Research library / Review
Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence
Brown TK. Current Drug Abuse Reviews 2013;6(1):3-16
This review traces how ibogaine, a psychoactive compound from a West Central African plant used in initiation rituals, came to be used to treat drug addiction. Because ibogaine is a Schedule I substance in the US, most of that use developed outside normal clinical settings. The author summarises animal and laboratory research, which has generally backed up anecdotal claims that ibogaine eases withdrawal symptoms and cravings. He also sets out the concerns about ibogaine's safety and the shortage of solid human data, which together have slowed efforts to run controlled trials and develop it as a medicine. The article describes earlier and ongoing human research but does not present new outcome data, so it cannot show how well ibogaine works in people.
What it found
- Reviews the history of ibogaine use for addiction, largely outside conventional medical settings because of its Schedule I status in the US
- Preclinical research has generally supported reports that ibogaine eases withdrawal and reduces craving
- Safety concerns and a lack of solid human data have held back development as an approved medicine