white → purple1 → brown2 → orange2
Ibogaine
10-Methoxyibogamine
Endabuse, Iboga, NIH 10567
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid primarily derived from the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, a plant native to Central and West Africa.1 It has been used for centuries within the Bwiti religion of Gabon for initiation rites and spiritual communion.2 Ibogaine produces psychedelic and dissociative effects often described as dream-like and frequently unpleasant.1 Since the late 20th century, it has gained significant attention as an experimental treatment for opioid dependence, with clinics established worldwide.13
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Threshold~8 mg/kg
Light8-12 mg/kg
Moderate12-16 mg/kg
Strong16-22 mg/kg
Heavy22+ mg/kg
Effects are strongly dose-dependent. Doses in the range of 8–12 mg/kg typically produce psychedelic experiences, while higher doses of 15–25 mg/kg are associated with more intense effects and are commonly employed in addiction treatment contexts. Response varies considerably between individuals due to factors such as body weight, gastrointestinal absorption, and the purity of the preparation used.
Duration
Onset45-180 minutes
After Effects24-72 hours
Total24-30 hours
Half-life
~7 hours
Subjective Effects
Ibogaine produces a long, physically demanding experience that is widely described as rough and often unpleasant, unfolding over 24 hours or more in distinct phases. Full doses begin with a visionary phase of dream-like, waking imagery (oneirophrenia) in which visual content plays out like films or slideshows, frequently drawing on autobiographical memory and the reliving of past experiences. This gives way to an extended introspective phase in which insights are processed while side effects such as nausea, headaches, and mood disturbances linger, followed by a period of residual stimulation and insomnia; low mood can persist for days afterward. At low doses the compound instead acts as a stimulant, producing a state of tranquil lucidity without perceptual changes.
Physical
The body load is severe, with nausea and vomiting that can be intense, tremors, ataxia, and balance disturbances said to exceed nearly all other psychoactive drugs except alcohol. Users must endure strong and unpleasant central stimulation, and complete insomnia typically follows the experience.
Bodily
Stimulation
Central stimulation is intense and unpleasant, and because hallucinogenic doses are several times higher than stimulant doses, it must be endured to reach the visionary effects. Residual stimulation forms the final phase of the experience.
Uncomfortable
The physical burden is among the heaviest of any psychoactive drug, with balance disturbances and vomiting said to be exceeded only by alcohol.
Cognitive
The headspace combines deep introspection and autobiographical recall with heavy interference: extreme confusion, anxiety, apprehension, and depressed mood are commonly reported alongside euphoria, empathy, insight, and ego softening. Irritability and mood swings mark the later phases, and prolonged use has been associated with manic episodes that may include delusions, aggression, and suicidal thoughts.
Analytical
Emotional
The emotional tone is unstable and often difficult, mixing euphoria and empathy with pronounced anxiety, confusion, and low mood; depression can persist well beyond 36 hours, a period sometimes called a "grey day".
Enhancements
Suppressions
Visual
Visual effects are almost always present at full doses and are dominated by dream-like internal imagery rather than geometric distortion, often described as watching films or slideshows of autobiographical content.
Hallucinatory States
Auditory
Auditory changes accompany the visionary state, ranging from heightened sensitivity to sound to outright hallucinations.
Tactile
Tactile sensation may be enhanced, though abnormal and unpleasant skin sensations also occur.
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Ibogaine acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems simultaneously, producing a complex pharmacological profile whose specific mediating targets are not fully established.2 It shows significant in-vivo occupancy of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and appreciable affinity for the NMDA receptor,4 yet neither ibogaine nor its major active metabolite noribogaine appear to function as direct 5-HT2A agonists, and ibogaine does not produce the head-twitch response (a behavioral proxy of 5-HT2A activation) in rodents.2 Animal drug discrimination studies implicate 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor activation, σ2 receptor signaling, and opioid receptor interactions in ibogaine's pharmacological activity, while the NMDA, 5-HT1A, 5-HT3, and σ1 receptors do not appear to contribute significantly.5 Noribogaine, the primary active metabolite, acts most potently as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and additionally functions as a moderate κ-opioid receptor agonist and weak μ-opioid receptor agonist or partial agonist.6 Noribogaine, but not ibogaine, has also been found to produce psychoplastogenic effects in vitro, an action that can be blocked by the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin.7
Pharmacokinetics
Ibogaine is metabolized by CYP2D6 into its major active metabolite noribogaine (O-desmethylibogaine).11 In humans, ibogaine has an elimination half-life of approximately 7 hours,2 while noribogaine persists considerably longer with a half-life of 24 to 50 hours.1213 Following ingestion, noribogaine reaches higher plasma concentrations than the parent compound and remains detectable for a longer period.8 Ibogaine may also be deposited in adipose tissue and gradually released for subsequent conversion to noribogaine.11
Interactions
Interactions not written up yet
An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.
