Relapse
Ibogaine is often described as a substance that interrupts addiction. After Ibogaine treatment anecdotal reports indicate that you will feel greatly reduced withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. You may also have a better understanding of why you used drugs in the first place and why you fell into behavior patterns that became truly harmful in time.
After an Ibogaine experience, you have an opportunity to start again, but you also have an opportunity to make the same mistakes over again and fall back into familiar patterns, which include drug use and addiction.
To make the most of your Ibogaine treatment, experts recommend that you follow up the experience with significant participation in some form of continuing care addiction treatment or therapy – to ensure that the gains won through an intense hallucinogenic experience solidify into lasting life-changes in the real world.
Ibogaine Health and Safety Issues
Some research indicates that Ibogaine proves fatal for 1 in 3001 people who use it, so there is some considerable risk to an Ibogaine session and to minimize this risk you should ensure that adequate health and safety precautions are in place and that you are physically and emotionally fit to participate in the treatment.
Reasons for recorded Ibogaine deaths include preexisting heart conditions, using Ibogaine root instead of the safer Ibogaine extract, taking opiates while on Ibogaine or immediately after treatment and using the substance in an informal setting without constant medical monitoring.
Because there is some risk of complications during Ibogaine therapy, you should not consider getting treatment in any facility that is not prepared to offer emergency medical resuscitation. Clinic providers should have at least one person present at all times who is trained as an emergency responder and who is trained in emergency resuscitation techniques.
Check to make sure that any clinic under consideration has some minimum basic emergency medical equipment on hand, such as:
- A first aid kit
- Blood oxygen monitoring equipment
- Blood pressure monitoring equipment
Preferably they will also have such resuscitation equipment as:
For safety, Ibogaine therapy providers will need to monitor your vital signs throughout the therapeutic experience.
Who Shouldn’t Take Ibogaine?
Due to the extreme physical and emotional nature of the therapy, people with certain preconditions should not take Ibogaine.
Do not use Ibogaine if you have:
- Cancer, epilepsy or have seizures
- Cerebral palsy, MS, migraines, dementia requiring treatment or other cerebral dysfunction
- Any type of cardiac condition
- Untreated high blood pressure
- IBS or Crohn’s
- Kidney stones or kidney disease
- Serious liver disease (enzyme at more than 400% above normal)
- Lung diseases, such as bronchitis, asthma or emphysema
- Unmanaged diabetes
- A history of stroke
- Pregnancy
- Any type of vascular disease
- Active and serious emotional or psychiatric disorders that require treatment
- Any condition that requires ongoing medication which might interfere with the effectiveness or safety of Ibogaine (such as antidepressant therapy, for example)
- Any condition that could influence the absorption, metabolism or excretion of Ibogaine (A variety of kidney, liver or gastro intestinal disorders)3
(Not a complete list of preconditions)
The Legality of Ibogaine Treatment
The possession and sale of Ibogaine is illegal in the US, as well as in Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. In other countries, the possession of Ibogaine is either legal or non-regulated.
Many citizens of the US and other countries which ban the possession of the medication travel to international clinics to receive Ibogaine therapy. Ibogaine therapy clinics operate legally in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, across Central and South America and in many countries in Europe. Many American providers will offer Ibogaine therapy in underground clinics within the US, but this an illegal and unregulated activity.
- References
page last update Nov 11, 2011
