Believe it or not, gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, and online retailers are ground zero for the rise of new, harmful drugs spreading throughout the United States. Often grouped together as gas station drugs, these substances (including kratom, delta-8, and phenibut) toe the line of legal gray areas, allowing them to be sold at everyday retail establishments. Among those, tianeptine (also nicknamed gas station heroin), is causing dangerous and widespread health consequences.
Tianeptine (Gas Station Heroin), Explained
According to a published 2025 letter to health care professionals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tianeptine is responsible for an increasing number of adverse events (particularly among young people) across the US. Such events can even lead to serious harm and death. But what is gas station heroin, exactly?
Currently, tianeptine is used as a medicine to treat anxiety, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome in some European, Asian, and South American countries, shares the Mayo Clinic. Tianeptine was originally launched in France in the 1980s as a prescription drug to treat depression, eventually spreading to 66 countries, according to NPR. In time, however, researchers eventually discovered that tianeptine worked similarly to an opioid, influencing the brain’s opioid receptors in the same ways as fentanyl or oxycodone. Similar to opioids, tianeptine withdrawal and dependence are possible with gas station heroin.
In the United States, tianeptine is usually marketed as a nootropic, which means it promises to enhance your cognitive abilities and mood when consumed. In some places it may also be advertised to help with energy, pain, sexual performance, and appetite control, shares the Mayo Clinic. It’s often found on the shelves at gas stations (hence, its street name), convenience stores, truck stops, mini marts, and smoke/vape shops, or for purchase online. Usually packaged in colorful, shot-sized bottles, gas station heroin is sold under names like:
- ZaZa
- Neptune’s Fix
- Tianaa
- Pegasus
- TD Red
SOURCE: FDA
The FDA does not approve tianeptine or gas station heroin for any medical use. The gas station drug also does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient, and it’s not recognized as safe for use in food. Nevertheless, tianeptine products take advantage of legal loopholes by labeling themselves as a dietary supplement, research chemical, or nootropic.
Tianeptine Withdrawal, Addiction, and Other Dangers
Because gas station heroin is found on the shelves of everyday retail establishments, users easily assume that it’s safe for use. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Because tianeptine products aren’t regulated by the government, what’s sold on the shelves can contain the drug in varying concentrations and also include dangerous synthetic cannabinoids, shares NPR. Tianeptine users, according to the FDA, can even take up to 250 times the recommended daily dose recommended in foreign drug products.
Unfortunately, gas station heroin use can also produce some serious side effects. In fact, emergency calls to US poison centers about tianeptine have risen dramatically over the years, according to the Journal of Medical Toxicology. Reported adverse effects associated with tianeptine usage include:
- Agitation
- Coma
- Confusion
- Death
- Drowsiness
- Hypertension
- Nausea
- Respiratory depression
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Vomiting
SOURCE: FDA
Tianeptine Withdrawal Symptoms
As tianeptine works similarly to opioids, regular usage can lead to dependence, addiction, and withdrawal, and more people are taking notice. The NPR reports that a Reddit forum for people trying to quit tianeptine has grown to about 5,500 members, for example. Taking larger doses of tianeptine can produce euphoric feelings but also put you at risk of overdosing. If you’ve taken gas station heroin regularly and try to stop, you may experience tianeptine withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Chills and trembling
- Depression
- Muscle pain
- Sweating
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic
Because of the withdrawal symptoms above, attempts to quit tianeptine can end shortly after they begin. Behind the scenes, gas station heroin addiction works similarly to opioids and other addictive drugs. When you take tianeptine, your brain releases a pleasure chemical called dopamine, signaling to you that the experience is rewarding. Consequently, you want to take the drug again. Yet as you continue to do so over time, your brain develops a dopamine tolerance. That means you need to take more gas station heroin to achieve the same effects. This eventually leads to chemical dependence and addiction, however.
Get Help for Gas Station Heroin Addiction in New England
If you’re struggling with gas station heroin addiction, willpower and self-discipline alone won’t help you achieve long-term sobriety. You need to get professional help if you want to find real healing. At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont, our holistic substance use disorder treatment programs can empower you to reclaim your life from tianeptine’s grip. If you’re ready to quit gas station heroin for good, call us today to get started.
