The FDA is warning Americans to avoid tianeptine energy drinks and pills sold at gas stations and online because the products can be addictive, interact with prescription medications, and even cause death when consumed in large amounts.
The warning comes just days after a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Suwanee), sent a letter to the FDA asking it to take action.
“We urge the FDA to take immediate action to research and provide guidance on tianeptine use,” McCormick and three other U.S. House members wrote. “The urgent need for FDA action on tianeptine cannot be overstated.”
Tianeptine is used in Europe, Asia and Latin America to treat depression. The drug was never approved for sale in the U.S., but it can be purchased as bulk powder from pharmacies in China. Companies based in the U.S. are adding tianeptine to herbal energy drinks and capsules sold at gas stations because tianeptine induces an opioid-like high.
Though several Southeastern states have banned products containing tianeptine, it’s still legal in at least 38 states. That worries doctors, who say people trying to quit opioids are buying tianeptine online and getting hooked.