Treatment of heroin dependence with ibogaine
European Psychiatry March 1, 2016 Arnt Schellekens, Toon van Oosteren, Thomas Knuijver et al. 1 citation
Ibogaine, a hallucinogen, reduces drug self-administration in animals, especially within the first 24 hours, but causes motor impairment and cerebral cell loss. In a meta-analysis of 27 animal studies, ibogaine did not affect conditioned place preference. Human data from 15 opiate-dependent patients treated with 10 mg/kg ibogaine are still being collected; initial observations show strong QTc prolongation and ataxia, with relatively mild opiate withdrawal symptoms. Ibogaine may reduce opiate withdrawal but carries risks of transient cardiac and cerebellar toxicity, warranting further systematic studies on its safety and efficacy for treating opiate dependence.