Subjective effectiveness of ibogaine treatment for problematic opioid consumption: Short- and long-term outcomes and current psychological functioning

Summary & key facts

Researchers surveyed 88 people who went to Mexico for ibogaine treatment for long-term opioid use. Most said the drug stopped or greatly eased withdrawal and lowered craving. About three in ten said they never used opioids again after treatment, and many reported less use or longer periods without opioids. The study relied on self-reports from one group and cannot prove ibogaine caused the changes, so more careful research is needed.

Key facts:

• The study asked 88 people who received ibogaine treatment in Mexico between 2012 and 2015 to fill out an online survey about their experiences.
• About seven in ten of the participants had used opioids for at least four years and about seven in ten had been using opioids every day before treatment.
• About four in five people said ibogaine eliminated or greatly reduced their withdrawal symptoms right after treatment.
• About half of participants said ibogaine reduced their craving for opioids, and about one quarter said the craving reduction lasted at least three months.
• Roughly three in ten people reported they never used opioids again after the ibogaine treatment.
• More than half of those who became abstinent stayed off opioids for at least one year, and about a third of those abstainers stayed off for at least two years.
• At the time of the survey, about four in ten people reported they had been abstinent for more than six months.
• Although seven in ten people said they later relapsed, nearly half said their opioid use decreased compared with before treatment, and another one in ten eventually became abstinent after some setbacks.
• People who responded well to treatment tended to report fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, felt better overall, and described the experience as more spiritually meaningful than people who did not respond as well.
• The study used volunteers and an online questionnaire, and it did not include a control group, so these results show what people reported but do not prove that ibogaine caused the improvements.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Very few studies have reported the effectiveness of ibogaine as a treatment for chronic opioid use. Therefore, this study evaluated the acute subjective effects of ibogaine, outcomes on problematic opioid consumption, and the long-term associations with psychological functioning. METHODS: Using online data collection, 88 patients who received ibogaine treatment in Mexico between 2012 and 2015 completed our survey. RESULTS: Most participants (72%) had used opioids for at least 4 years and 69% reported daily use. Most (80%) indicated that ibogaine eliminated or drastically reduced withdrawal symptoms. Fifty percent reported that ibogaine reduced opioid craving, some (25%) reporting a reduction in craving lasting at least 3 months. Thirty percent of participants reported never using opioids again following ibogaine treatment. And over one half (54%) of these abstainers had been abstinent for at least 1 year, with 31% abstinent for at least 2 years. At the time of survey, 41% of all participants reported sustained abstinence (>6 months). Although 70% of the total sample reported a relapse following treatment, 48% reported decreased use from pretreatment levels and an additional 11% eventually achieved abstinence. Treatment responders had the lowest rates of depressive and anxious symptoms, the highest levels of subjective well-being and rated their ibogaine treatment as more spiritually meaningful compared with treatment non-responders. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that ibogaine is associated with reductions in opioid use, including complete abstinence, and has long-term positive psychological outcomes. Future research should investigate the efficacy of ibogaine treatment using rigorous longitudinal and controlled designs.

Topics

Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Abstinence Addiction Clinical psychology Craving Internal medicine Medicine Opioid Opioid use disorder Psychiatry Psychology Receptor

Substances

Ibogaine

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Anxiety Depression Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits Anxiety or worry Sadness or low mood