Treating drug dependence with the aid of ibogaine: a retrospective study.
Eduardo Ekman Schenberg, Maria Angélica De Castro Comis, Bruno Rasmussen Chaves, Dartiu Xavier Da Silveira
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) November 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114552713 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIbogaine, an alkaloid used to treat drug dependence, is illegal in some countries but unregulated in Brazil, where it is combined with psychotherapy. A retrospective analysis of 75 former alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and crack users (72% poly-drug users) found no serious adverse reactions or fatalities. 61% of participants remained abstinent. Those treated with ibogaine once reported a median abstinence of 5.5 months; those treated multiple times, 8.4 months. Both single and multiple treatments resulted in longer abstinence than before the first session. The findings suggest that physician-supervised ibogaine with psychotherapy can facilitate prolonged abstinence without fatalities, indicating it may be a safe and effective treatment for stimulant and other non-opiate drug dependence.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Retrospective analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 75 |
| Population | Former alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and crack users (72% poly-drug users) |
| Interventions | Ibogaine Psychotherapy |
| Topics | Addiction Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Cocaine Crack Ibogaine treatment Drug addiction recovery |
| Citations | 110 |
| Key finding | Ibogaine treatment, supervised by a physician and accompanied by psychotherapy, was associated with 61% of participants achieving abstinence, with median abstinence periods of 5.5 months for single treatment and 8.4 months for multiple treatments, and no serious adverse reactions or fatalities. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is an alkaloid purported to be an effective drug dependence treatment. However, its efficacy has been hard to evaluate, partly because it is illegal in some countries. In such places, treatments are conducted in underground settings where fatalities have occurred. In Brazil ibogaine is unregulated and a combined approach of psychotherapy and ibogaine is being practiced to treat addiction. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ibogaine, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 75 previous alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and crack users (72% poly-drug users). We observed no serious adverse reactions or fatalities, and found 61% of participants abstinent. Participants treated with ibogaine only once reported abstinence for a median of 5.5 months and those treated multiple times for a median of 8.4 months. This increase was statistically significant (p < 0.001), and both single or multiple treatments led to longer abstinence periods than before the first ibogaine session (p < 0.001). These results suggest that the use of ibogaine supervised by a physician and accompanied by psychotherapy can facilitate prolonged periods of abstinence, without the occurrence of fatalities or complications. These results suggest that ibogaine can be a safe and effective treatment for dependence on stimulant and other non-opiate drugs.