What Is Gas Station Heroin?

This article has been clinically reviewed by Dr. Sean Barlow.

"Gas Station Heroin." It sounds like something someone might say about a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew. Maybe a Big Gulp with all the options of drinks mixed together. But as innocuous or sarcastic the name may be, the reality of this substance is more serious and a real concern.

Gas Station Heroin refers mostly to a substance called Tianeptine. It’s an antidepressant in other parts of the world. Many countries regulate it and offer it as a prescribed medication. But in the U.S. it is not approved by the FDA. Largely because of its opioid-like effects and potential for abuse/addiction.

So instead, it’s sold in shiny little packages under names like Zaza Red, Tianna, and Neptune’s Fix, often right next to the energy shots and vape batteries at gas stations and smoke shops. It’s frightening.

Gas Station Heroin: Over-the-counter Tianeptine

The irony is so thick you could spread it on toast: a so-called supplement marketed for mood or focus that ends up mimicking the very thing it claims to fix.

Because Tianeptine, when taken in large doses, behaves a lot like an opioid. It binds to the same receptors, offering similar dangerous highs—and crashes.

Unlike heroin, it doesn’t come in powder or needle form, and there’s no dark alley required. You can pick it up right next to the Slim Jims.

Names, Faces, and False Promises

Gas Station Heroin isn’t just one product. You can find a bunch of them with names that sound like video game characters: Zaza Red, Tianna, Neptune’s Fix. And they are all packaged (and marketed) as though they belong on a vitamin shelf. While the way they act is more like something that should not be available to anyone outside the most severe medical guidance.

The ingredients? Usually, some version of Tianeptine, often in unregulated quantities. Sometimes they’re mixed with nootropics or caffeine to make them seem more legit. Other times, the labels are sinister in their professed practicality. They claim to be simple mood enhancers, brain boosters, or relaxation supports. But none of that makes it safe.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Remember, there’s no FDA oversight here. These are substances hiding in plain sight, capitalizing on the gray areas of supplement law. People start taking it to relax, to sleep better, to feel good. Then, a week later, they’re taking it just to feel normal. The body builds a tolerance. The withdrawals show up, seemingly out of nowhere: sweating, chills, anxiety, deep muscle aches, and a kind of sadness that feels like it lives in your core.

What Gas Station Heroin Does to the Brain

Tianeptine is unusual. It was originally made to treat depression because it changes how the brain handles serotonin (a chemical that affects mood and emotions) and also affects glutamate (a chemical that helps with learning and brain activity).

Sounds pretty sophisticated. But here’s where it gets tricky: it also stimulates something called the mu-opioid receptors, the same system heroin uses. That’s why people chasing a mood boost end up chasing a high, then end up just chasing stability and fighting off dependence.

The problem isn’t just the high. It’s the way your brain decides that this is how it works now. Addiction isn’t about weak willpower. It’s about what your brain starts to perceive as necessary for survival.

With continued use, Tianeptine takes over and controls the brain’s reward system. It says, “This. This is what we need to be okay.”

And slowly, almost politely, the brain stops being able to feel normal without it.

The Risks Are Not Theoretical

We’re not dealing with soft edges here. Withdrawal from gas station heroin is grueling. It mimics opioid withdrawal: nausea, restlessness, anxiety that makes your skin crawl, and a bone-deep depression.

And because it’s sold legally in many places, users often have no idea what they’re actually up against. Or why this withdrawal is happening.

This isn’t just a chemical inconvenience. It’s a psychological trap. People lose sleep, lose jobs, and lose connection with themselves. The spiral is fast, and the landing is hard. If this stuff were coming from a street dealer, it’d already be banned in all 50 states. But when it’s wrapped in glossy marketing and sold at the counter? It gets called “supplement misuse,” which makes it sound like someone just forgot to read the label.

What Kind of Treatment for Gas Station Heroin Actually Helps?

The good news—and there is good news—is that this isn’t a forever situation. Tianeptine dependency can be treated effectively with professional support, particularly in outpatient programs that know what they’re doing.

Not every rehab is equipped to handle substances like this. What helps most is a program that understands opioid pharmacology, withdrawal stabilization, and how to slowly rebuild the neural pathways that have been hijacked.

Why Outpatient Treatment for Tianeptine

Outpatient care is especially effective for folks who need flexibility—people who want to get better but still need to show up for their lives.

At SolutionPoint in Palm Springs, we offer exactly this kind of structured, real-world care. You're not just handed a pamphlet and wished good luck. You’re walked through the science, the psychology, and the small, non-dramatic steps toward being whole again.

Signs You Might Need Help for Gas Station Heroin:

• You’re taking Zaza, Tianna, or Neptune’s Fix daily just to feel “normal”

• You’ve tried to stop but can’t handle the withdrawal symptoms

• You’re spending more than you intended, or hiding use from others

• You’re feeling anxious, hopeless, or sick when you don’t take it

• You’ve lost interest in things that used to matter

When You’re Ready to Step Away

There’s no shame in getting stuck. But there’s wisdom—and deep courage—in reaching out. At SolutionPoint in Palm Springs, we know what gas station heroin is, what it does, and how to help your body and brain get back to baseline. You can recover. Not in a postcard-perfect, inspirational-quote way. In a real, step-by-step, biochemically-backed, honest-to-God healing way.

Call SolutionPoint Today: 833-773-3869. Our team is here, and we won’t make you feel judged, rushed, or sold to. We simply know what you are going through, and we know how to help.

This article has been clinically reviewed by Dr. Sean Barlow.