Does Ibogaine work?

[jj5577]

I have read many articles for the supposed "wonder cure" for addiction, ibogaine.  I was wondering if there could possibly be any truth to it.... although I highly doubt it because it sounds too good to be true.

I was hoping that if there is even a grain of truth to it, it might help my fiance so he could detox off of 90 mg of methadone, which he has been taking for about 5 years.

Does anyone know anything about ibogaine for real?

[Claire_MHModerator]

Hi, folks,

Because ibogaine is illegal in the US and other countries, we cannot condone or encourage its use.  This thread is old and the original participants are no longer taking part, so we'll close it now.  If you'd like to ask a question or start a new thread, please click the "Post a Question" button near the top of this page.  Thanks!

Claire
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[Reclaimer0418]

I know you posted this a LONG time ago, but I wanted to update you on the topic (if you still log into this site) The TV show "Drugs, inc." covered it pretty extensively in their hallucinogenics episode of the second season. There's a guy going around helping people get off their opiates with ibogaine. BUT, it is indeed dangerous, the guy in the video receiving the "treatment" had a seizure so... kinda dangerous BUT, the guy was awake, alert, happy, and not jonesing for his methadone.

[Nicadamus]

I realize this is a very old post and I am so hopeful that the original poster was able to get the help they were seeking.

I'm writing now simply because I have experience with Ibogaine and wanted everyone who sees this to know that I am willing to share that experience to help them make the decision if it is for them.

Spoiler alert :)  Ibogaine saved my life. If you would like more information about my experience or would like to talk to my wife (very much NOT an addict) as to her experience in getting me help, send us an email at ***@****. Nic

[CJordan7]

Ibogain is illegal in the US cause big pharmaceutical companies can not profit from it ! .. Ibogain worked wonders for me , not just thru the pain but also spirtually somehow . Within a week I was back to my old self with little to no withdrawlas . I was addicted to roxy's for 5 years . Now I have a better attitude n positive outlook on life . From my experience , ibogain saved my life . I would say it is a quick cure for addiction . It's not like doctors giving you one drug after another to quit your addiction . " here you go, take subs " even worse withdrawals . " here you go, take methadone "  They just keep giving you drug-for--a drug so they can fill their pockets !

[GreenButterfly906]

Legal in canada to obtain, about the only useful thing here in pharmaceuticals. I did $2000 and there was no trip, nausea, I was walking around, smoking, etc. My head felt weird and i was left with a broken heart and empty wallet! A treatment facility, may work, cause who knows if it was what they said it was. Next day i felt hit by a truck! I wish i would have waited 3 days, but straight back on methadone. And no the drug manufacturers cannot make a patent out of something found in nature and supposedly one time fix, as they wont find cure to cancer. Methadone, Subs, opiates are multi-billion $$$$$$$$ industry! And they do not care about YOU or I! I know this post is old but i hope this reaches you and helps!

[newaccount777]

I will, thanks for getting back to me thought!

[weaver71]

Hi there, this is a year old thread. Post a Question at the top of the forum and you will get more support. I used subs instead of iboga, but the fact is, recovery only begins after detox. He needs to get into counseling and 12 step meetings to deal with why he used. Depression seems to be on top of the list. At some point I realized, it's not the drugs causing the problems, it's problems are causing drug use.

[newaccount777]

Hi Drew,

My boyfriend is having the same problem as described, one month after doing Iboga, he is really depressed and confused. How did it take for you to feel no depressed anymore? I am really worried about him.

Thanks

[newaccount777]

Hi Drew,

My boyfriend is having the same problem as described, one month after doing Iboga, he is really depressed and confused. How did it take for you to feel no depressed anymore? I am really worried about him.

