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Iboga / Ibogaine

The antiaddictive effects of ibogaine: A systematic literature review of human studies

December 20, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , ,

Abstract

Background and aims: Ibogaine is a naturally occurring hallucinogenic alkaloid with a therapeutic potential for reducing drug craving and withdrawal. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review was previously performed assessing these effects. Thus, we conducted a systematic literature review of human studies assessing the antiaddictive effects of ibogaine.

Methods: Papers published up to July 2, 2016 were included from PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases following a comprehensive search strategy and a pre-determined set of criteria for article selection.

Results: Two hundred and fifty-nine studies were identified, of which eight met the established criteria. Seven studies were open-label case series with ibogaine and one study was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with noribogaine. Case series suggest that a single dose or a few treatments with ibogaine may significantly reduce drug withdrawal, craving, and self-administration in dependent individuals lasting from 24 h to weeks or months. No significant effects of noribogaine on opiate/opioid withdrawal were observed in the clinical trial.

Conclusions: Considering the necessity of new drugs that may produce fast-acting and sustained effects in opiate/opioid and cocaine dependence, the potential beneficial effects of ibogaine/noribogaine should be further investigated in controlled trials.

dos Santos, R. G., Bouso, J. C., & Hallak, J. E. (2016). The antiaddictive effects of ibogaine: A systematic literature review of human studies. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, (0), 1-9. 10.1556/2054.01.2016.001

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A One-Dose Psychedelic Fix for Addiction?

December 8, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By /

Abstract

A drug that mimics ibogaine, a hallucinogen used underground for decades as an antiaddiction agent, is now being tested in clinical trials

The psychedelic drug ibogaine is known for two things: its reputation in some circles as a panacea for addiction and the visceral hallucinations it induces. Positive anecdotes abound from people who have sought out the illegal drug at underground clinics.

Jacobson, R. (2017). A One-Dose Psychedelic Fix for Addiction?. Scientific American Mind, 28(1), 10-11. 10.1038/scientificamericanmind0117-10

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Tripping up addiction: the use of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of problematic drug and alcohol use

November 15, 2016 / Ayahuasca, Depressive Disorders, Iboga / Ibogaine, Ketamine, LSD, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , , ,

Abstract

Psychedelic drugs have been used as treatments in indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Yet, due to their legal status, there has been limited scientific research into the therapeutic potential of these compounds for psychiatric disorders. In the absence of other effective treatments however, researchers have begun again to systematically investigate such compounds and there is now evidence pointing to the use of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of addiction. In this review we focus on human evidence for the effectiveness of preparations used by indigenous cultures in the Amazon (ayahausca) and Africa (ibogaine) and worldwide (psilocybin), and more recently synthetised drugs such as the serotonergic hallucinogen LSD and the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine. Potential mechanisms explored are anti-depressant effects, changes in neuroplasticity and existential psychological effects of these drugs.

Morgan, C., McAndrew, A., Stevens, T., Nutt, D., & Lawn, W. (2017). Tripping up addiction: the use of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of problematic drug and alcohol use. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 13, 71-76. 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.10.009
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Ibogaine for treating drug dependence. What is a safe dose?

September 1, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Papers, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , ,

Abstract

The indole alkaloid ibogaine, present in the root bark of the West African rain forest shrub Tabernanthe iboga, has been adopted in the West as a treatment for drug dependence. Treatment of patients requires large doses of the alkaloid to cause hallucinations, an alleged integral part of the patient’s treatment regime. However, case reports and case series continue to describe evidences of ataxia, gastrointestinal distress, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden and unexplained deaths of patients undergoing treatment for drug dependence. High doses of ibogaine act on several classes of neurological receptors and transporters to achieve pharmacological responses associated with drug aversion; limited toxicology research suggests that intraperitoneal doses used to successfully treat rodents, for example, have also been shown to cause neuronal injury (purkinje cells) in the rat cerebellum. Limited research suggests lethality in rodents by the oral route can be achieved at approximately 263mg/kg body weight. To consider an appropriate and safe initial dose for humans, necessary safety factors need to be applied to the animal data; these would include factors such as intra- and inter-species variability and for susceptible people in a population (such as drug users). A calculated initial dose to treat patients could be approximated at 0.87mg/kg body weight, substantially lower than those presently being administered to treat drug users. Morbidities and mortalities will continue to occur unless practitioners reconsider doses being administered to their susceptible patients.
Schep, L. J., Slaughter, R. J., Galea, S., & Newcombe, D. (2016). Ibogaine for treating drug dependence. What is a safe dose?. Drug and alcohol dependence, 166, 1-5. 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.07.005
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The Resurrection Of Psychedelic Psychiatry And Its Role In Addiction Treatment

September 1, 2016 / Ayahuasca, Iboga / Ibogaine, LSD, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By /

Abstract

Psychedelic psychiatry, a field which was previously popular between 1950-1970, has recently received a renewed interest as several recent studies have highlighted the potential role of hallucinogens in the treatment of addictions and various mental illnesses. This paper looks at evidence supporting the use of LSD, ibogaine and ayahuasca to treat various addictions and discusses the barriers to further exploration of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances.

