FDA Says Common Gas Station Supplement Linked to Seizures, Death

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning his week about supplements containing the ingredient tianeptine found in the brand Neptune’s Fix, which is commonly sold at gas stations, convenience stores, and online. However, the supplement is not approved in the United States, and has been linked to serious side effects such as seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death.

Tianeptine, which is also marketed as Coaxil or Stablon—in addition to being known as “gas station heroin”—is an atypical tricyclic drug used as an antidepressant in some countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the drug is an unscheduled pharmaceutical agent that can mimic effects of opioid toxicity and withdrawal.

“These products may interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a consumer may be taking,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday. “The agency is actively investigating adverse event reports in conjunction with local and state health departments.”

The FDA first warned the public about products containing tianeptine back in November and is still receiving reports of people being poisoned by the supplements, reports NBC News. On Jan. 11, the federal agency sent a letter to convenience stores, gas stations, and other retailers urging them to stop selling Neptune’s Fix and any other tianeptine-based products.

Parent company Neptune Resources, which produces Neptune’s Fix, as well as Neptune’s Fix Elixir, Neptune’s Fix Extra Strength Elixir and Neptune’s Fix Tablets, agreed to voluntarily recall its products in compliance with the FDA warning. It’s unclear if the products are currently still available in stores, however as of this week tianeptine has already been banned in at least 12 states.