Free Republic

Marketed as a natural wellness product and widely available, 7-OH seemed like a viable alternative for Hayden resident Kevin McAuliffe to use as an energy and mood booster. However, McAuliffe said it became “absolutely impossible for me to ween off 7-OH because basically I became highly addicted to it, and I was waking up in the middle of night with withdrawal symptoms.” “I was having extreme health side effects,” McAuliffe said of the product 7-Hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, which is a chemically concentrated derivative of the kratom plant. Addiction treatment professionals, UCHealth physicians, valley residents and the U.S. Food and...

A potentially dangerous supplement dubbed “gas station heroin” is being sold at convenience stores and online and getting users hooked. The pills contain tianeptine and are sold under names including “Za Za Red” and “Tianna.” They are hawked as a dietary supplement that helps to improve brain function and to treat anxiety and depression, according to a report by NewsNation. But they can lead to an opioid-like high, which is leaving some users addicted, experts told the outlet — and the FDA says the products are linked to overdoses and deaths. Poison control centers have seen a surge in tianeptine-related...