Ibogaine
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
Contents
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Dose-dependent effects vary significantly. Psychedelic experiences typically occur at 8–12 mg/kg; higher doses (15–25 mg/kg) produce more intense experiences and are used in addiction treatment settings. Individual sensitivity, body weight, gastrointestinal factors, and preparation purity affect onset and intensity.
Duration
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.
Reagent Testing
Loading reagent data
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).8 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.910 Following ingestion, noribogaine reaches higher plasma concentrations than the parent compound and remains detectable for a longer period.11 Ibogaine may also be deposited in adipose tissue and gradually released for subsequent conversion to noribogaine.8
Tolerance
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
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.15 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.16 Within the Bwiti religion, iboga…
Legality
By Country
References
Source Pages
Citations
- (January 2015). The anti-addiction drug ibogaine and the heart: a delicate relation. Molecules, 20(2), 2208–2228. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules2002220812345
- (October 2018). DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Ibogaine. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 9(10), 2475–2483. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b002941234
- (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
- (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
- (February 1998). Behavioral and biochemical evidence for a nonessential 5-HT2A component of the ibogaine-induced discriminative stimulus. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 59(2), 419–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-3057(97)00451-6123
- (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
- (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
- (September 2000). Ibogaine: complex pharmacokinetics, safety concerns, and preliminary efficacy measures. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 914(1), 394–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb05213.x123
- (n.d.). 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". https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.40412
- (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
- (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
- (2016). How toxic is ibogaine?. Clinical Toxicology, 54(4), 297–302. https://doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2016.11382261
- (January 2016). hERG Blockade by Iboga Alkaloids. Cardiovascular Toxicology, 16(1), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-015-9311-512
- (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
- (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
- (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
- (2025-06-11). With Rick Perry's backing and $50 million from the state, Texas set to become a leader in psychedelics research. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-psychedelics-ibogaine-treatment-addiction-rick-perry-funding/12
- (n.d.). Iboga: Basic Info. ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service). https://www.iceers.org/iboga-basic-info/1
Further Reading
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