Fatal case of a 27-year-old male after taking iboga in withdrawal treatment: GC-MS/MS determination of ibogaine and ibogamine in iboga roots and postmortem biological material.

A man died twelve hours after ingesting powdered iboga root, a substance taken for its stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. Ibogaine and ibogamine were measured in the powder and the victim's body fluids using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ibogaine concentrations in blood samples taken at the scene, peripheral blood, urine, and gastric fluid were 0.65, 1.27, 1.7, and 53.5 μg/mL, respectively; the powder contained 7.2% iboga. Diazepam and methadone were also present at therapeutic concentrations. Death was attributed to ingestion of a substantial quantity of iboga combined with methadone and diazepam.

Study at a glance

Abstract

We report the case of a man who died twelve hours after ingesting powdered iboga root, commonly taken for its stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Ibogaine and ibogamine were quantified in the powder ingested and the victim's body fluids by GC-MS/MS after liquid-liquid extraction (Toxi-tubes A(®)). The concentrations of ibogaine measured in the blood samples taken at the scene and in the peripheral blood, urine, and gastric fluid samples taken during the autopsy were 0.65, 1.27, 1.7, and 53.5 μg/mL, while the iboga content in the powder was 7.2%. Moreover, systematic toxicological analyses of biological samples showed the presence of diazepam and methadone in therapeutic concentrations. Death was attributed to the ingestion of a substantial quantity of iboga in the context of simultaneous methadone and diazepam consumption.