Skip to content

Detoxification from methadone using low, repeated, and increasing doses of ibogaine: A case report

Clare Wilkins, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jordi Solà, Marc Aixalà, Pep Cura, Estefanía Moreno, Miguel Ángel Alcázar‐córcoles, Jaime E. C. Hallak, José Carlos Bouso

Journal of Psychedelic Studies April 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1556/2054.01.2017.005 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 1
Population Female on methadone maintenance treatment for 17 years
Intervention Ibogaine
Dose low and cumulative doses
Duration 6-week intervention, 12-month follow-up
Topics Ibogaine
Keywords Detoxification alternative medicine Adverse effect Pharmacology Heroin Concomitant Methadone maintenance Opiate Anesthesia Drug
Citations 15
Key findings Low and cumulative doses of ibogaine eliminated withdrawal symptoms from methadone in a patient on long-term methadone maintenance treatment, with no serious adverse effects.

Abstract

Ibogaine is a natural alkaloid that has been used in the last decades as an adjuvant for the treatment of opiate withdrawal. Despite the beneficial results suggested by animal studies and case series, there is a lack of clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of ibogaine. Moreover, the majority of reports described cases of heroin-dependent individuals, with and without concomitant use of methadone, using high doses of ibogaine. Therefore, it is not clear if ibogaine at low doses could be used therapeutically in people on methadone maintenance treatments (MMT). Case report of a female on MMT for 17 years who performed a self-treatment with several low and cumulative doses of ibogaine over a 6-week period. The patient successfully eliminated her withdrawals from methadone with ibogaine. Each administration of ibogaine attenuated the withdrawal symptoms for several hours, and reduced the tolerance to methadone until all signs of withdrawal symptoms disappeared at the end of the treatment. No serious adverse effects were observed, and at no point did the QTc measures reach clinically significant scores. Twelve months after the treatment, she was no longer on MMT. To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing an ibogaine treatment using low and cumulative doses in a person on MMT. Although preliminary, this case suggests that low and cumulative doses of ibogaine may reduce withdrawal symptoms in patients undergoing MMT.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ibogaine, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Treatment of acute opioid withdrawal with ibogaine. Patients undergoing opioid detoxification with ibogaine in non-medical settings 1999 Case series n = 33
A preliminary investigation of ibogaine: case reports and recommendations for further study. Individuals addicted to opiates 1994 Case series n = 7
Long-QT Syndrome Induced by the Antiaddiction Drug Ibogaine A 31-year-old woman 2009 Case study n = 1
Distribution of ibogaine and noribogaine in a man following a poisoning involving root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub. 48-year-old Caucasian male with a history of drug abuse who died after ingesting... 2006 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

Citations in the library

Cited by 13

and 8 more in the library

Cites 11

and 6 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Ibogaine Addiction