Ibogaine

Other Names Endabuse, ibogain, ibogaina, ibogaIne, NIH 10567, 12-methoxy-ibogamin, 12-methoxy-ibogamine Substance type: indole alkaloid, indole alkylamine, ibogane type Chemically, ibogaine is closely related to the ~carbolines, and particularly to harmaline and harmine. It belongs to the group of cyclic tryptamine derivatives. Ibogaine was first isolated from the root cortex of Tabernanthe iboga in France in 1901 (Dybowsky and Landgren 1901). Ibogaine and analogous alkaloids (ibogane type) also occur in Pandaca retusa (Lam.) Mgf. [sYll. Tabernaemontana retusa (Lam.) Pichon] (cf. Tabernaemontana spp.), a dogbane species native to Madagscar (Le MenOlivier et al. 1974). Many genera in the Family ApocYllaceae, including Tabernaemontana, Voacanga spp., Stemmadenia, Ervatamia, and Gabunea, contain ibogaine-type indole alkaloids (ibogamine, tabernanthine, voacangine, ibogaline) (Prins 1988, 5). Between 1940 and 1950, most research into ibogaine was conducted in France. Because it exhibited potent stimulating properties, the initial pharmacological research focused on ibogaine's neuropharmacological effects. Only later were the hallucinogenic effects more precisely studied (Sanchez-Ramos and Mash 1996,357). In the 1960s, the Chilean psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo introduced ibogaine into psychotherapy as a "fantasy-enhancing drug" (Naranjo 1969*). One subject provided the following account of a shamanic experience during a psychotherapeutic session with the "stomach drug" ibogaine: I am a panther! A black panther! I defend myself, I stand up. I snort powerfully, with the breath of a panther, predator breath! I move like a panther, my eyes are those of a panther, I see my whiskers. I roar) and I bite. I react like a panther, offense is the best defense. Now I hear drums. I dance. My joints are gears, hinges, hubs. I can be a knee, a bolt, could do something, indeed almost anything. And I can loose [sic] myself again in this chaos of nonexistence and the perception of vague, abstract ideas of changing forms, where there exists a sense of the truth of all things and an order that one should set out to discover. (Naranjo 1979, 188*) In Europe, the Swiss psychiatrist Peter Baumann provided the main impetus for the use of ibogaine in psychotherapy: Baumann reported about experiments with completely synthetic ibogaine, which he used on only a few patients with whom a long and positive therapeutic relationship existed. The dosage was usually 5 mg/kg of body weight. At this dosage level, the effects lasted for approximately 5 to 8 hours and diminished only very slowly. In his experiments with ibogaine, the author found that it was not the substance as such that triggered a specific effect but that it induced an unspecific psychological and physical stimulus that was then responded to in the language that patient was accustomed to using with this therapist. (Leuner and Schlichting 1986, 162) Unfortunately, an accident led to this initially promising research being halted. Marina Prins (1988) subsequently compared Baumann's results with those reported by Naranjo. Today, ibogaine is in the spotlight of neuropharmacological research because it has been shown that this alkaloid can be used to reduce and cure the addictive behavior of people dependent on other drugs (heroine, cocaine) (Sanchez-Ramos and Mash 1996; cf. Maps 6 [2; 1996]: 4-6). For example, ibogaine has been found to suppress the motor activity that occurs during opiate withdrawal. It has been proposed that ibogaine, when ingested by opiate addicts in a single high dosage, dramatically reduces withdrawal symptoms while simultaneously causing a trip that provides the patient with such deep insights into the personal causes of the addiction that a majority of the individuals who receive such therapy can live for months without relapse. However, it should be noted that several additional sessions may be necessary before a persistent stabilization occurs. (Naeher 1996, 12) Experiments with primates have shown that ibogaine reduces opiate addiction and partially blocks withdrawal symptoms. Although the neuropharmacological mechanism behind these effects has not yet been discovered, Deborah Mash and her team in Miami (Mash 1993; Mash et al. 1995) are researching this question. Ibogaine has been demonstrated to interact with numerous different receptors, and it has been concluded that this breadth of interaction is the reason for ibogaine's effectiveness in addiction therapy (Sweetman et al. 1995). In the United States, the use of ibogaine to treat addiction has been patented as the clinical Lotsof procedure (Lotsof 1995). Whether this procedure will receive endorsement from the medical community remains to be seen (Touchette 1995). A novel about this facet of ibogaine (which incorporates such actual people as Howard Lotso£) was published in Slovenia (Knut 1994). Ibogaine enjoys a reputation for being an exceptionally potent and stimulating aphrodisiac (Naranjo 1969*).500 The research to date has entirely neglected this aspect. Another substance of pharmacological and therapeutic interest is noribogaine, which is chemically and pharmacologically very similar to Prozac (fluoxetine). In the United States, Prozac is one of the most frequently prescribed psychopharmaca for depression, and it is celebrated as the "happy drug" in the popular press (Kramer 1995; Rufer 1995*).

