Understanding Ibogaine
What Is Ibogaine?
Ibogaine is a potent psychoactive indole alkaloid with complex pharmacology.
It acts as a stimulant in low doses and a psychoactive drug in higher doses. Ibogaine was traditionally used in spiritual ceremonies and is currently being researched for its use in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
What Is Ibogaine Made From?
Ibogaine is derived from the root bark of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, found in Central Africa.
It is extracted from the root bark, and more recently, researchers have begun working on a synthetic compound with the same effects. Ibogaine used in therapeutic settings is commonly partially synthetic.
How Is Ibogaine Used?
The use of ibogaine has varied over time; once used as a neuromuscular stimulant and a potential cardiovascular drug, ibogaine has shown some therapeutic potential in drug addiction treatment.
Ibogaine research indicates that therapeutic use is limited and shows mixed results.
Research on ibogaine’s therapeutic use includes its use for addiction treatment, as a method to interrupt cycles of addiction and increase neuroplasticity to rewire the brain after active addiction.
Pharmacology of Ibogaine
How Does Ibogaine Work?
Ibogaine interacts with multiple neurotransmitter pathways, including dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and glutamate.
It is believed that the effects of ibogaine stem from increased neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to rewire.
Ibogaine therapy may help reduce withdrawal symptoms and build improved patterns in the brain. Additionally, ibogaine interrupts the cycle of addiction and withdrawal, creating an opening for long-term change.
How Is Ibogaine Metabolized?
Ibogaine is metabolized in the liver and gut wall into its primary metabolite, noribogaine.
This metabolic process, called (O)-demethylation, creates noribogaine, which can persist in the body for days or weeks, depending on the individual. Ibogaine is a psychedelic, while noribogaine is not psychoactive at therapeutic doses.
Is Ibogaine the Same as DMT?
No, DMT and ibogaine are not the same.
While both are found in plants, DMT is found in various plants and toad secretions, while ibogaine is derived from only two plants in West Africa. Both are psychedelic drugs, but DMT has a shorter psychedelic effect. Additionally, DMT and ibogaine have different impacts, with DMT causing rapid ego dissolution and ibogaine causing a detailed life review.
DMT and ibogaine are both Schedule 1 Controlled Substances, requiring medical supervision for psychedelic therapy. Ibogaine therapy holds high risks of cardiovascular issues such as arrhythmias, and is experimental as an addiction treatment drug.
How Does Ibogaine Differ From Other Psychedelics?
Ibogaine differs from other psychedelics due to its unique impact on the brain.
Compared to other psychedelics, ibogaine has a long-lasting, physically intense introspective experience. Additionally, it has a unique impact on multiple receptors.
The possible applications of ibogaine include the disruption of addiction and support for recovery. For example, it binds to opioid receptors, as well as others, and therefore decreases the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and can help reset the brain after opioid addiction.
Additionally, ibogaine acts as an inhibitor of the serotonin transporter. Different from antidepressants and other serotonin inhibitors, ibogaine is non-competitive with serotonin receptors. This response is unique when compared to other psychedelics, which have little to no impact on serotonin transport.
Ibogaine Effects and Experience
What Does Taking Ibogaine Feel Like?
Ibogaine produces a two-phase experience that is commonly described as a waking dream.
Taking ibogaine causes a blend of psychological and physical effects, causing a highly introspective experience.
What Are the Physiological Effects?
Physiological effects of ibogaine include tremors, tinnitus, and increased energy.
Ibogaine commonly causes individuals to feel a buzz of energy along with increased sweating, difficulty walking, and nausea or vomiting. As it slowly wears off, it causes difficulty sleeping and a mild ongoing stimulus effect.
What Are the Psychological Effects?
The psychological effects include intense hallucinations and increased introspection.
Users commonly feel detached from their bodies, creating distance from their lives and the experience of a dreamlike state.
Hallucinations are a common aspect in the first few hours. As time goes on, users remain detached and experience increased introspection, where they theoretically can process addiction and trauma with less intense emotional response.
What Is the Typical Duration of an Ibogaine Session?
The typical duration of an ibogaine session, a flood dose in therapeutic sessions, generally lasts between 12 and 36 hours, and up to 72 hours.
Every individual’s experience is unique. According to psychedelic studies, sessions contain three phases. The acute phase lasts 4 to 8 hours, the evaluation phase lasts between 8 and 20 hours, and the residual phase lasts 24 to 72 hours.
Ibogaine and Treatment
What Is Ibogaine Treatment?
Ibogaine treatment is the use of ibogaine in the treatment of substance use disorders.
