The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently proposed banning tianeptine, an opioid-like substance often sold online and in convenience stores.
Tianeptine, also known as “gas station heroin,” has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of any disease or condition. The potential harms of tianeptine include dangerous drops in blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing, as well as the development of a substance use disorder. Between 2013 and 2024, the number of poison control center cases involving tianeptine increased nearly 90-fold from 4 to about 350.
The FDA has warned that tianeptine is being marketed as a “research chemical,” a “nootropic” cognitive enhancer, and a dietary supplement. The drug is sold in stores under brand names such as Neptune’s Fix, Tianaa, and Zaza.
The federal recommendation to schedule tianeptine explained that “the abuse of tianeptine has been shown to result in respiratory depression, seizures, opioid withdrawal symptoms, and death.” The DEA proposed placing tianeptine in Schedule 1, which would signify that it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
Tianeptine has been allowed to be sold because it is not currently scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. Similar to kratom, tianeptine has operated in a gray area, where it is neither fully legal as an approved medication nor fully illegal as a Schedule 1 substance.
The action from the DEA follows a May 2025 letter from then-FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, which pointed to “a dangerous and growing health trend facing our nation and particularly young people– the increasing number of adverse events involving products containing tianeptine, which can lead to serious harm, including death.”
As of March 2026, 15 states had taken matters into their own hands and banned tianeptine. The latest action from the DEA will protect public health by extending this policy nationwide.