FDA Issues Warning Against Products Containing Tianeptine

(RepublicanPress.org) – Many people take dietary supplements to either enhance their health or fill in the gaps as needed. However, not everything consumers can buy online or at the corner store is closely regulated by the FDA. That causes possible concerns about what users are taking. Recently, the administration sent out a warning to stay away from a particular product.

On February 15, the FDA told consumers not to buy or consume Neptune’s Fix or anything with the drug tianeptine in it. The entity said the substance is potentially dangerous and not approved for medical use by the FDA. According to the notice, side effects of Neptune’s Fix or other products containing tianeptine could include seizures, loss of consciousness, and death. The drug can also interact with other medications a user is taking, causing unforeseen health consequences.

Illnesses linked to "gas station heroin" are growing, New Jersey health officials warn.

Tianeptine, a non-FDA approved drug, is being sold in convenience stores and gas stations across the state.

via @MarcusBiddle3 https://t.co/bMgRyagF93

— WHYY News (@WHYYNews) February 20, 2024

Neptune Resources, LLC voluntarily recalled Neptune’s Fix products in January, and the public was warned to throw them away or return them but not to consume them. However, the FDA has been issuing warnings about the products since November 2023. The administration said the product claims to treat depression, anxiety, pain, opioid-use disorder and improve brain function. The CDC issued a report about the tianeptine in Neptune’s Fix, likening it to synthetic cannabinoids. The center said the elixir is available online, at gas stations, and inside convenience stores — referred to as “gas station heroin.” In New Jersey, 20 cases of severe reactions to the tianeptine were reported between June and November 2023. The substance is not approved for use in the United States.

According to WHYY, New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers Medical School toxicologist Christopher Counts said tianeptine has “weak opioid effects,” which is probably the reason for its nickname. His concern about the product and the drug is that consumers can easily buy it thinking “it’s safe,” but “it absolutely is not.”