Tolerance
Tolerance not written up yet
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
Extremely LowIbogaine has minimal abuse potential due to the typically unpleasant and challenging nature of the experience.3 The substance is actively being studied as a treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders rather than as a drug of abuse.3 Compulsive redosing is essentially unreported given the extreme duration and physically taxing effects.
Toxicity
Cardiovascular
Cerebellum
High-dose laboratory studies in rats showed degeneration of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum; however, subsequent primate studies and limited human research found no evidence of this neurotoxicity.
Psychosis Risk
Manic episodes may occur and can last several days, potentially including insomnia, irritability, emotional instability, delusions, aggressive behavior, and thoughts of suicide.17 Depression is commonly reported following use and can persist well beyond 36 hours; in some cases, a persistently low mood may progress into major depressive disorder.
History & Culture
Traditional Use in Central Africa
The use of Tabernanthe iboga has been practiced for centuries among Central African foragers in Gabon, Cameroon, and surrounding countries, with this ethnobotanical knowledge eventually passed to the Bwiti tribe of Gabon.18 Within the Bwiti religion, iboga…
Legality
International
Ibogaine is not listed in the current schedules of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
Ibogaine is not listed in the current schedules of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
By Country
United StatesIllegalSchedule I
Ibogaine is listed in Schedule I of 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(d)(21) under the Controlled Substances Act. Federal law prohibits knowingly or intentionally possessing ibogaine without authorization and prohibits its manufacture, distribution, dispensing, or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense except as authorized.
SwedenIllegalBilaga 1
Ibogaine (ibogain) is listed under Hallucinogener in Bilaga 1 to Förordning (1992:1554) om kontroll av narkotika and is therefore narcotics under the Narcotic Drugs Punishments Act. Unauthorized transfer, manufacture for misuse, acquisition, handling, possession, and use are narcotics offences; the ordinary maximum penalty is three years' imprisonment, with separate provisions for minor and aggravated offences.
GabonNational Treasure (Protected)Citation needed
Declared a national treasure by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Gabon in 2000.21 Iboga is fundamental to the Bwiti religion and is used legally for ceremonial purposes including rites of passage, spiritual communion, and communication with ancestors. Traditional and religious use is protected under national recognition.
References
Source Pages
Citations
- Xaver Koenig, & Karlheinz Hilber. (January 2015). The anti-addiction drug ibogaine and the heart: a delicate relation. Molecules, 20(2), 2208–2228. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules2002220812345
- Michael J. Wasko, Paula A. Witt-Enderby, & Christopher K. Surratt. (October 2018). DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Ibogaine. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 9(10), 2475–2483. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b002941234
- Thomas Kingsley Brown, & Kenneth Alper. (2018-01-02). Treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine: detoxification and drug use outcomes. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(1), 24–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2017.1320802123
- D. C. Mash, J. K. Staley, J. P. Pablo, A. M. Holohean, J. C. Hackman, & R. A. Davidoff. (June 1995). Properties of ibogaine and its principal metabolite (12-hydroxyibogamine) at the MK-801 binding site of the NMDA receptor complex. Neuroscience Letters, 192(1), 53–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(95)11608-y12
- Behavioral and biochemical evidence for a nonessential 5-HT2A component of the ibogaine-induced discriminative stimulus. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 59(2), 419–425 (February 1998). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-3057(97)00451-6123
- Emeline L. Maillet, Nicolas Milon, Mari D. Heghinian, James Fishback, Stephan C. Schürer, Nandor Garamszegi, & Deborah C. Mash. (December 2015). Noribogaine is a G-protein biased κ-opioid receptor agonist. Neuropharmacology, 99, 675–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.08.03212
- Calvin Ly, Alexandra C. Greb, Lindsay P. Cameron, Jonathan M. Wong, Eden V. Barragan, Paige C. Wilson, Kyle F. Burbach, Sina Soltanzadeh Zarandi, Alexander Sood, Michael R. Paddy, Whitney C. Duim, Megan Y. Dennis, A. Kimberley McAllister, Kassandra M. Ori-McKenney, John A. Gray, & David E. Olson. (June 2018). Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity. Cell Reports, 23(11), 3170–3182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2018.05.0221
