but experts warn of underlying danger

WASHINGTON — Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops.Sometimes called “gas station heroin,” the products are usually marketed as energy shots or cognitive supplements but actually contain tianeptine, an unapproved drug that can be addictive and carries risks of serious side effects.US poison control centers have reported a steady rise in calls linked to the drug for more than a decade.And last month the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to health professionals about “the magnitude of the underlying danger of these products.”Here’s what to know about gas station heroin.Tianeptine is approved in a number foreign countries as an antidepressant, usually as a low-dose pill taken three times a day.

But it has never been approved by the FDA for any medical condition in the USAdditionally, the drug cannot legally be added to foods and beverages or sold as a dietary supplement — something the FDA has repeatedly warned US companies about.Still, under-the-radar firms sell tianeptine in various formulas, often with brand names like Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red.Although that is technically illegal, the FDA does not preapprove ingredients added to supplements and beverages.“It’s kind of this grey area of consumer products, or supplements, where the contents are not regulated or tested the way they would be with a medication,” said Dr.

Diane Calello of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System.Last year, Calello and her colleagues published a study documenting a cluster of emergency calls in New Jersey tied to a flavored elixir called Neptune’s Fix.People experienced distress, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and seizures after drinking it.

More than a dozen of the 20 patients had to be admitted for intensive care.Many tianeptine products claim— without evidence or FDA approval— to help users treat med...