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— IBOGAINE — Nature's Cure for Addiction for Addiction Nature's Cure A treatment using ibogaine, a plant-derived alkaloid, has a such a high success rate in overcoming drug and alcohol dependence that it should be more widely available. plant-derived alkaloid, known as ibogamine, or, more commonly, ibogaine, has been shown to interrupt the vicious cycle of drug dependence, and has proven particularly effective in combatting addictions to opiate narcotics, such as hero- in, as well as to cocaine, other stimulants and even alcohol. It has enormous promise in a treatment that can overcome both the physiological and the psychological problems of addiction, for not only does it speed up the withdrawal process but it also helps addicts identify the root cause of their addictions and regain control of their lives. Ibogaine is primarily derived from the tropical plant Tabernanthe iboga which is native to equatorial western Africa, but it has also been isolated from the Tabernanthe manii, Ervatamia yunnanensis and Ervatamia orientalis shrubs, all being members of the Apocynacae family. Analysis of the leaves of Ervatamia orientalis, which grows mainly in the coastal monsoonal vine thickets north of Gordon Vale in far north Queensland, Australia, shows significant levels of ibogaine and an overall alkaloid profile that mirrors the tabernanthe plant, Tabernanthe iboga. Tabernanthe is a plant traditionally used by tribes in the Congo and the Gabon regions of western Africa where it is valued for its variety of medicinal properties, as well as its inebriating, aphrodisiacal and hallucinogenic effects when taken in high doses for ceremo- nial purposes. Bwiti tribesmen would chew the tabernanthe root on their long hunting trips to reduce their fatigue levels and need for sleep. The Mitsogho Bwiti and Fang Bwiti tribes in the Gabon reportedly use the plant in their initiation rituals for both sexes. Ceremonial preparation would require higher-dose intake by prolonged chewing of taber- nanthe leaves and root bark. The resultant experiential phases have been compared with the stages observed in a study of 150 people who reported a so-called "near-death experi- ence" (NDE) while temporarily clinically dead. The tabernanthe root was first taken out of Gabon in 1864 but was not described by the Museum of Natural History in Paris until 1889. A crystallised alkaloid was first isolated from the root by Dybowsky and Landrin in 1901 and named ibogaine. Several studies were undertaken by French pharmacologists in 1901-05, establishing ibogaine's clinical efficacy as a cardiac stimulant and as a treatment for neurasthenia and asthenia. However, it was not until 1939 that serious study was resumed into this alkaloid's pharmacodynamic and therapeutic potential. And because of its hallucinogenic properties, the tabernanthe root managed to find its way into modern-day drug culture in the 1960s, and was eventu- ally classified as an hallucinogenic substance in 1972. In 1962, a former heroin addict named Howard Lotsof took ibogaine in his search for a new way to get high. After a 36-hour hallucinogenic experience, he no longer craved heroin. Most remarkably, he did not experience any of the severe withdrawal symptoms that are normally associated with heroin. Lotsof shared the ibogaine with six other addicts, five of whom lost their desire for heroin. These amazing results prompted Lotsof to conduct further research into ibogaine's effects. From the mid-'80s to early '90s, Lotsof secured several patents on the use of ibogaine for treating drug and alcohol addiction. Although about 40 addicts have been treated in the Netherlands since 1990 in controlled trials, ibogaine has not yet been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States, where it is illegal. Compiled and Edited from various sources, including Howard S. Lotsof's Ibogaine internet web site: www. ibogaine.org/index.html Compiled and Edited from various sources, including Howard S. Lotsof's Ibogaine internet web site: www. ibogaine.org/index.html MEDICAL TREATMENT OF CHEMICAL DRUG DEPENDENCE Ibogaine is not a substitute for narcotics or stimulants; it is not addictive, and it is given in a single administration modality (SAM). It is a chemical dependence interrupter. Re- treatment may occasionally be needed until the person being treated with ibogaine is able NEXUS - 29 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1997