Case report: Ibogaine reduced severe neuropathic pain associated with a case of brachial plexus nerve root avulsion.
Jonathan Dickinson, Jose Adalberto Dominguez Inzunza, Liliana Perez-Villa, Trevor Millar, Abhiram P Pushparaj
Frontiers in Pain Research 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1256396 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 53-year-old male with brachial plexus nerve root avulsion from vehicular trauma |
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Neuropathic pain Vehicular trauma Chronic pain management Suffering reduction New pain approach Managed Relief Reduced suffering Nerve pain Intractable pain Severe pain Noribogaine effects Alternative pain treatment Active metabolite Trauma-induced pain Nerve root avulsion Brachial plexus injury |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Ibogaine treatment successfully managed severe intractable neuropathic pain in a patient with brachial plexus nerve root avulsion. |
Abstract
Brachial plexus nerve root avulsion results from complete separation of the nerve root from the spinal cord and is one of the most challenging types of neuropathic pain, coinciding with motor, sensory and autonomic deficits. The severe pain and typical impossibility of root reattachment often leads to requests for amputation. Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid producing psychoactive effects through reported actions upon multiple neurotransmitter systems, including NMDA, κ- and µ-opioid receptors and σ2 receptor sites, along with stimulation of neurotrophic factors GDNF and BDNF. In this case report we describe a 53-year-old male with two decades of severe intractable pain due to brachial plexus nerve root avulsion from vehicular trauma who was successfully treated with both high dose inpatient and low dose outpatient administrations of ibogaine. Though promising for future study, the adverse effects of high dose ibogaine administrations may limit tolerability of this saturation protocol to the most refractory cases.
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 4
- Case report: Significant lesion reduction and neural structural changes following ibogaine treatments for multiple sclerosis. Frontiers in Immunology 2025
- Psychoplastogens to Reduce Persistent Cognitive Symptoms for Traumatic Brain Injury as a Chronic Condition Journal of Neurotrauma October 19, 2026
- Psychedelics and Autism Therapy: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions Current Issues in Molecular Biology April 18, 2026
- Thirty Years of Ibogaine Research: A Literature Review on Clinical Perspectives. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Cites 12
- Ketamine: NMDA Receptors and Beyond Journal of Neuroscience November 2, 2016
- Degeneration of Purkinje cells in parasagittal zones of the cerebellar vermis after treatment with ibogaine or harmaline. Neuroscience July 1, 1993
- Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. Current Drug Abuse Reviews March 1, 2013
- Fatalities temporally associated with the ingestion of ibogaine. Journal of Forensic Sciences March 1, 2012
- Psychedelic Treatment for Trauma-Related Psychological and Cognitive Impairment Among US Special Operations Forces Veterans Chronic Stress August 12, 2020
and 7 more in the library