Thanks

[astro3600]

  So what you are saying (to you who started the thread, I believe) is that the united states FDA knows immediately what is safe and what is not safe (if it is even possible to break it down into such simple terms?)  Did you know that there has been a long and careful process of research currently being undertaken on Ibogaine for everything from Addiction, PTSD to Alzheimers, with very positive preliminary results?  
  The fact that Ibogaine and Ibogaine research is essentially banned in the United States is simply due to politics. It has nothing to do with "if it were safe" or not. It is indeed "safe" relative to most any other medicine prescribed for those purposes in clinical settings.  But the important thing with Iboga and it's alkaloids is that is given in a clinical setting in the presence of caretakers and even a therapist to help the patient in his/her very emotional psychological journey. IT IS NOT LIKE PEYOTE OR "SHROOMS" OR "LSD" or anything like that AT ALL. It works on so many levels and is so most definitely NOT possibly recreational in nature.  I recommend further empirical and anecdotal research. You will be pleasantly surprised.  There's serious academic field research being done in the carribean (earlier, in St. Kitts) and Mexico, at the University of Guadalajara and UNAM and various other universities using data from the clinics in those areas.  I suggest you look into that. Or you know what? to make it easier on you, check out the work MAPS is doing. It's multidisciplinary and you will find it very legit.  The important thing is to learn the distinction between it and other psychoactive plants.   There's something special about Ibogaine, and let me tell you- it's not special for being recreational or for kicks. It's serious stuff, and has potentially has some serious benefits, provided it is administered in the right environment from the qualified people. It will definitely be a while before it is available in the United States as an Addiction, PTSD, etc treatment. There is a lot of resistance from the powers that be who love the status quo and "big pharma," but that's America and as Americans we like to be sure something is going to work before we delve into it.  Unfortunately, many will have to suffer and even die before further research and clinical trials are allowed in the U.S.

[judi732]

IDK about Ibogaine workin, but I'm willin 2 try. Think about dis. If it did work in the US den they (the Gov) wud lose tens of thousands of dollars, bcuz every1 wud try it and possibly b cured. It it's true what der sayin about Ibogaine heroin addicts and ppd on methodone wud stop usin afta dey try Ibogaine. Programs wud lose alot of their patients.

[dina3]

Hey I, agree wit ya.
My friend Jen got treated in a hotel in the airport in Mexico City by a guy named Lek Kogan who does his own style of ibogaine dosing during treatments.
She hooked up with him thru Eric Taub, the worlds leading expert on the stuff. Jen been clean now for 6 weeks and she says she don't think nothin bout H no more. She found those guys on the web ibogaine again.

[gnarly_1]

HI....nice to meet you.....somehow I new when I posted the first post it would find its way back up
into the forum a few times....just for the record I was an opiate addict for for 16 1/2 yrs and an addict of once sort or another 34 yrs of my life....I know all to well what its like withdrawaling from opiates I took it about as far as you can go and spent the last 6 1/2 yrs addicted to methadone.. after detoxing off most every pill out there methadone was hands down the hardest longest detox I ever went threw it was 8 1/2 mo of tapering going in and out of withdrawals along the way then once I kicked I was sick for another 90 days and it took the better part of a yr to finely feel well again ....I come to this sight to try to help others not make the same mistakes I have made with my life I to ''new it all'' and no one was going to tell me otherwise...we could sit here in a pi ssing contest on whats right or wrong about the things I say
but I  assure you they come from the heart.....truth hurts some time....you have had a tuff life if you truly have detoxed hundreds of times as you have stated....the true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results...your current best thinking.....I have said this b/4  and will say it again the pills are not the problem it is the very way an addict thinks and reasons that makes him an addict....until your ready to change that you will continue to ride the merry go round of using getting clean and using again ....I also volunteer my time here freely I fit it in around a 50 to 60 hr work week doing something I really enjoy sales....but the most joy I get in life is helping set someone like you set them selfs free of addiction...im sorry if it comes  out harsh but better that then at your funeral....what your doing now is the same thing I did...slow motion suaside if you dont O/D your slowly chewing away at your kidneys and liver...both slow agonizing deaths...im happy I got a response out out you...mabe it will wake you up to what your doing to your self and those that love you....if I dident care I wouldn't have taken the time to respond but I dont judge people by what they say when there detoxing or in that desperate state right b/4
if you want help to truly get clean you have come to a great place to find help if your looking for someone to candy coat what will kill you you need to find another guy there are many here who have done what your trying to do we have learned what it takes to get clean and more so what it takes to stay that way.....I truly hope you stick around and learn all you can about addiction...once you surrender to it....know your powerless over it the healing can begin I wish you well and look forward to helping you if you will allow you dont have to live this way.....there is life in recovery....God bless.....Gnarly  

[vicki595]

Bumping this up so Mark will see it...

