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The ibogaine medical subculture.

Kenneth Alper, Howard S. Lotsof, Charles D. Kaplan

Journal of Ethnopharmacology January 4, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.08.034 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Ethnographic study with systematic quantitative data collection Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 3,414
Population Individuals who had taken ibogaine in the global medical subculture
Intervention Ibogaine
Topics Ibogaine
Keywords Addiction treatment Opioid withdrawal Drug usage statistics
Citations 184
Key findings Opioid withdrawal is the most common reason individuals take ibogaine, with 53% of an estimated 3,414 users doing so for that purpose as of February 2006.

Abstract

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive indole alkaloid that is used to treat substance-related disorders in a global medical subculture, and is of interest as an ethnopharmacological prototype for experimental investigation and possible rational pharmaceutical development. The subculture is also significant for risks due to the lack of clinical and pharmaceutical standards. This study describes the ibogaine medical subculture and presents quantitative data regarding treatment and the purpose for which individuals have taken ibogaine. All identified ibogaine "scenes" (defined as a provider in an associated setting) apart from the Bwiti religion in Africa were studied with intensive interviewing, review of the grey literature including the Internet, and the systematic collection of quantitative data. Analysis of ethnographic data yielded a typology of ibogaine scenes, "medical model", "lay provider/treatment guide", "activist/self-help", and "religious/spiritual". An estimated 3414 individuals had taken ibogaine as of February 2006, a fourfold increase relative to 5 years earlier, with 68% of the total having taken it for the treatment of a substance-related disorder, and 53% specifically for opioid withdrawal. Opioid withdrawal is the most common reason for which individuals took ibogaine. The focus on opioid withdrawal in the ibogaine subculture distinguishes ibogaine from other agents commonly termed "psychedelics", and is consistent with experimental research and case series evidence indicating a significant pharmacologically mediated effect of ibogaine in opioid withdrawal.

In the evidence

This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.

  • State of the evidence: Ibogaine Supports

    An estimated 3,414 individuals had taken ibogaine as of February 2006, with 68% doing so for a substance-related disorder and 53% specifically for opioid withdrawal, the most common reason.

    Synthesized

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on ibogaine, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
A phenomenological analysis of the subjective experience elicited by ibogaine in the context of a drug dependence treatment Patients with substance-related disorders 2017 Qualitative study n = 22
A Mixed-Method Analysis of Persisting Effects Associated with Positive Outcomes Following Ibogaine Detoxification. Patients who received treatment for chronic opioid use in Mexico between 2012 and 2015 2018 Retrospective mixed-methods study n = 73
Treating drug dependence with the aid of ibogaine: A qualitative study Patients with substance use disorders, including psychostimulant users 2017 Qualitative study
A phenomenological investigation into the lived experience of ibogaine and its potential to treat opioid use disorders Individuals who underwent ibogaine treatment for an opioid use disorder 2018 Qualitative study
The Ibogaine Experience: A Qualitative Study on the Acute Subjective Effects of Ibogaine Individuals who had recently taken ibogaine 2020 Qualitative study n = 20

Citations in the library

Cited by 113

and 108 more in the library

Cites 53

and 48 more in the library

Related reading

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Ibogaine Addiction