Clinical trials are limited in terms of using ibogaine in treatment protocols, and there are risks of severe side effects even in a therapeutic setting.
What Is Ibogaine Treatment Used For?
It is used for treating withdrawal symptoms, reducing cravings, and rewiring the brain for recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.
Ibogaine treatment is most commonly used to relieve symptoms and support recovery from addiction to opioids, alcohol, and cocaine. It is also emerging as a possible treatment for traumatic brain injuries, treatment-resistant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some evidence suggests ibogaine can reduce hyperarousal, nightmares, intrusive memories, and substance-driven avoidance in veterans with PTSD. It may also promote emotional processing and improve engagement in follow-up psychotherapy. However, clinical evidence remains limited, risks can be serious, and use should be limited to medically supervised settings.
How Is Ibogaine Administered?
Ibogaine administration is typically in the form of a pill.
The pill contains a refined powder that is extracted from the bark of a root. Traditionally, ibogaine was administered by chewing on the root bark. Administration in a pill ensures the correct dosage for each therapeutic use.
Safety Screening and Contraindications
Who Should Not Receive Ibogaine?
Ibogaine impacts the heart and nervous system and is therefore a high risk for certain individuals.
It has been shown to cause arrhythmias, and individuals with cardiovascular health issues are at a high risk. Additionally, it is difficult for the body to metabolize, making it a high risk for individuals with any previous organ damage.
As a psychoactive drug, ibogaine can exacerbate certain mental health disorders and should not be taken by individuals with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other specific mental health conditions.
Certain medications can also cause dangerous interactions, and individuals taking antidepressants, methadone, or alcohol should be cautious.
What Medical and Psychiatric Screening Is Required?
Before administration, a detailed medical and psychiatric screening is required.
Medication screenings include panels to assess liver and kidney function, an EKG to assess heart health, a thyroid panel, and a toxicology test to ensure other substances that may interfere are not present. Additionally, women are required to take a pregnancy test.
Psychiatric screening includes a full psychiatric evaluation, mental health history, and medication history. These screenings reduce the risk of potentially dangerous side effects.
How Do Co‑Occurring Disorders Affect Eligibility?
Co-occurring disorders greatly impact eligibility, with some being disqualifying for ibogaine treatment.
Mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder, are disqualifiers for treatment. Individuals with suicidal ideation are also disqualified until they are stabilized.
The presence of alcohol in the system increases the risk of complications. Therefore, individuals seeking treatment after alcohol addiction are not eligible until they have gone through detoxification.
Ibogaine Risks & Dangers
What Are the Cardiac Risks of Ibogaine?
The highest cardiac risk is developing life-threatening arrhythmias.
Ibogaine and its metabolite, noribogaine, interact with potassium channels in the heart that directly impact heart muscles. As a result, ibogaine can cause changes in cardiac rhythms, not allowing the heart to refill and pump correctly. This can result in mild or life-threatening arrhythmias.
Additional cardiac risks include ventricular tachycardia, leading to potential seizures, cardiac arrest, or decreased heart rate.
What Other Medical Complications Can Occur?
Ibogaine results in many side effects and medical complications.
Almost all individuals experience a loss of muscle control that prevents them from standing or walking for hours. Seizures and muscle tremors are also common, even at low doses.
Gastrointestinal issues, including nausea and vomiting, are common and can lead to imbalances in electrolytes and dehydration. Additionally, respiratory failure, low blood pressure, and nervous system dysregulation are common.
How Do Drug Interactions Increase Risk?
Drug interactions greatly increase the risk of medical complications.
Ibogaine is well known to impact the cardiovascular system. When it is taken alongside other drugs that impact the cardiovascular system, such as antidepressants, it greatly increases the risk of a life-threatening arrhythmia.
Due to its metabolic process in the liver, drugs that interfere with it being metabolized increase risks as they shift the amount of time and the toxicity level in the body.
Additionally, due to ibogaine’s impact on dopamine and serotonin systems in the body, other drugs that impact these systems can lead to severe medical conditions when combined with ibogaine.
What Psychological Risks Can Occur?
Psychological risks include mania, psychosis, and hallucinations.
While for many, these are part of the initial phase of ibogaine, some individuals experience lasting mental health changes for days after treatment.
It is due to these risks that individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are disqualified from therapeutic use.
Proven Treatment Options
What Evidence‑Based Treatments Should Be Tried First?
Ibogaine is not an FDA-approved treatment and carries a high risk; approaches such as medication-assisted treatment and therapy should be first-line treatments.
Fortunately, many evidence-based treatments can be tried first. These include medication-assisted treatments, evidence-based therapies, and comprehensive addiction treatment.
