Ibogaine: From Indigenous Traditions to Experimental Clinical Use
Ibogaine is a psychoactive indole alkaloid that occurs naturally in the wild. It is found naturally in plants in the Apocynaceae family, including Tabernanthe iboga, Tabernaemontana undulata, and Voacanga Africana. As a natural psychedelic with dissociative properties, ibogaine has traditionally been used by the Bwiti, an indigenous people of Western Africa.
Their typical low dose use of the substance doesn’t produce “drug trips”; instead, it offers them a weapon against hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Occasionally people in parts of Africa do use higher doses of ibogaine for spiritual initiation ceremonies and coming of age ceremonies. For these kinds of ceremonies, larger doses of bark stripped from the roots might be ingested to induce a vision quest, the passage of which would mark a milestone. Regardless, ibogaine is not an addictive substance that is abused in any of these cultures at any dosage.
Ibogaine hydrochloride (ibogaine HCl) is the active ingredient in the plant. It was first extracted from the Tabernanthe iboga species around the turn of the century in 1901. Shortly after that, research into ibogaine’s actions on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems began appearing in scientific literature. After Rauwolfia, another medicinal plant, became a subject of more interest in the medical community, overall interest in the Apocynaceae family, including Tabernanthe iboga, grew. As a result, French pharmacologists made an extensive study of the pharmacology of ibogaine in the early 20th century.
Traditional spiritual use of iboga and ibogaine
Traditional spiritual practices which might include ingesting large amounts of iboga root bark would induce a psychoactive effect. However, the practice also tends to come with side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, and the same kind of gastric distress you might get from consuming any very large quantity of indigestible, fibrous plant matter. This “purging” experience is in some ways like the Ayahuasca experience.
In reality, none of these extreme effects or unpredictable variables are present in a clinical setting. This is certainly for the best because, in the treatment of drug-dependent individuals, it is critical to guard an already fragile state of health. Ingesting ibogaine in a clinical setting to break an intractable pattern of abuse and dependency, then, is in practice far different than these traditional uses.
Furthermore, ibogaine is only one of many active compounds that can be found in the range of plants that are used in ceremonies. Whether ayahuasca or iboga, there are many unknowns at work. In fact, just among iboga species, there are at least eleven other active substances. Some of those active alkaloids, such as tabernathine, have active properties that are very similar to those of ibogaine. However, many others have questionable or unknown and unstudied properties; this dearth of research can mean a danger of adverse events for those seeking out less well-regulated experiences outside a clinical setting.
Clinical ibogaine treatment (as reported in clinical and observational settings)
Almost all research published in peer-reviewed studies on ibogaine focuses on ibogaine hydrochloride (ibogaine HCl). Therefore, when we say “ibogaine”, unless stated otherwise, we are referring to ibogaine HCl. Ibogaine HCl is the purified active alkaloid that has been studied for its potential to reduce withdrawal symptoms and interrupt addictive patterns.
Clinical protocols reported by some treatment providers describe a staggered series of doses of ibogaine. The first dose is typically a “flood” dose calculated near what providers consider the maximum safe range, determined individually in mg/kg of body weight. That first flood is followed at safely timed intervals by two additional ibogaine boosters. These boosters eliminate any residual feelings of craving or withdrawal that may trouble heavily-addicted patients. All doses of ibogaine are tailored for each patient and take place in a safe, medically-monitored environment.
The results of the ibogaine detox are stunning. Reports from individuals who undergo ibogaine detox often describe significant reductions in withdrawal symptoms and cravings, including among heavily dependent patients. Many also describe the experience as highly meaningful or transformative, though outcomes vary widely and depend on numerous factors.