Ibogaine for the treatment of addiction

Subject: Ibogaine for the treatment of addiction Wed 15 Dec 2010, 1:13 am

I've been hearing more and more about Ibogaine for the treatment of addiction. Although Ibogaine has yet to be used legally in the U.S. for the treatment of addiction, I thought it only right to share with all of you what information I have been able to gather.
If anyone has any experience with Ibogaine please jump in.

What is Ibogaine?
Ibogaine is an isolated active ingredient from the root bark of the central west African shrub, Tabernanthe iboga. It has been used for thousands of years for various purposes including spiritual development and as a rite of passage into adulthood. Its properties as a treatment to stop opiate withdrawal were unknown until the late 1960's. Since that time, studies undertaken by leading research and academic facilities have shown that ibogaine is an effective addiction interrupter for most substances, including heroin, methadone, methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine.

How does Ibogaine work?
Ibogaine alleviates physical withdrawal symptoms of opiate detox by attaching to the body's opiate receptor sites. It functions in a similar way to treatments that block or take residence in these receptor sites. However, unlike methadone or suboxin which can lead to chemical dependency, ibogaine is non-addictive and needs not be taken on a continuing basis. Ibogaine treats other chemical dependencies by cleansing the body of the drug and resetting the brain's neuro-chemistry.

After ingestion, ibogaine is converted by the liver into nor-ibogaine, which stores up in the fat cells of the body, and is released slowly, preventing any further withdrawal symptoms or cravings for two to six months. It has a documented anti-depressant effect that establishes a state of well-being, free from negative thought patterns.
www.awakeninginthedream.com/ibogaine.html

In addition, the drug's psychoactive properties (in large doses it can induce a dreamlike state for a period of hours) have been widely credited with helping users understand and reverse their drug-using behaviour.

Studies suggest that ibogaine has considerable potential in the treatment of addiction to heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methadone, and alcohol. There is also indication that it may be useful in treating tobacco dependence. It has also been suggested that the drug may have considerable potential in the field of psychotherapy, particularly as a treatment for the effects of trauma or conditioning.

A single administration of ibogaine typically has three effects useful in the treatment of drug dependence. Firstly, it causes a massive reduction in the symptoms of drug withdrawal, allowing relatively painless detoxification. Secondly, there is a marked lowering in the desire to use drugs for a period of time after taking ibogaine, typically between one week and several months. This has been confirmed by scientific studies. Finally, the drug's psychoactive nature is reported to help many users understand and resolve the issues behind their addictive behaviour.

Ibogaine can be easily administered, in capsule form, and has no addictive effects itself. It is essentially a "one-shot" medication and, used in a fully clinical setting with proper advance medical screening, the drug thus far appears to be safe to use. Whilst it certainly happens that some individuals stop using drugs permanently from a single dose of ibogaine, for many the treatment should best be regarded as simply the initial component in an overall rehabilitation programme.
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