Skocylas, R. (2016). The resurrection of psychedelic psychiatry and its role in addiction treatment. UBC Medical Journal, 8(1).
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Clinical Applications of Hallucinogens: A Review

July 1, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Ketamine, LSD, MDMA, Mescaline / Cacti, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Salvia / Salvinorin A / By / , ,

Abstract

Hallucinogens fall into several different classes, as broadly defined by pharmacological mechanism of action, and chemical structure. These include psychedelics, entactogens, dissociatives, and other atypical hallucinogens. Although these classes do not share a common primary mechanism of action, they do exhibit important similarities in their ability to occasion temporary but profound alterations of consciousness, involving acute changes in somatic, perceptual, cognitive, and affective processes. Such effects likely contribute to their recreational use. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that these drugs may have therapeutic applications beyond their potential for abuse. This review will present data on several classes of hallucinogens with a particular focus on psychedelics, entactogens, and dissociatives, for which clinical utility has been most extensively documented. Information on each class is presented in turn, tracing relevant historical insights, highlighting similarities and differences between the classes from the molecular to the behavioral level, and presenting the most up-to-date information on clinically oriented research with these substances, with important ramifications for their potential therapeutic value.

Garcia-Romeu, A., Kersgaard, B., & Addy, P. H. (2016). Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 24(4), 229. 10.1037/pha0000084
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Ibogaine and addiction in the animal model, a systematic review and meta-analysis

May 31, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Neuroscience, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , , , ,

Abstract

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring substance which has been increasingly used in the lay-scene to reduce craving and relapse in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although human clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of ibogaine are lacking, animal studies do support the efficacy of ibogaine. In this systematic review and meta-analysis (MA), we summarise these animal findings, addressing three questions: (1) does ibogaine reduce addictive behaviour in animal models of SUDs?; (2) what are the toxic effects of ibogaine on motor functioning, cerebellum and heart rhythm?; (3) what are neuropharmacological working mechanisms of ibogaine treatment in animal models of SUDs? MA of 27 studies showed that ibogaine reduced drug self-administration, particularly during the first 24 h after administration. Ibogaine had no effect on drug-induced conditioned place preference. Ibogaine administration resulted in motor impairment in the first 24 h after supplementation, and cerebral cell loss even weeks after administration. Data on ibogaines effect on cardiac rhythm, as well as on its neuropharmacological working mechanisms are limited. Our results warrant further studies into the clinical efficacy of ibogaine in SUD patients in reducing craving and substance use, but close monitoring of the patients is recommended because of the possible toxic effects. In addition, more work is needed to unravel the neuropharmacological working mechanisms of ibogaine and to investigate its effects on heart rhythm.

Belgers, M., Leenaars, M., Homberg, J. R., Ritskes-Hoitinga, M., Schellekens, A. F. A., & Hooijmans, C. R. (2016). Ibogaine and addiction in the animal model, a systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational psychiatry, 6(5), e826. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/tp.2016.71
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Remission of Severe Opioid Use Disorder with Ibogaine: A Case Report

May 18, 2016 / Iboga / Ibogaine, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , , ,

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorders (OUD) translate into major health, social, and economic consequences. Opioid agonist medications, which generally require long-term administration, are the mainstay pharmacological treatment of OUD. However, a large proportion of individuals with OUD either refuse or fail to respond to these therapies. Ibogaine, a naturally occurring substance found in the Tabernanthe iboga plant, has shown potential to bring about transformative or spiritual experiences that have reportedly been associated with long-term abstinece. Although research on ibogaine is limited, an ibogaine subculture persists, offering unregulated ibogaine preparations for the treatment of addiction.

CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 37-year-old female with a 19-year history of severe OUD achieving an ongoing 18-month period of abstinence following a four-day ibogaine treatment. Her previous longest period of continuous abstinence from opioids was two months while on methadone. No safety issues associated with ibogaine were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: A four-day treatment with ibogaine was succesful in achieving long-term remission of a previously treatment-refractory patient with severe OUD. While rigorous trials are required to establish safety and efficacy, future studies should seek to delineate the potential role of ibogaine or other molecules that may produce transformative experiences for individuals with substance use disorder.

Cloutier-Gill, L., Wood, E., Millar, T., Ferris, C., & Eugenia Socias, M. (2016). Remission of Severe Opioid Use Disorder with Ibogaine: A Case Report. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2016.1180467

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