Atypical psychedelic

Ibogaine: what the evidence shows

Striking stories in opioid addiction, a real heart risk, no controlled trials yet. Ibogaine comes from the iboga shrub. It's used in clinics outside the US and EU, mostly for opioid withdrawal.

Not an approved treatment for any condition yet.

Last reviewed 23 October 2026Re-checked every month2 conditions with published evidence

Is ibogaine legal where you live?See country-by-country rules on our Psychedelic Therapy Legality Map

Condition by condition

One card per condition, strongest evidence first. Hover or tap a label to see what it means; the numbers link to sources at the bottom of the page.

Opioid use disorder

Early research

Observational studies only. Promising stories, serious heart risk.

Observational studies from New Zealand (14 people) and Mexico (30 people) reported less withdrawal and reduced opioid use after treatment. There were no control groups.¹²

In a Dutch study of 14 people, half developed dangerous QTc prolongation — a heart-rhythm warning sign.³

In 2025 Texas passed a law letting the state co-fund an FDA trial of ibogaine for opioid use disorder, depression and PTSD.⁴

Compare every substance for opioid use disorder →

PTSD

Early research

One uncontrolled study in veterans.

In 30 US special-operations veterans with traumatic brain injury, magnesium-ibogaine was followed by large drops in PTSD, depression and anxiety a month later. Without a control group, that's a signal, not proof.⁵

Compare every substance for PTSD →

Safety and who it's not for

Ibogaine can disrupt the heart's rhythm (QT prolongation and arrhythmias).⁶

In a Dutch study of 14 people detoxing from opioids, half developed a dangerously long QTc interval (over 500 ms).³

Keep reading

Before You Call Iboga a PsychedelicWestern medicine is turning iboga into ibogaine. In Gabon, the practice means something else.Read the article

How Ibogaine Is Helping Veterans Rewire Trauma and Redefine StrengthAn eight-day ibogaine programme helping veterans with PTSD and brain injury process trauma.Read the article

The Courage to Heal: A Conversation With Tom Feegel of Beond Ibogaine Treatment CenterBeond’s co-founder on what happens at a licensed ibogaine clinic in Cancún.Read the article Research databaseNew studies, summarisedHundreds of papers on psychedelics and mental health, each with a plain-language summary and key facts.Browse the database

Sources

Numbered in the order they appear above. We only use peer-reviewed papers, official company announcements (for trial status and topline results), regulators and trial registries.