Ibogaine (Iboga Indole Alkaloid · Addiction Research · Informational)
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Compound | Ibogaine (Ibogaine HCl) |
| Chemical class | Alkaloid — Indole (iboga-type; monoterpenoid indole alkaloid) |
| CAS | 83-74-9 |
| Primary source | Tabernanthe iboga (iboga), root bark |
| Key applications | Controlled psychoactive; researched for opioid-dependence interruption; informational-only |
| Claim strength | Emerging (clinical); controlled substance |
| Typical form | Research / specialist clinical use only (ibogaine HCl); not a supplement ingredient |
| Buy from Herbuno | Informational reference — see HerbIQ Compound Index → |
Name origin: Ibogaine takes its name from Tabernanthe iboga, the West African shrub whose root bark contains it, and it is the principal iboga-type monoterpenoid indole alkaloid of that plant. Traditional use: Iboga root bark is central to the Bwiti spiritual tradition of Gabon and neighbouring regions, where it is consumed in large doses during initiation ceremonies for its intense oneirogenic, or dream-inducing, effects; several million adherents use it ritually. In early-twentieth-century France a root extract was even marketed as a tonic under the name Lambarène. This ethnobotanical and cultural depth frames all subsequent scientific interest. Research trajectory: From the late twentieth century onward, ibogaine drew attention for a striking and unusual property: reports that a single dose could interrupt opioid and stimulant dependence, reducing withdrawal and craving in a way not seen with conventional agents. Open-label clinical observations in inpatient settings describe this effect and its safety profile in monitored volunteers Mash 2018, and clinical pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic studies in opioid-use-disorder patients have begun to relate ibogaine and noribogaine exposure to withdrawal relief and side effects, informing rational dose selection Knuijver 2024. Safety context: Ibogaine is a controlled substance in many countries and carries a serious risk of QT-interval prolongation and fatal arrhythmia. It is not a dietary-supplement ingredient; this monograph is a research and chemical-family reference, and explicitly not a sourcing offer.
Evidence for Ibogaine Applications
Opioid-dependence interruption: Open-label case series report that a single ibogaine dose reduces opioid withdrawal severity and craving, with the anti-withdrawal effect persisting well beyond the drug's own relatively short half-life — a pattern interpreted as a lasting modification of dependence-associated neuroadaptation rather than simple substitution. In one monitored inpatient series no significant adverse events occurred within a dose range effective for blocking withdrawal Mash 2018. Claim strength: Emerging.
Clinical pharmacology: Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic studies in opioid-use-disorder patients relate plasma ibogaine and noribogaine concentrations to both withdrawal relief and side effects, providing the exposure-response information needed to design safer future controlled trials Knuijver 2024. The active metabolite noribogaine, formed by demethylation, has a longer half-life and contributes to the prolonged pharmacodynamic profile. Claim strength: Emerging.
Multi-target mechanism: Ibogaine and noribogaine act across many targets — including opioid receptors, the serotonin transporter, and nicotinic and NMDA receptors — and this polypharmacology is thought to underlie the anti-addictive effect, although the precise mechanism responsible for interrupting dependence remains unresolved. This mechanistic breadth is part of what makes the compound scientifically interesting and pharmacologically hard to characterise. Claim strength: Emerging.
Cardiac safety limitation: Ibogaine prolongs the cardiac QT interval and has been linked to fatal arrhythmias, which is the central safety concern confining its use to settings with cardiac screening and continuous ECG monitoring. This risk, combined with its long duration of action, defines the boundary conditions of any legitimate research use. Claim strength: Moderate.
Botanical and supply context: Ibogaine is obtained from Tabernanthe iboga root bark, a slow-growing resource, and conservation and sustainability concerns around wild iboga have prompted interest in semisynthesis and in the related precursor voacangine from Voacanga africana. These supply questions are relevant to any research programme but do not create a supplement pathway. Claim strength: Emerging.
This compound is documented for research and formulator education purposes. For commercially available botanical ingredients, explore the HerbIQ Compound Index →
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Ibogaine is a controlled psychoactive substance with no dietary-supplement application and no consumer dosing. Research and specialist-clinic protocols use weight-based single doses of ibogaine hydrochloride administered only after cardiac screening and under continuous ECG monitoring, because of the QT-prolongation risk; this is a tightly controlled clinical-research context, not a self-administration or supplement one.
Iboga root bark and ibogaine are subject to legal restrictions in many jurisdictions, and their status must be verified in any given territory before even research handling. There is no supplement-grade ibogaine application, and formulators should treat both the isolated alkaloid and iboga botanical material as regulated substances rather than ingredients.
The compound's long duration of action and its active metabolite noribogaine give it a prolonged pharmacodynamic profile that is central to its safety-monitoring requirements: the window of cardiac risk extends well beyond the initial dose, which is why monitored settings and cardiac screening are non-negotiable in legitimate research. Conservation concerns around slow-growing wild iboga add a sustainability dimension to any sourcing discussion.
This monograph documents ibogaine as a research and chemical-family reference within the HerbIQ index, connecting it to the other tryptamine and indole alkaloids in the library (such as the harmala beta-carbolines and the DMT entries), and does not constitute sourcing guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions — Ibogaine
What is ibogaine?
Ibogaine is an iboga-type monoterpenoid indole alkaloid from the root bark of the West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. It is a controlled psychoactive substance in many jurisdictions and has been studied for a distinctive property: the reported interruption of opioid and stimulant dependence after a single dose.
What is the evidence for ibogaine in addiction?
Open-label case series and observational studies report reduced opioid withdrawal severity and craving following a single dose, and early clinical pharmacology studies have characterised its kinetics and its active metabolite noribogaine. However, randomised controlled trials remain limited, so the evidence base is best described as early-stage rather than established.
Why is ibogaine informational-only?
Ibogaine is a controlled substance in many countries and carries a serious risk of QT-interval prolongation and fatal arrhythmia. It has no dietary-supplement application and appears in HerbIQ as a research and chemical-family reference rather than a sourceable ingredient.
What are the safety concerns with ibogaine?
The central safety concern is cardiac: ibogaine prolongs the QT interval and has been associated with fatal arrhythmias, particularly in the absence of cardiac screening and continuous monitoring. Its long duration of action and active metabolite extend the period of risk, which is why any use is confined to screened, monitored research or specialist-clinic settings.
Related compounds: N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, Harmine, Voacangine
Claim-strength scale – High = multiple human RCTs; Moderate = limited trials or strong preclinical convergence; Emerging = early-stage lab or animal data.
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