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The dangerous substance called “gas station heroin” continues to scare medical professionals, as there are many states that take measures to limit or ban tianeptine.
Fourteen states have legally classified the tricyclic antidepressant as a Schedule I controlled substance.
Connecticut is the latest state to crack down, legally banning the sale and use of the substance starting Wednesday.
HEALTH OFFICERS WARN OF DANGEROUS PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
Tianeptine, which can produce euphoria in high doses, can be more powerful than morphine and other addictive opioids, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
Some countries have taken steps to restrict how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed, and even revised labels to warn people of its potentially addictive qualities.
Tianeptine can be more powerful than morphine and other addictive opioids. (Stock)
Abusing tianeptine can cause serious health effects, including respiratory distress, severe intoxication and death, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Some companies market this drug as an aid for pain, anxiety and depression, or as a way to improve mental alertness in pill, powder, salt or liquid form.
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The products are commonly sold in grocery stores, gas stations, vape shops and online stores, and go by names like Tianaa, ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and TD Red.
Connecticut is the fifteenth state to classify tianeptine as a Schedule I controlled substance. (Markus Scholz/photo alliance via Getty Images)
Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz said in a press release that the program reform is a necessary step in the fight against addiction.
“With false marketing that has led consumers to believe these are safe products, and with candy-like flavor options, these substances have become a clear threat to those struggling with substance abuse and our youngest citizens,” he added.
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The Nutmeg State has also added Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), 7 hydroxymitragynine, Bromazolam, Flubromazolam, Nitazenes and Phenibut to the lineup.
Earlier this month, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary wrote a letter sounding the alarm about what he called a “dangerous and growing health practice.”
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“I am very worried,” Makari wrote. “I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the grave and ongoing danger it poses to America’s youth.”
New York-based Robert Schwaner, MD, vice chairman of systemic clinical affairs at Stony Brook Emergency Medicine, told Fox News Digital that the FDA has never approved tianeptine as a dietary supplement.
“Like heroin and other opioids, significant stimulation of the mu-opioid receptor ultimately leads to respiratory failure and subsequent cardiac arrest.” (Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office)
“Euphoria at low doses is mainly caused by an increase in serotonergic activity from its effects on serotonin reuptake. With increased doses, the stimulation of the mu-opioid receptor can be fatal,” said Schwaner. “Like heroin and other opioids, significant stimulation of the mu-opioid receptor ultimately leads to respiratory failure and subsequent cardiac arrest.”
Schwaner said he believes the substance needs national legislation because of its addictive qualities.
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“Working on the same receptor as opioids, tianeptine has the potential for a person to develop tolerance, subsequent dependence and withdrawal from its use,” he warned.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FDA for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
