Treatment of acute opioid withdrawal with ibogaine.
Kenneth Alper, Howard S. Lotsof, Geerte M. N. Frenken, D J Luciano, Jan Bastiaans
The American Journal on Addictions 1999 DOI: 10.1080/105504999305848 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 Promising capacity |
| Citations | 201 |
| Key findings | 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.