Support is growing for a little-known psychedelic drug called ibogaine that could help people overcome addiction, but concerns over its impact on the heart remain, The Washington Post reported March 14.
Ibogaine is an extract from an African shrub called Tabernanthe iboga. It grows in the Central African rainforest and has been used in traditional medicine as a mild stimulant and in religious ceremonies. The psychedelic promotes growth of neural networks in damaged brains, Deborah Mash, founder of DemeRx, a company developing addiction treatments derived from ibogaine compounds, told the Post. Drug users who take it to reduce their addiction to other substances do not feel cravings or withdrawal symptoms, and their mood improves, she said.
The interest in using ibogaine as a treatment for drug addiction has grown in the midst of the opioid crisis. Advocates in Ohio and Kentucky want settlement money from opioid lawsuit payouts to go toward studying the drug.
In January, Stanford (Calif.) University published a study showing that ibogaine improved symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in 30 Special Operations veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
However, concerns for the drug's impact on the heart remains strong. Even in therapeutic doses, ibogaine blocks a protein that can cause delays in cardiac electrical signals and prolongs the QT interval, a standard measure of how long it takes the heart to recharge as it beats. Advocates argue the heart dangers can be managed or overcome and argue the health benefits outweigh the risks.
In the last few decades, clinics in other countries like Mexico have offered the psychedelic as a treatment for addiction and traumatic brain injuries. The first hint of its potential came in 1913 when Mexican researchers described a case of a woman with severe alcoholism being successfully treated with ibogaine tablets. In 1962, a New Yorker claimed ibogaine helped him kick his heroin habit.
The U.S. outlawed ibogaine in 1967 along with other psychedelics. It is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance with no acceptable medical use and the high potential for abuse.
Advocates, however, argue that there is no recreational use for ibogaine, noting the psychedelic trips "can be grueling," the report said.