“Tianeptine…Gas Station Heroin?” —You Read That Right!

Have you heard about tianeptine? In the last few months, this drug has been making headlines as “gas station heroin”. Despite this nickname, tianeptine does not contain heroin, nor is it even an opioid. Even still, there is a lot to be concerned about when it comes to this compound.

Tianeptine is a tricyclic antidepressant that is claimed to treat depression and other conditions. While tianeptine is prescribed in other countries, it currently has no approved medical uses in the United States (1). When taken in high doses, tianeptine is reported to cause euphoria similar to that experienced with opioid use. Tianeptine misuse can lead to several adverse effects including agitation, confusion, rapid heartbeat, and decreased respiratory function that could lead to coma and death (2). Products containing tianeptine are being sold in commercial establishments like gas stations, hence the nickname “gas station heroin”. The FDA has warned consumers to avoid using all tianeptine products, but the compound remains unscheduled and is still readily available in some places (1).

Figure 1. Chemical Structure of Tianeptine

With all this talk of tianeptine recently, you’ll probably be looking to add this compound to your lab’s testing menu. You might be wondering where you can expect it to elute on your multi-drug class LC-MS/MS method. If you are, then great news: tianeptine has been added to Pro EZLC! This compound is now a part of the Drugs of Abuse library. Whether you’re looking to add tianeptine to an existing method or creating a brand-new method, Pro EZLC will speed up your method development process so you can get this test up and running in no time.

References

1. Office of the Commissioner. “Tianeptine Products Linked to Serious Harm, Overdoses, Death.” FDA, Feb. 2022, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/tianeptine-products-linked-serious-harm-overdoses-death.United States.
2. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration DEA. (2023, May) Tianeptine. Retrieved from Drug Enforcement Administration Web site: https://deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/tianeptine.pdf