It’s known by the street name “gas station heroin,” but a new government report finds the highly addictive supplement Neptune’s Fix may also contain synthetic pot.
The product has already been linked to seizures, brain swelling and hallucinations, researchers reported Thursday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC report centered on a 2023 investigation of 17 adults in New Jersey who had severe reactions after consuming Neptune’s Fix or similar products containing tianeptine. Thirteen were hospitalized in intensive care as a result.
Tianeptine , an antidepressant that can act like an opioid, is sold as a dietary supplement at gas stations and convenience stores across the United States. It’s often marketed for pain relief, depression or anxiety. While not approved for use in the United States, it is approved for use in some European, Asian and Latin American countries.
In the CDC study, doctors in New Jersey tested six samples of Neptune’s Fix consumed by two of the patients. They discovered the presence of more than tianeptine: kavain, a substance used for anxiety, and two different types of synthetic pot were also detected in the test samples.