Ibogaine

Ibogaine is a psychoactive indole alkaloid derived from the rootbark of an African plant, Tabernanthe iboga.

Used as a part of the bwiti ceremony in Central Africa, specifically Gabon and Cameroon.

In recent years it has been noted for its ability to treat both drug and alcohol addiction. Both scientific studies and widespread anecdotal report that a single administration of ibogaine has the ability to both remove the symptoms of drug withdrawal and reduce drug-craving for a period of time after administration. Many users claim to have out of body experiences after using this drug. In addition, the drug's psychoactive properties (in large doses it can induce a dreamlike state for a period of hours) have been widely credited with helping users understand and reverse their drug-using behavior, although some studies have shown that this subjective experience is not connected to the addiction inhibition abilities of the compound. It is also used to cure demonic possession, in Africa.

Studies suggest that ibogaine has considerable potential in the treatment of addiction to heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methadone, and alcohol, with some suggestion that it can also be useful in treating tobacco dependence. However, although similar mechanisms are involved, the use of ibogaine hydrochloride in mitigating SSRI addiction has yet to be addressed. It has also been suggested that the drug may have considerable potential in the field of psychotherapy, particularly as a treatment for the effects of trauma or conditioning.

A single administration of ibogaine typically has three effects useful in the treatment of drug dependence. Firstly, it causes a massive reduction in the symptoms of drug withdrawal, allowing relatively painless detoxification. Secondly, many users report, and scientific studies confirm, a marked lowering in the desire to use drugs is experienced for a period of time after taking ibogaine, typically between one week and several months. Finally, the drug's psychoactive nature is reported to help many users understand and resolve the issues behind their addictive behavior.

Ibogaine can be easily administered, in capsule form, and has no addictive effects itself (it is considered by many to be an extremely unpleasant experience and thus has a very limited potential for either mental or physical addiction). It is essentially a "one-shot" medication and, used in a clinical setting with proper client screening procedures, the drug thus far appears to be safe to use. Almost all other tryptamines are very safe. Whilst it is rare for an individual to stop using drugs permanently from a single dose of ibogaine, as the initial component in an overall rehabilitation program the drug would appear to offer much potential.

Although approved for clinical trials (trials on humans) for the treatment of addiction in the US in the early 1990s, problems with financial backing have so hindered the development of ibogaine that, as of mid 2001, it remains undeveloped and thus unavailable to the majority of addicts worldwide. There are however a couple of private clinics, located around the Caribbean and in Mexico, that offer ibogaine treatment at prices starting around 1500 US dollars, and some lay treatment providers offer lower cost treatment, without medical facilities, in Europe. In addition, ibogaine, either in pure form or as a plant extract, has become available from some lay sources on the Internet.

Ibogaine's current legal status in the UK, and much of the rest of the world, is that of an unlicensed, experimental medication, and it is not therefore an offence to possess the drug, though to act as a distributor may be breaking the law. Ibogaine is a restricted substance (possession is illegal) in some countries, including the US, Switzerland, Sweden and Belgium.

Interestingly, experimental Ibogaine use by the United States government can be traced back to the 1950's according to CIA-related documents released through FOIA. It was among the very first drugs to be listed as illegally psychoactive. Some conspiracy theorists believe that it was purposely made illegal, not to combat abuse (of which there was none at the time), but to ensure there would be no cures for addictions which the certain agencies might profit from.

Links

• The Ibogaine Dossier
• Ibogaine
• MindVox Ibogaine Site & Forums
• Ibogaine & Addiction
• Ten years of therapy in one night