Fatalities Temporally Associated with the Ingestion of Ibogaine

Summary & key facts

Researchers checked all available autopsy and investigation reports from 1990 to 2008 for deaths outside West Central Africa that happened soon after people took ibogaine. They found 19 deaths that happened within about 1.5 to 76 hours after taking ibogaine. In the cases with good postmortem information, most deaths could be explained or made more likely by existing health problems (mostly heart problems) or by other drugs. The reports did not show a single, clear pattern of brain damage caused by ibogaine, and the authors pointed to other risks such as seizures during alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal and using untested plant forms of ibogaine.

Key facts:

• The researchers reviewed all known fatal cases outside West Central Africa from 1990 through 2008 that were linked in time to taking ibogaine.
• Nineteen people (15 men and 4 women) aged between 24 and 54 were reported to have died within about 1.5 to 76 hours after ingesting ibogaine.
• Only 14 of the 19 deaths had enough postmortem data for detailed analysis.
• In 12 of those 14 cases, existing serious medical problems, mainly heart disease, and/or use of other commonly abused drugs explained or likely contributed to the death.
• The clinical and autopsy information did not show a consistent pattern of brain injury that would point to a single type of toxicity from ibogaine.
• Other apparent risk factors mentioned were seizures linked to withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines and use of unregulated, traditional plant preparations of ibogaine.

Abstract

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive plant alkaloid that is used globally in medical and nonmedical settings for opioid detoxification and other substance use indications. All available autopsy, toxicological, and investigative reports were systematically reviewed for the consecutive series of all known fatalities outside of West Central Africa temporally related to the use of ibogaine from 1990 through 2008. Nineteen individuals (15 men, four women between 24 and 54 years old) are known to have died within 1.5-76 h of taking ibogaine. The clinical and postmortem evidence did not suggest a characteristic syndrome of neurotoxicity. Advanced preexisting medical comorbidities, which were mainly cardiovascular, and/or one or more commonly abused substances explained or contributed to the death in 12 of the 14 cases for which adequate postmortem data were available. Other apparent risk factors include seizures associated with withdrawal from alcohol and benzodiazepines and the uninformed use of ethnopharmacological forms of ibogaine.

Topics

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Life Sciences Neuroscience

Tags

Biology Chemistry Chromatography Forensic toxicology Medical emergency Medicine Pharmacology Poison control Psychiatry Toxicology

Substances

Ibogaine

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits