Ibugaine (Report)

IBOGAINE / IBOGA
Scientific Name: Tabernanthe iboga Baill.

Common Names: Bitter grass, Iboga, Ibogaine, Leaf of God, Thie-pelakano
Ibogaine is a psychedelic with dissociative and dream-like effects that reliably appear with certain doses. At lower
doses, it’s been used as a stimulant and aphrodisiac. It is derived from the roots of Tabernanthe iboga plant.
Iboga has been used ritually as a hallucinogen. Studies suggest that ibogaine, one of the iboga alkaloids, has
potential in the treatment of addiction to several substances.
The use of T. iboga dates back centuries in Gabon, Cameroon, and surrounding countries. Bwiti, an African religion
that uses iboga, has received a fair amount of attention and is widely practiced in Gabon.
Since the late 1900s, people have been taking ibogaine in an attempt to reduce or eliminate their dependence on
other drugs, particularly opioids.
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid derived from the roots of the rain forest shrub Tabernanthe iboga. Deaths
have occurred temporarily related to the use of ibogaine. However, although not licensed as therapeutic drug, and
despite evidence that ibogaine may disturb the rhythm of the heart, this alkaloid is currently used as an anti-
addiction drug in alternative medicine for detoxification purposes.
Method of Administration
Ibogaine is taken orally. It is extracted from the root of the Tabernanthe iboga in the form of powder or in capsule.
It has doses which varies effects to the body when taken.
In Bwiti religious ceremonies, the root bark is pulverized and swallowed in large amounts to produce intense
psychoactive effects
Dose
Oral (opioid dependence)

Total: 15 – 25 mg/kg
Oral (psychedelic)
Total: 8 – 12 mg/kg
Oral (stimulant)
Total: Under 50 mg
Oral (iboga root bark)
Contains: 1 – 7% alkaloids (usually 2 – 4%
ibogaine)
Timeline
Oral (hallucinogenic dose)
Total: 24 – 36 hours
In Gabon and elsewhere in West Central Africa, ibogaine is ingested in the form of scrapings of Tabernanthe iboga
root bark. The ritual aim of eating iboga has been conceptualized as "binding"' the binding across time through
ancestral contact, or binding participants socially on the basis of a common shared experience of a distinctive
consciousness and system of belief.
MedicalUse
Ibogaine is not currently approved for any medical uses. Clinical studies of ibogaine to treat drug addiction began
in the early 1990s, but concerns about cardiotoxicity led to termination of those studies. There is currently
insufficient data to determine whether it is useful in treating addiction. Nonetheless, some alternative medicine
clinics administer ibogaine for this purpose, in what has been called a "vast, uncontrolled experiment."Clinical
trials of Ibogaine for the treatment of alcoholism are currently underway in Brazil.
EFFECTS
Adverse Reactions
Mild acute effects occur frequently and include nausea, vomiting, ataxia, tremors, headaches, and mental confusion.
Manic episodes lasting 1 to 2 weeks have also been reported and manifested as sleeplessness, irritability,
impulsivity, emotional lability, grandiose delusions, rapid tangential speech, aggressive behavior, and suicidal
ideation.
Toxicology
The effects of iboga may be dose dependent. Large doses of iboga can induce agitation, hallucinations, vomiting,
ataxia, muscle spasms, weakness, seizures, paralysis, arrhythmias, urinary retention, respiratory insufficiency, and
cardiac arrest. It can also lead to vagal dominance and induce psychedelic effects and a "feigned death;" users
report a state of dreaming without loss of consciousness. Large doses induce hallucinations; however, this dose is
close to the level of toxicity and is avoided by traditional users. Hallucinations are typically accompanied by
anxiety and apprehension. The autonomic nervous system is affected by ibogaine by means of various
neurotransmitter systems and the fastigial nucleus.
Low doses appear to act on the cerebella to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, as well as increasing muscle
strength and endurance, and are used among indigenous African populations as an aphrodisiac and to increase
mental alertness and endurance when hunting.
LABORATORY TEST IN DETERMINING THE USE OF IBOGAINE

Use of Ibogaine can be determind through examining the plasma and blood.
A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method was developed for the
first time for the determination of ibogaine and noribogaine in human plasma and whole blood. The method
involved solid phase extraction of the compounds and the internal standard (fluorescein) from the two matrices
using OasisHLB columns.
Images of ibugaine
Darwin B. Abella, BSCRIM 4

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What is ibogaine and where does it come from?

How is ibogaine administered and what are typical doses?

IBOGAINE / IBOGA

Scientific Name: Tabernanthe iboga Baill.

Oral (opioid dependence)

LABORATORY TEST IN DETERMINING THE USE OF IBOGAINE

Darwin B. Abella, BSCRIM 4

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