(DailyDig.com) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers regarding a synthetic drug that can be addictive and is being sold in the US as a supplement. Neptune’s Fix has a drug called tianeptine, which some countries have approved to treat anxiety and depression. It has not been approved for use in the US, but it’s available online or in stores.
It is often referred to as “gas-station heroin” due to its addictive nature. Its use has been accelerating in the US, which has led to warnings by the FDA about tianeptine and the possible side effects it could cause, including loss of consciousness, seizures, and death.
On January 28, the manufacturer of Neptune’s Fix, Neptune Resources, voluntarily recalled all lots of Neptune products because of the tianeptine ingredient. They recalled the product some weeks after the FDA began to research tianeptine.
Tianeptine is a drug that Europe has produced to treat depression. Recent studies have shown that it can become addictive at higher doses, and it was never approved in the US for any medical use.
Harvard Medical School associate professor, Dr. Pieter Cohen, stated that it is being sold in the US because some companies take drugs approved in other countries but not in the US and repackage them as dietary supplements. The FDA’s regulatory structure allows them to be sold without prescriptions or approval from the FDA.
Michael White, a pharmacist who researches substances that could be harmful if abused, responded to a question from the media about the risk to customers who consume products with tianeptine. He stated that it acts on the human body in the same way that opioids like morphine or fentanyl do. It triggers pain relief and euphoria in the brain. Along with those benefits, unregulated use can also stop breathing as a person’s mind is not aware of the mind-altering effect of the drug.
The FDA has issued their warnings as Neptune Resources issued their recall, but twelve states have introduced bans on the sale of this drug, according to the FDA.
Copyright 2024, DailyDig.com