[Htownnofrown]

You clearly have no idea what your talking about. Get some clean time, gain a little perspective, and you will see that Gnarly knows what he's talking about as much as any of us, probably more.

Severity of WD is different for every addict, but for a high level opiate user like me, all I used during the detox was clonodine. It can be done. I read your description, said something about an opiate addict looking for hope. Posting cr@p like that isn't really beneficial to that goal buddy.

[vicki595]

Opiate_Addict--

I have to say this to you~

Gnarly has been there and has experienced the worst of the worst. You may not agree with his philosophy, as he posted it, but it's his opinion.

To imply that what he does is purely for financial gain is making a huge assumption! You don't know the man and you owe him an apology.  He is committed to recovering addicts
or those in process or those thinking about it.  It's his vocation and not his job. His only gain is another's sobriety.

To call him ignorant and prejudiced was uncalled for and just NASTY!

[Drew23587]

Save your money.  I did do ibogaine.  It was a complete waste of time and money.  The depression afterwards was HORRIBLE.   I realized there is no easy fix.  One must do the footwork to gain sobriety.

[sudie58]

i find your post very offensive, i am an opiate addict in recovery, so is gnarly, of course its hard and took quite a few times before getting off, lots of folks on here have also done it, you should read some more posts to see that, gnarly has lived through it, hes not spouting from a text book, the same with me, i am sorry if you havent been able to do it yet, but i can assure you, no one is looking down at addicts, we are all addicts here.
maybe you are hurting, but your last remarks are very nasty, and uncalled for.

[opiate_addict]

gnarly_1 those words can only come from the mouth of someone who has never experienced opiate withdrawals first hand. To say compare opiate withdrawals with the flu is just ignorant. Yes some of the symptoms may be similar if you have a mild habit but even for the worst flu is not nearly as painful as an opiate withdrawal and you can get relief from otc meds, you can even get rest and sleep. Opiate withdrawal is the most agonizing pain I've ever experienced, for the first few days to a week (depending on the opiate) you'll be in so much pain that you'll want to die, you'll get no rest, no sleep (you can take enough tranquilizers to knock down a horse and it'll make you sleepy but you'll be in so much pain and disconfort that sleeping is not possible), and no confort for even a minute, it's unbearable pain 24/7 and the only thing that will make it better is a fix, after the worst is over you have about a month or longer with symptoms that can be compared to a flu, not to mention the anxiety and cravings! I've been through it hundreds of times so knowing that you will suffer is not so much a deterrent to relapse, I know it doesn't make sense but you just have to live it to understand it. This time I've been on opiates so long without stopping that I just can't get through the damned withdrawal, and believe me I've really tried and really want to, so if something like Ibogaine can help me get it through it then it is well worth the risk. Besides the risk is overrated, more people have died from methadone overdoses that from Ibogaine and there is not one case where Ibogaine has been confirmed to be the cause of death.

In your profession you should know that opiate addiction has the least successful recovery rate than any other drug of abuse, why you think is that? BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE PHYSICAL WITHDRAWALS!! So if you could eliminate that or at least alleviate it the numbers would be much better, don't you think?

Yes, staying clean is very hard but when it comes to opiates getting clean can be just as hard and it's terrifying and it what keeps most of us addicts from even trying so if Ibogaine can elliminate or alleviate the withdrawal syndrome then I think it is a miracle drug (and read carefully, I didn't say cure).

To trully understand addiction you need to live through it. It doesn't matter how much you study it or work with addicts you'll never understand the true monster that addiction is. That's why I don't pay much mind to most people in your profession, only those who've lived through it really understand it. There may be a handful of you guys who are trully caring and compassionate enough to put themselves in our shoes and those can be trully helpful but the mayority of you guys are just plain ignorant.

