Exploring Ibogaine’s Potential in the Treatment of Addiction

Exploring Ibogaine’s Potential in the Treatment of Addiction

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

www.maps.org

Presented by: Valerie Mojeiko

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Tabernanthe IbogaTabernanthe Iboga

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…Originally used by the Bwiti…

…Originally used by the Bwiti…

Shaman --><--His Wife

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…in Rite of Passage Rituals…

…in Rite of Passage Rituals…

Bwiti people participating a ritual

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…until Howard Lotsof……until Howard Lotsof…

…and found a place for ibogaine in Western culture.

…Serendipitously discovered ibogaine’s ability to reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms from opiates…

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Psychedelics and Addiction(where this fits in)

Psychedelics and Addiction(where this fits in)

…Stan Grof, Bill Richards, Walter Pahnke, and others published research using LSD to treat alcoholics and heroin addicts…

…With promising results.

In the 1970s…

Learned: Multiple sessions may be more effective than single-dose administration

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Ibogaine’s EffectsIbogaine’s Effects

Psychedelic

Produces a DREAMLIKE state

VERY Long-lasting

Unpleasant for many(not recreational)

The “trip” may be related to the addiction

Greatly reduces physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms from heroin, methadone, other drugs

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Iboga Therapy HouseIboga Therapy House

Ibogaine Detoxification Facility in Vancouver, Canada

•MAPS awarded $5000 grant to set up North America’s first legal ibogaine detoxification facility

•Future Site of MAPS-Sponsored Research

•Will provide treatment to addicts from Canada and the US for a modest fee

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Iboga Therapy HouseIboga Therapy House

Therapeutic Procedures

1. Prescreening Process: Application, Physical Exam, Drug Test

2. Enter Facility3. Supervision Period: 12-24

hours4. Ibogaine Experience: 1-2 days5. Integration Period and

Therapy: 2-3 days6. Leave Facility7. Follow-up: One year

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Program Evaluation and Outcome Study

Program Evaluation and Outcome Study

• How well does ibogaine work? How safe is it?

• What percentage of people benefit and to what degree?

• How can these treatments be improved?• Should formal studies be conducted?

MAPS’ Role: Evaluating program, providing feedback, and collecting data for research

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Preliminary Data: June 2004: Iboga Therapy House: 2wks-1yr after tx (avg. 6 months)

Preliminary Data: June 2004: Iboga Therapy House: 2wks-1yr after tx (avg. 6 months)

• 20 subjects• 6 of 7 treated for

Cocaine/Crack abstinent (86%)

• 3 of 8 treated for opiates abstinent (38%)

• 4/5 treated for other substances abstinent (80%)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

COC Opiate Alcohol Pot Meth Comb.

AbstinentUsing

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Exploratory Outcome StudyExploratory Outcome Study

• Seeking to obtain basic preliminary data • Not a controlled study, but is

representative since including 20 Subjects treated consecutively

• One-year series of questionnaires and interviews from 20 subjects verified by interview with significant others

• Harm reduction model: measuring abstinence as well as non-abstinence outcomes, striving to differentiate between abuse and controlled use

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MeasuresMeasures

• Addiction Severity Index (primary variable)

• Peak Experience Profile• Beck Depression and

Anxiety Inventories• Subjective and

Objective Opiate Withdrawal Scales (SOWS/OOWS)

• Pain and Craving Scales

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ASI-Addiction Severity IndexASI-Addiction Severity Index

• Semi-structured 1 hour interview

• Scores on 7 subscales: medical status, employment and support, drug use, alcohol use, legal status, family/social status, and psychiatric status

• Been used extensively on a wide variety of outcome studies

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Peak Experience Profile (PEP)Peak Experience Profile (PEP)

• Measures the psychedelic experience

• 180 items; one composite score; 16 subscores

• Scores for peaks (highs) and nadirs (lows)

Experience of the insight that "all is One".

Experience of explosive ecstasy.

Experience of unbearable tortures that will never end.

Sense that the experience cannot be described adequately

in words.

With open eyes seeing objects around you turned into great works of art.

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i P W2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

ASI X X X X X X X X X X X X X

BDI/BAI X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

PEP X

O/SOWS X X X

Pain/Cra X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

SO check

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Schedule for Outcome Measures

i=Intake; P=Post-treatment; W2=Week 2; 1-12=Months 1-12

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ChallengesChallenges

• No drug testing

• Difficulty of remaining in contact during follow-up

• Check-in with significant other and gift certificates address these concerns

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ProgressProgress

• End of protocol design and training phase

• Has been submitted for IRB approval

• Partial funding obtained from private donors for study, Iboga Therapy House seeking additional funding for operating costs

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GoalsGoals

• Obtain basic information about outcomes in underground clinics

• Provide feedback to improve services; help win funding from Canadian government; increase safety

• Ideally lead to placebo-controlled double-blind studies

• Ibogaine available to drug addicts in a safe, supportive, and humane setting

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EndEnd