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Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid derived from the root of theTabernanthe ibogashrub.
It is also found in theVoacanga africanatree.
A West African plant, this shrub is popularly available in Gabon, Zaire, and Cameroon.
PhotoAlto / Frederic Cirou / Getty Images
In these locations, the alkaloid is ingested for ceremonial and medicinal uses.
Western countries like France have administered this alkaloid to manage weak or paralyzed muscles.
However, ibogaine is gaining widespread popularity for its anti-addictive properties.
However, this drug hasnt gained widespread acceptance.
In fact, there are strong concerns about the safety of its use.
In 1930s France, ibogaine was sold as thestimulantand antidepressant Lambarene.
This went on for thirty years until the drug was outlawed by the government.
Ibogaine has specific hallucinogenic and dream-like effects on the mind.
In the U.S, the anti-addictive properties of this drug were largely unknown until 1962.
Effects of Ibogaine
Ibogaine produces long-lasting psychedelic and dissociative effects.
When ingested, the alkaloid interacts with different sites in the central nervous system.
These sites include the dopaminergic, serotonergic, nicotinic, GABA, and muscarinic receptors.
After ibogaine is consumed, its psychedelic effects will usually take place within a number of hours.
A 2017 studyrequired 30 participants withopioid dependenceto receive approximately 12 mg/kg of ibogaine.
Outcomes were evaluated 12 months later.
One month after treatment, half of the participants reported no opioid use.
Three months after treatment, 10 participants reported no opioid use.
After six months, six participants reported sustained avoidance of opioids.
By nine months, 11 participants claimed to have kept away from opioids.
At month 12, seven participants successfully avoided opioid use.
It is important to recognize that lifestyle changes are important for long-lasting recovery.
Ibogaine can give an individual time to work on building new habits and changing their life.
If this is not done, however, there is an increased chance they will relapse.
In an open-label study, participants know the jot down of treatment they are receiving.
More research is needed to understand better how ibogaine may be useful in the treatment of addiction.
Another obstacle to research on ibogaine is its low safety profile.
Despite having potential benefits for improving drug addiction, ibogaine also has serious health risks.
Sudden death sparked by cardiac arrests is a severe consequence of consuming the alkaloid.
Other effects include irregular heartbeats and QT-interval prolongation, where heart muscles take longer periods to contract and relax.
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Time.Inside ibogaine, one of the most promising and perilous psychedelics for addiction.
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