- Michael H. Baumann, Richard B. Rothman, John P. Pablo, & Deborah C. Mash. (May 2001). In vivo neurobiological effects of ibogaine and its O-desmethyl metabolite, 12-hydroxyibogamine (noribogaine), in rats. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 297(2), 531–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3565(24)29567-7123
- Tamara Antonio, Steven R. Childers, Richard B. Rothman, Christina M. Dersch, Christine King, Martin Kuehne, William G. Bornmann, Amy J. Eshleman, Aaron Janowsky, Eric R. Simon, Maarten E. A. Reith, & Kenneth Alper. (2013). Effect of Iboga alkaloids on µ-opioid receptor-coupled G protein activation. PloS One, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.00772621
- Noribogaine generalization to the ibogaine stimulus: correlation with noribogaine concentration in rat brain. Neuropsychopharmacology, 21(1), 119–126 (July 1999). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0893-133x(99)00003-21
- Ibogaine: complex pharmacokinetics, safety concerns, and preliminary efficacy measures. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 914(1), 394–401 (September 2000). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb05213.x123
- In humans, the [[elimination half-life]] of ibogaine is about 7{{nbsp}}hours whereas the half-life of noribogaine is 24 to 50{{nbsp}}hours.<ref name="WaskoWitt-EnderbySurratt2018". (n.d.). https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.40412
- Paul Glue, Gavin Cape, Donna Tunnicliff, Michelle Lockhart, Fred Lam, Noelyn Hung, C. Tak Hung, Sarah Harland, Jane Devane, R. S. Crockett, John Howes, Borje Darpo, Meijian Zhou, Holger Weis, & Lawrence Friedhoff. (November 2016). Ascending Single-Dose, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Safety Study of Noribogaine in Opioid-Dependent Patients. Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development, 5(6), 460–468. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpdd.25412
- Ruud P. W. Litjens, & Tibor M. Brunt. (2016). How toxic is ibogaine?. Clinical Toxicology, 54(4), 297–302. https://doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2016.11382261
- Kenneth Alper, Rong Bai, Nian Liu, Steven J. Fowler, Xi-Ping Huang, Silvia G. Priori, & Yanfei Ruan. (January 2016). hERG Blockade by Iboga Alkaloids. Cardiovascular Toxicology, 16(1), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-015-9311-512
- Kenneth R. Alper, Marina Stajić, & James R. Gill. (March 2012). Fatalities temporally associated with the ingestion of ibogaine. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 57(2), 398–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02008.x1
- Marta CJ, Ryan WC, Kopelowicz A, & Koek RJ. (2015). Mania following use of ibogaine: A case series. The American Journal on Addictions, 24(3), 203-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.122091
- Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli, Gianluca Mancusi, Maria Chiara Santovito, Francesco Di Carlo, Mauro Pettorruso, John M. Corkery, Carlos Canessa, Giovanni Martinotti, & Massimo Di Giannantonio. (2023). Ibogaine/Noribogaine in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. Current Neuropharmacology, 21(11), 2178–2194. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159x2166622101708561212
- Saghir Ali, Xiaochen Tian, Kathryn A. Cunningham, & Jia Zhou. (September 2025). Old Dog, New Tricks: Ibogaine and Its Analogs as Potential Neurotherapeutics. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 68(18), 18744–18751. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02510123
- With Rick Perry's backing and $50 million from the state, Texas set to become a leader in psychedelics research. The Texas Tribune (2025-06-11). https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-psychedelics-ibogaine-treatment-addiction-rick-perry-funding/12
- Iboga: Basic Info. ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service) (n.d.). https://www.iceers.org/iboga-basic-info/1
- Förordning (1992:1554) om kontroll av narkotika. riksdagen.se (n.d.). https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-19921554-om-kontroll-av-narkotika_sfs-1992-1554/1
- Förordning (1992:1554) om kontroll av narkotika. riksdagen.se (n.d.). https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/narkotikastrafflag-196864_sfs-1968-64/1
- 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(d)(21). ecfr.gov (n.d.). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-II/part-1308/section-1308.111
- 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(d)(21). uscode.house.gov (n.d.). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title21-section844&num=0&edition=prelim1
- 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(d)(21). uscode.house.gov (n.d.). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title21-section841&num=0&edition=prelim1
Further Reading
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