We first looked at this phenomenon back in January. Gas station heroin simply refers to a number of products sold over the counter at gas stations, truck plazas, roadside convenience stores around the US.

All of which contain tianeptine, the obscure tricyclic sometimes used for its antidepressant and sedative effects.

Experts fear this will follow in the footsteps of other fast-growing, social media- driven problems like youth vaping and nicotine pouches.

Tianeptine products may advertise themselves as a quick energy boost or even a sleep aid. But at higher doses, they produce a euphoric state, described as ‘opioid-like’.

Ten states have already prohibited sales of tianeptine products– notably not yet New York, California, or Texas — and the FDA has very recently joined in with its own nationwide ban. Hopefully more states will follow with prohibitions of their own.

Tianeptine does have some limited medical use as a treatment for mood disorders, but as one expert put it, “risks may exceed the benefits.”

No kidding.  Mayo Clinic lists the following side effects:

  • Abdominal pain.
  • Bad dreams.
  • Constipation.
  • Dizziness.
  • Drowsiness.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Headache.
  • Nausea.
That’s not something any user would expect to result from taking an over-the-counter pick-me-up. Worse still, Mayo goes on to describe an acute withdrawal syndrome, presumably from use over time, that may include symptoms such as:
  • Agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Chills and trembling
  • Depression
  • Muscle pain
  • Sweating

Now that definitely is opioid-like. I imagine accidental overdose would also be a risk, since the recommended dosage on the label is likely to be unreliable.

If that isn’t worrisome enough, I’ll close with this fascinating case study of severe withdrawal, from 2023. Since the drug is relatively new to widespread popularity, I think it’s reasonable to anticipate more frequent cases to come.

Let’s hope more states will be banning the stuff in the near future.