Ibogaine for treating drug dependence. What is a safe dose?
Drug and alcohol dependence September 1, 2016 L J Schep, R J Slaughter, S Galea et al. 30 citations
Ibogaine, an alkaloid from the West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, is used in the West to treat drug dependence, but requires large, hallucination-inducing doses. Case reports describe ataxia, gastrointestinal distress, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden deaths in patients. High doses affect neurological receptors and transporters, and rodent studies show neuronal injury in Purkinje cells. Lethality in rodents occurs at about 263 mg/kg orally. Applying safety factors for intra- and inter-species variability and susceptible populations, a safer initial human dose is calculated at 0.87 mg/kg, substantially lower than current practice. Morbidities and mortalities will continue unless practitioners reconsider doses.