Evidence-based treatments at addiction treatment centers are highly effective and greatly reduce the risk of physical or psychological damage.
How Do Medication‑Assisted Treatments Compare to Psychedelic Approaches?
Medication-assisted treatments (MATs) are the current gold standard in healthcare for addiction treatment.
The primary goals in MAT are to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings while building physiological stability, while psychedelic approaches aim to reset the brain.
MAT is a long-term therapy option that replaces or blocks receptors to reduce cravings. In contrast, psychedelics are administered in 1-3 sessions and aim to increase neuroplasticity to shift addiction patterns in the brain.
MAT is an FDA-approved treatment, while psychedelic approaches are currently being researched and not yet approved for addiction treatment.
At Sage Recovery & Wellness Center, we offer MAT as part of our treatment programs. We incorporate into individualized and comprehensive treatment plans that can help you achieve lasting recovery.
What Role Do Cognitive‑Behavioral Therapy and Other Psychotherapies Play?
CBT and other psychotherapies help individuals learn about patterns and skills that contribute to their mental health and substance abuse.
At Sage Recovery & Wellness Center, we rely heavily on behavioral therapies in our treatment programs. Behavioral therapies help clients learn more about the patterns that have contributed to their challenges with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Additionally, psychotherapy serves as a skill-building process, helping individuals rewrite how they respond to different situations in a manner that is cohesive with long-term recovery.
How Should I Weigh Risks, Benefits, and Evidence When Considering New Treatments?
The best way to learn more about what risks are worthwhile for you and your unique situation is to work with addiction professionals.
Working with an addiction treatment center gives you resources to learn more about what options are best for your treatment to be effective.
At Sage Recovery & Wellness Center, our providers can help you consider the risks and rewards of different treatment options and incorporate those that truly support long-term recovery.
When you are struggling with mental health disorders, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders, new treatments can look like an easy solution. Unfortunately, many new treatments have not been thoroughly researched, increasing the risk of short-term and long-term health issues from their use.
It is important to weigh the risk vs reward when considering new treatments. Ibogaine treatment is not FDA-approved, carries a high risk for health complications, and does not have a wealth of evidence showing its positive effects for addiction treatment.
FAQs
Is ibogaine legal in the US?
Ibogaine is a Schedule I substance in the US, and is considered illegal with no medical use accepted by the FDA.
It is legal in other countries, including Canada and Mexico, where it is used in treatment clinics.
This year, research on ibogaine and other psychedelics has been accelerated due to new legislation. As a result, ibogaine may become legal in the US for medical use, depending on the results of research on ibogaine use in humans.
Does ibogaine hurt?
The physical process of taking ibogaine is not painful, but it is taxing.
Ibogaine results in physical and psychological discomfort, including nausea, loss of muscle control, and sensory sensitivity. It is a very intense experience that causes discomfort and fatigue. The effects vary from person to person, and some individuals will experience more discomfort than others.
Does ibogaine make you hallucinate?
Yes, it is a strong hallucinogenic drug.
The hallucinations on ibogaine are different from what commonly comes to mind. It does not cause trippy hallucinations, like LSD, but instead causes an internal dreamlike state. Individuals often see their life as a movie or a slideshow, creating a more reflective, hallucinogenic experience.
Hallucinations from ibogaine include closed-eye visions, sensory distortion, insightful visions, and a dreamlike state.
Does ibogaine reset the brain?
Ibogen is thought to reset the brain, although more research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms.
Addiction causes changes in the brain, hijacking the pleasure-seeking parts and rewiring them. Ibogaine disrupts these processes by interacting with several neurotransmitters and is thought to temporarily reset these systems to how they were prior to addiction and substance abuse.
Additionally, ibogaine is thought to increase glial cell activity, which helps to repair the brain, and increase neuroplasticity. The result is a window of opportunity to create new thought patterns and habits in the brain. Essentially, the brain is more malleable to change, allowing the opportunity to reset the brain.
Ibogaine also disrupts the withdrawal cycle, causing individuals to experience decreased cravings. It does not eliminate cravings forever, but it provides a window of time where individuals are more focused and able to build new patterns.
While initial research suggests that it can help reset the brain, more research is needed to fully understand the impacts of ibogaine on the brain and body.
Addiction and mental health disorders make daily life more difficult. If you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, a mental health disorder, or co-occurring disorders, getting professional help is the first step to improving your health and wellness. At Sage Recovery & Wellness Center, we offer evidence-based treatments and comprehensive treatment programs that can help you achieve long-term wellness. Don’t wait to get the help you need.