A PROVIDER'S PERSPECTIVE

Hi. My name is Cory and I am an Iboga and Ibogaine provider. I have over and over again witnessed the impact that trauma and addiction have taken on individuals, their families, and friends. It’s like a self- replicating hurt that doesn’t seem to heal but instead prolificates more pain and mistrust. Ibogaine interrupts this cycle and allows the individual to face and confront past trauma while avoiding the expected withdrawal symptoms and future cravings.

Physical Symptoms

When an individual receives a flood dose the first noticeable effect is the withdrawal symptoms go away and the next effect is a “buzzing” sound in the room that the individual will hear. The buzzing sound soon is heard inside the ear and ataxia starts to take effect. The person will need to lay down as horizontally as possible to relieve nausea that the ataxia can cause. Ataxia is like losing the ability to balance, stand up, speak and you also lose your hand-eye coordination. The person taking the flood dose will need someone to “babysit” for the 8-12 hour period that the ataxia lasts to provide water or assist in using the bathroom. Every person who takes Ibogaine will have different symptoms at different times.

Waking Dream and Safety

The person is awake the whole time that they are in the “waking dream” state. They will be very sensitive to noise and light. Any noise can interrupt the dream state until the distraction is removed and then they will naturally re-enter the waking dream state within moments. Ibogaine causes severe insomnia. People who are planning on taking it should make a plan to deal with insomnia. It’s the most difficult aspect of taking Ibogaine. Ibogaine is a QT inhibitor and will slow the heartbeat down below 50 beats per minute during the 6-8 hr waking dream state. This aspect of Ibogaine is dealt with by the Ibogaine. If left alone the person will not be affected. If you are on opiates and mix them with Ibogaine; you risk having heart failure. This is true also for benzodiazepines which are also QT inhibitors. I don’t recommend Ibogaine for benzodiazepine addiction without an excellent after-care plan and another side effect of benzo withdrawal is extreme insomnia. I recommend CBD/THC oil in pill form or Melatonin to help with insomnia and body ache after 24 hrs. The reflective state after the dream state can last for 2-3 days for some individuals. During this period people will feel like they have flu symptoms. Low energy, nausea, irritability are just some of the symptoms. Most people want to be left alone during this period. They will look like they are sleeping but will be awake the whole time until the Ibogaine is finished. Some people will still hear the buzzing or see tracers of light for 24 hrs after. All the symptoms will go away in time as the person normalizes. I recommend that people try to get the most out of the experience by waiting until they are ready to sleep, before taking a sleep aid. Once they do sleep, they tend to improve very dramatically.

Biggest Risk After Ibogaine

It doesn’t matter if you are taking a flood dose for addiction or PTSD; the symptoms and duration are around the same. The biggest risk in my opinion regarding Ibogaine is having fatal overdose weeks or months later. Ibogaine resets all your receptors after a flood dose, so the tolerance that a person might gain from years of drug use is reset back to zero. So the person might be at a party, doing well staying clean, and take a chance on a line of something. Their body doesn’t have any memory or tolerance of the drug and they could overdose. In the 12 years that I have been providing Ibogaine, I have had this happen to me twice. Ibogaine works on every drug that is physically addictive and that can cause withdrawal.

Set/Setting

Set and setting are also very important when taking Ibogaine. You want to be in a safe environment that is suitable for taking a flood dose. It’s ideal for there is no noise or distractions and a washroom is near the bed where the person is receiving their treatment. The leg pains associated with opiate detox are greatly reduced by the time and intensity, but will still be felt for a short period. Every person reacts differently when taking a flood dose. I believe that the Iboga gives you exactly what you need for that moment in your life when you are taking it.

Aftercare/Free Choice

The flood dose is just the first step to recovery. Ibogaine opens the door, but it’s up to the individual to have an after-care plan. This involves changing contact info, not associating with people connected to the addiction and just making a general plan going forward. Addiction and trauma leave a huge emotional hole that the drugs filled. Therapy, exercise, volunteering, or school are some of the activities that can help the person continue to improve and move forward. Sometimes people also will find after becoming sober, that people won’t believe their sobriety or have any faith that they will stay sober. This can be discouraging for people. Some people just won’t handle sobriety and may decide to go back to using. It’s similar to someone being released from jail and not being able to cope with all the change and choice. So they decide to re-offend just so that they can return to the structure and familiar surroundings of jail; this is true with addicts. The more an individual is motivated to be free from addiction the better chances that person will have in finding success in beating their addiction with Ibogaine.

Medical Check-up/QT Inhibitor

It’s highly recommended to have a medical check-up on your heart and liver function before an Ibogaine flood dose, but it’s not a requirement to take a flood dose. Suboxone and Methadone are chemical opiate replacements that have a 15 day “half-life” in regards to the QT inhibitor effect and there has been one recorded fatality that has been connected to this issue. They recommend that the addict switch to another opiate and wait 15 days before attempting a flood dose. I have provided for people who were using both Methadone, Suboxone, plus 3-4 other substances at the same time and the Ibogaine provided full relief from their addiction every time.

My Disclaimer

Ibogaine is not a silver bullet and is not recommended for everyone. An Ibogaine flood dose on its own is a very difficult experience for anyone to have to go through, but after saying that, I would highly recommend it to anyone that might require it. I took Ibogaine 12 years ago for the first time to beat a 2 pack a day nicotine habit; I haven’t touched a cigarette since. I am not a doctor, medical professional and I am not making any medical claims, recommendations, or prescriptions. I am just sharing my experiences with Iboga and Ibogaine. I just want everyone to be able to access this amazing plant medicine and to spread the word to as many people as possible. I have provided successfully for chemical substance addiction, PTSD, trauma, depression, anxiety, and Crohn’s Disease. Iboga and its alkaloids have not been studied properly and there is still much to be learned about the Iboga plant and all the healing powers that this plant may possess that have yet to be discovered. I hope to preserve the plant, the Bwiti tradition, and their plant knowledge and also share this magical medicine with the world.

Bassé !