Treatment of acute opioid withdrawal with ibogaine.
K R Alper, H S Lotsof, G M Frenken, D J Luciano, J Bastiaans
The American journal on addictions January 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1080/105504999305848 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn a review of 33 cases of ibogaine treatment for opioid detoxification in non-medical settings, 25 patients showed complete resolution of opioid withdrawal signs and cessation of drug-seeking behavior within 24 hours, sustained over 72 hours. Other outcomes included drug-seeking without withdrawal (4 patients), abstinence with attenuated withdrawal (2 patients), drug-seeking with continued withdrawal (1 patient), and one fatality possibly from surreptitious heroin use. The average daily heroin use was 0.64 grams, primarily intravenously. The findings suggest the need for systematic clinical research to confirm ibogaine's potential for rapidly alleviating severe opioid withdrawal.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series Open-label Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 33 |
| Population | Patients undergoing opioid detoxification with ibogaine in non-medical settings |
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Duration | 72-hour posttreatment observation |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Acute withdrawal signs Heroin rapid detoxification Significant relief Rapidly mitigate |
| Citations | 201 |
| Key finding | Ibogaine resolved opioid withdrawal signs and drug-seeking behavior within 24 hours in 25 of 33 cases, sustained over 72 hours. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is an alkaloid with putative effect in acute opioid withdrawal. Thirty-three cases of treatments for the indication of opioid detoxification performed in non-medical settings under open label conditions are summarized involving an average daily use of heroin of .64 +/- .50 grams, primarily by the intravenous route. Resolution of the signs of opioid withdrawal without further drug seeking behavior was observed within 24 hours in 25 patients and was sustained throughout the 72-hour period of posttreatment observation. Other outcomes included drug seeking behavior without withdrawal signs (4 patients), drug abstinence with attenuated withdrawal signs (2 patients), drug seeking behavior with continued withdrawal signs (1 patient), and one fatality possibly involving surreptitious heroin use. The reported effectiveness of ibogaine in this series suggests the need for systematic investigation in a conventional clinical research setting.