Fox News medical contributor Dr. Mark Siegel is calling on the FDA to take action to universally ban “gas station heroin,” a legal drug sold in most states across the country.
Tianeptine, commonly sold under the name “ZaZa Red” or “Tianna Red,” can be sold as a dietary supplement at gas stations, bodegas, and grocery stores. And Dr. Siegel warned on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that the drug “acts like an opioid” and can have dangerous consequences.
“People are overdosing,” Dr. Siegel said Tuesday. “There are so many calls to poison centers. Doctors can’t do anything about it.”
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A sign is seen outside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., on August 29, 2020.
(Reuters/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)
The FDA has not approved tianeptine for any medical use and has issued warnings that the drug is a drug “safe food additive”. However, the drug is banned in only six states.
Dr. Siegel says the FDA must act to protect Americans.
“They know how dangerous it is, but they are not banning it,” he said.
In a 2018 report, the Centers for Disease Control is one increased calls to poison control centers Between 2000 and 2017, studies involving tianeptine indicate a “potential risk to public health.”
“Related health effects include neurological, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, with some effects mimicking opioid toxicity and withdrawal,” the report states.
Dr. Siegel added that tianeptine, despite being generally advertised as an antidepressant, affects the opioid receptors in the user’s brain.
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“It works like heroin as an opioid, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it,” he said.
The FDA advised consumers to avoid products containing tianeptine and provided those seeking relief or alternative approved treatments.
“We have issued warning letters to companies illegally selling tianeptine products as dietary supplements and unapproved drugs. We have also issued import alerts to help stop the movement of tianeptine across our borders,” The FDA report said. “FDA will continue to take regulatory action to stop the importation and sale of unapproved tianeptine products.”
But Dr. Siegel says the FDA has not gone far enough as America grapples with the drug epidemic.
“We have a pill-making community,” he said. “Yes, doctors are responsible for a lot of things, but these things are over the counter.”