Ibogaine Detoxification Transitions Opioid and Cocaine Abusers Between Dependence and Abstinence: Clinical Observations and Treatment Outcomes.
Frontiers in pharmacology January 1, 2018 Deborah C Mash, Linda Duque, Bryan Page et al. 109 citations
A single oral dose of ibogaine, administered under medical supervision, diminishes opioid withdrawal symptoms and reduces drug cravings in people seeking to detoxify from opioids or cocaine. In an open-label case series of 191 human volunteers, no significant adverse events occurred at doses effective for blocking withdrawal. Pharmacokinetic measures from whole blood assays tracked ibogaine's metabolism and clearance. Multi-dimensional craving questionnaires showed reduced heroin and cocaine cravings during inpatient detoxification. One-month follow-up data suggested some persistence of craving reduction outside the inpatient setting. The results support developing ibogaine as a treatment for opioid withdrawal during medically supervised detoxification to transition individuals toward abstinence.