What is ibogaine used in the treatment of?”
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in a number of plants, principally in a member of the dogbane family known as iboga (Tabernanthe iboga). Ibogaine-containing preparations are used in medicinal and ritual purposes within African spiritual traditions of the Bwiti, who claim to have learned it from the Pygmy. In recent times, it has been identified as having anti-addictive properties. Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid that is obtained either by extraction from the iboga plant or by semi-synthesis from the precursor compound voacangine, another plant alkaloid. A full organic synthesis of ibogaine has been achieved but is too expensive and challenging to produce any commercially significant yield. In the early 1960s, anecdotal reports appeared concerning ibogaine’s effects. Since that time, it has been the subject of investigation into its abilities to interrupt addictions to heroin, alcohol, and cocaine. It is thought that ibogaine may have potential to drive intr
The most-studied therapeutic effect of ibogaine is the reduction or elimination of addiction to opioids. An integral effect is the alleviation of symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Research also suggests that ibogaine may be useful in treating dependence on other substances such as alcohol, methamphetamine, and nicotine and may affect compulsive behavioral patterns not involving substance abuse or chemical dependence. Proponents of ibogaine treatment for drug addiction have established formal and informal clinics or self-help groups in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, France, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, where ibogaine is administered as an experimental drug. There also exist clandestine drug-treatment facilities in the countries where it is illegal. Many users of ibogaine report experiencing visual phenomena during a waking dream state, such as instructive replays of life events that led to their addicti
