Remission of Severe Opioid Use Disorder with Ibogaine: A Case Report.
Laurie Cloutier-Gill, Evan Wood, Trevor Millar, Caroline Ferris, M Eugenia Socias
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2016 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2016.1180467 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 37-year-old female with severe opioid use disorder |
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Duration | Four-day treatment, 18-month follow-up |
| Topics | Ibogaine Addiction |
| Keywords | Methadone maintance therapy Opioid agonist treatment Opioid use disorders Ibogaine treatment Remission Abstinence Long-term recovery Treatment-resistant opioid addiction Standard opioid therapies Methadone maintenance therapy Standard care |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | A four-day ibogaine treatment was associated with an ongoing 18-month period of abstinence in a patient with treatment-refractory severe opioid use disorder. |
Abstract
Opioid use disorders (OUD) translate into major health, social, and economic consequences. Opioid agonist medications, which generally require long-term administration, are the mainstay pharmacological treatment of OUD. However, a large proportion of individuals with OUD either refuse or fail to respond to these therapies. Ibogaine, a naturally occurring substance found in the Tabernanthe iboga plant, has shown potential to bring about transformative or spiritual experiences that have reportedly been associated with long-term abstinece. Although research on ibogaine is limited, an ibogaine subculture persists, offering unregulated ibogaine preparations for the treatment of addiction. We describe the case of a 37-year-old female with a 19-year history of severe OUD achieving an ongoing 18-month period of abstinence following a four-day ibogaine treatment. Her previous longest period of continuous abstinence from opioids was two months while on methadone. No safety issues associated with ibogaine were observed. A four-day treatment with ibogaine was succesful in achieving long-term remission of a previously treatment-refractory patient with severe OUD. While rigorous trials are required to establish safety and efficacy, future studies should seek to delineate the potential role of ibogaine or other molecules that may produce transformative experiences for individuals with substance use disorder.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on ibogaine for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-QT Syndrome Induced by the Antiaddiction Drug Ibogaine A 31-year-old woman | 2009 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Ibogaine Consumption With Seizure-Like Episodes, QTc-Prolongation, and Captured Cardiac Dysrhythmias. 34-year-old white woman with heroin and cocaine use disorder | 2019 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Novel treatment of opioid use disorder using ibogaine and iboga in two adults Individuals with opioid use disorder accessing ibogaine through private unregulated... | 2020 | Case series | n = 2 |
| Risk management in a global market of alternative addiction care: a case study of the ibogaine medical subculture | 2025 | Case study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine: detoxification and drug use outcomes. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 2018
- A systematic literature review of clinical trials and therapeutic applications of ibogaine. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment July 1, 2022
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Ibogaine ACS Chemical Neuroscience September 14, 2018
- The adverse events of ibogaine in humans: an updated systematic review of the literature (2015-2020). Psychopharmacology June 1, 2022
- Psychedelic Treatments for Substance Use Disorder and Substance Misuse: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 18, 2023
and 6 more in the library
Cites 7
- Effects and aftereffects of ibogaine on morphine self-administration in rats. European Journal of Pharmacology April 3, 1991
- The ibogaine medical subculture. Journal of Ethnopharmacology January 4, 2008
- Interactions between ibogaine, a potential anti-addictive agent, and morphine: an in vivo microdialysis study. European Journal of Pharmacology June 18, 1991
- The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation Molecules January 29, 2015
- Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. Current Drug Abuse Reviews March 1, 2013
and 2 more in the library