Iboga

Scientific Name(s): Tabernanthe iboga Baill.
Common Name(s): Bitter grass, Iboga, Ibogaine, Leaf of God, Thie-pelakano

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jan 13, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Iboga has been used ritually as a hallucinogen. Studies suggest that ibogaine, one of the iboga alkaloids, has potential in the treatment of addiction to several substances. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has placed ibogaine into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Dosing

Strict medical supervision is necessary. Ibogaine has been used in single doses of 500 to 800 mg in a clinical study, and 17 mg/kg in a drug dependency treatment center.

Contraindications

Fatalities have been associated with the use of ibogaine; concomitant opioid use and comorbidities (eg, cardiovascular disease, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, epilepsy, or other imbalances in the autonomic nervous system) increase the risk of life-threatening complications including sudden cardiac death. Ibogaine should only be used under the supervision of an experienced health care provider.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use. Information regarding the safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Mild acute effects occur frequently and include nausea, vomiting, ataxia, tremors, headaches, and mental confusion. Manic episodes lasting 1 to 2 weeks have also been reported and manifested as sleeplessness, irritability, impulsivity, emotional lability, grandiose delusions, rapid tangential speech, aggressive behavior, and suicidal ideation.

Toxicology

Large doses of iboga can induce agitation, hallucinations, vomiting, ataxia, muscle spasms, weakness, seizures, paralysis, arrhythmias, urinary retention, respiratory insufficiency, and cardiac arrest.

Scientific Family

• Apocyanaceae (dogbane)

Botany

T. iboga is a small, evergreen, bushy shrub that is indigenous to Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), and the Republic of Congo, and is cultivated throughout west Africa.Duke 1985 A native of the undergrowth of tropical forests, the plant grows ideally in composted, well-drained soil in a protected, partly shady position.Duke 1985 It bears dark green, narrow leaves and clusters of white tubular flowers on an erect and branching stem; the yellowish-orange fruit is about the size of an olive. Traditionally, the yellow-colored root has been used as a medicine and is the source of the hallucinogenic principle; iboga is the only member of the dogbane family known to be used as a hallucinogen.Schultes 1976

History

West African cultures use the root of iboga in initiation rites to cause a near-death experience as a catalyst for spiritual discovery and as an aphrodisiac and stimulant; the growing use of iboga has been said to be an important force against the spread of Christianity and Islam in its native growing regions.Maas 2006, Schultes 1976 Use of iboga has been legally prohibited in the United States since 1970 following several fatalities; a known risk of the Gabon initiation rituals.Maas 2006, Vastag 2002 A chance discovery of the antiaddictive properties of iboga led to the issue of a patent for the use of ibogaine in the treatment of opioid dependence.Vastag 2002 A growing number of clinics using ibogaine in Western countries have been established, including those in Panama and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.