Dosage and Application Two to four tablets containing up to 8 mg ibogaine per tablet may be given daily as a stimulant for states of exhaustion, debility, et cetera. Nausea, vomiting, and ataxia are possible side effects. When used for psychotherapeutic purposes (Baumann), dosages of 3 to 6 mg of ibogaine hydrochloride per kg of body weight were administered. For psychoactive purposes, dosages of around 200 mg are recommended (Prins 1988, 47). Commercial Forms and Regulations Ibogaine was formerly available as a medicine under the trade name Bogadin (Schneider and McArthur 1956). In the United States, ibogaine is considered a Schedule I drug and has been prohibited since 1970. However, ibogaine hydrochloride is marketed under the trade name Endabuse and can be used with the appropriate special permit. In Germany, ibogaine is not considered a narcotic under the guidelines of the narcotic laws and is therefore legal (Korner 1994, 1573*). Literature See also the entries for Tabernaemontana spp., Tabernanthe iboga, Voacanga spp., and indole alkaloids. Baumann, Peter. 1986. "Halluzinogen"-unterstiitzte Psychotherapie heute. Schweizerische Arztezeitung 67 (47): 2202-5. Dybowski, J., and E. Landrin. 1901. Sur l'iboga, sur ses proprietes excitantes, sa composition et sur l'alcaloide nouveau qu'il renferme. Comptes Rendues 133:748. Fromberg, Eric. 1996. Ibogaine. Pan 3:2-8. (Includes a very good bibliography.) Knut, Amon Jr. 1994. Iboga. Maribor: Skupina Zrcalo. (Cf. Curare 18 (1; 1995): 245-46.) Kramer, Peter D. 1995. GlUck aufRezept: Der unheimliche Erfolg der GlUckspille Fluctin. Munich: Kosel. Le Men-Olivier, 1., B. Richards, and Jean Le Men. 1974. Alcaloides des graines du Pandaca retusa. Phytochemistry 13:280-81. Lotsof, Howard S. 1995. Ibogaine in the treatment of chemical dependence disorders: Clinical perspectives. Maps 5 (3): 15-27. Mash, Deborah C. 1995. Development of ibogaine as an anti-addictive drug: A progress report from the University of Miami School of Medicine. Maps 6 (1): 29-30. Mash, Deborah C., Julie K. Staley, M. H. Baumann, R. B. Rothman, and W. 1. Hearn. 1995. Identification of a primary metabolite of ibogaine that targets serotonin transporters and elevates serotonin. Life Sciences 57 (3): 45-50. Naeher, Karl. 1996. Ibogain: Eine Droge gegen Drogenahhangigkeit? Hanjblatt 3 (21): 12-15 (interview). Prins, Marina. 1988. "Von Iboga zu Ibogain: Dber eine vielseitige Droge Westafrikas und ihre Anwendung in der Psychotherapie." Unpublished licentiate thesis, Zurich. (Very rich bibliography.) Sanchez-Ramos, Juan R., and Deborah Mash. 1996. Pharmacotherapy of drug-dependence with ibogain. Jahrbuch fur Transkulturelle Medizin und Psychotherapie 6 (1995): 353-67. Schneider, J., and M. McArthur. 1956. Potentiation action of ibogain (BogadinTM) on morphin analgesia. Experimenta 8:323-24. Sweetman, P. M., J. Lancaster, Adele Snowman, J. 1. Collins, S. Perschke, C. Bauer, and J. Ferkany. 1995. Receptor binding profile suggests multiple mechanisms of action are responsible for ibogaine's putative anti-addiction activity. Psychopharmacology 118:369-76. Touchette, Nancy. 1995. Anti-addiction drug ibogain on trial. Nature Medicine 1 (4): 288-89.