I'm sure profit is more of an incentive than compassion for doing what you do (and you probably wish you could be doing something 'better'), and even though you'd never admit it I'm also sure that deep down you look down at us addicts.

[gnarly_1]

HI.....Im sorry if I sound harsh to you that wasn't my point......I work with addict 6 nights a week
once in a wile we do get those that are looking for a ''get out of jail free card'' and are desperate not to go threw withdrawals the withdrawals typically last around 4 or 5 days and are typically worst in our minds then thew turn out to be to spend 20 grand up at wismmen or 10 grand at an iboganine just to avoid the flu for 4 or 5 days seems foolish to me that money could be better spent getting one on one consoling to avoid relapse... everybody thats new to this thinks the withdrawal is  the hard part....I assure you that the ez part of doing this its staying clean thats the hard part for the addict , addiction just dosent go away because where off of the pills the pills are merely a symptom of a much bigger problem for an addict to remain clean and sober he/she must change the very way we think until that happens relapse is emanate...those that choose a cleaner softer way rarely understand this and often think there cured just because there detoxed nothing could be farther from the truth.. by going threw the withdrawals it may make you think twice b/4 you use again
it still no grantee we have plenty that go threw it and still relapse but I stand by my words that I think it is a critical part of the proses it give people the incentive to seek out aftercare again a critical part of the process I just dont see it if you go with the softer approach ....the im clean and everything is pink and rosy isent the way this works....it takes work to stay clean ..im truly sorry if I offended you  but sometimes the truth is harsh but im out here fighting for you life...OD.ing is a real possibility so is kidney failure and liver damage
If I truly wasn't compassionate I wouldn't be spending 6 nights a week trying to help people get clean you truly need to understand addiction to know there are no magic cures
I wish you all the best on however you decide to get clean just know addiction just dosent just go away this is something your going to have to treat the rest of your life good luck to you and God bless.....Gnarly            

[susan433]

Gnarly, what the **** are you talking about? Addicts are of the most suffering group around. You need to suffer and have it burned into your mind? What the **** is that ****?

Have some compassion dude.

[gnarly_1]

HI BEreally careful with ibogaine it can be lethal if given in the incorrect dose it is not been approved by the FDA and because it is considered a hallucinogenic it probably wont be
I have heard about the clinics in mexico but even those are controversial....I also beleve
going threw withdrawals is a critical part of getting well you need to know your going to suffer when you play with fire you get burned....withdrawals will burn themslfs into your mind
and you will appreciate your sobriety more have to have fought for it...if its as simple as going to a clinic to get clean theirs not much incentive to not go back to using get hooked again theirs always the friendly clinic to dry you out again....and its not getting clean thats hard ....its staying clean that takes the work and the ibogaine wont do that for you.........Gnarly      

[susan433]

another good resource to find ibogaine treatment information is www.*********.com

[karenkitty]

I took ibogaine 6 years ago for a methadone/heroin addiction. It worked just like they said it would, within 30-45min the withdrawls were gone. For someone who is READY to quit, it's nothing short of a miracle.But, if you're not ready, don't bother because if you go out and get yourself re-addicted, it's just a waste of money. That being said, the provider you choose makes a big difference! I've know others who, after  I came back and told them about my experience, wanted to get treatment. However, they couldn't afford to go out of the country and opted for an underground home provider here in the states. Initially she thought it had worked, but I don't think the dose was enough because within a short time frame she was sick again. The best places let you stay for at least a week and give you booster doses if you need more(this is especially important for ppl of longer acting opiates like methadone). Also, there's at least one place that I know of that offers a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the treatment, or if you relapse within 60 days you can go back for free. They're called http://www.ibogainenow.com The guy that runs the place, Lex Kogan, studied under the person who's done the most ibogaine detoxes in the west. I'd check them out, or ibeginagain.org or the ibogatherapyhouse.com (this is the place I went to). Good luck with your treatment!