There are no pharmacological treatments for cocaine dependence - only one vaccine has been studied. In general, the medications used are aimed at comorbidities that may accompany dependence, such as ADHD, bipolar disorder and anxiety. The latter can be intensely present in the first days of abstinence from the substance and sedatives can be of great value, particularly in assisted or supervised environments.
What is Ibogaine?
Iboga - Tabernanthe iboga - is a plant with psychedelic properties that is consumed by the Bwiti people, from Gabon, in a ritualistic way, around 2000 years ago. The first Western contacts with Iboga were through French and Belgian explorers, back in the 19th century. Throughout the 20th century, ibogaine was synthesized, the active substance of iboga, which acts on the central nervous system.
The discovery of ibogaine as a substance that could play a supporting role in the treatment of chemical dependency, particularly heroin and cocaine, occurred when the American Howard Lotsof and some friends, all heroin addicts, had casual contact with ibogaine. Lotsof was 19 years old. That experience changed his life. He noticed that, after using that African hallucinogen, his withdrawal syndromes reduced in intensity - in the same way as the desire to use heroin. Convinced that he had found a way to treat addictions, Lotsof became an Ibogaine enthusiast and carried this banner until his death in 2010, aged 66, from liver cancer.
Is it illegal in Brazil?
In Brazil, Ibogaine is not regulated by ANVISA, but it is not considered illegal. The agency, based on opinions from ABEAD and testimonials of doctors specializing in chemical dependency state that there is no robust evidence to justify the use of the drug, and that it is not free from risks. On the other hand, psychiatrist Dartiu Xavier and clinician Bruno Rasmussen published a work with the report of your experience with the substance in our country< strong>. One thing to be careful about is that there are plenty of offers for experiences with Ibogaine in clinics without medical supervision and with the substance of obscure origin.
A transcendent, profound and frightening experience
I had an experience with Ibogaine. The treatment was in a city in the interior of São Paulo, where I went; There I was received by the doctor. He explained all the steps of the treatment to me. I had been abstinent for more than 30 days - a requirement for using Ibogaine - and had had an electrocardiogram and some blood tests days before. I went to a hotel, where I spent the night. The next day I went to the place where the substance was administered - a former psychiatric hospital. I was fasting. As soon as I arrived they checked my vital signs and then the doctor came and offered me a handful of colored pills. He told me to lie down and only get up with the help of the nurses (which I didn't do, I thought I was fine and went to the bathroom alone... but nothing happened...). Every hour the doctor came to see if everything was ok. Around the third hour he came and asked if everything was okay. I said yes, my only regret was that they had decided to cut the grass that day, right next to my room. He smiled and said: it's starting. I had a quick vision of a black lady coming down a staircase nearby. And it really started. Ibogaine is an onirogenic drug (creates a dream-like state) and has a very peculiar characteristic - when you open your eyes you are fully aware of what is happening, but when you close them you enter another world - or other dimensions. Very distant memories emerge with an almost photographic clarity, the relevant people in your life pilgrimage through your dream, ancestral and mythical issues of humanity become present. At that moment I had contact with my Higher Power, planet Earth, which operated as a living organism, connected to everything. The distinction between what is good for us and what is bad for us (for example, drugs) is very clear. Things start to slow down after about 5 hours. I slept there in the hospital and the next day I left. The only thing I felt wrong was a severe headache, which was relieved with common painkillers. It felt like my brain had been rebooted. I had a longer period of abstinence after using the substance (although I had a lapse a few weeks later). And what was left? I believe that Ibogaine is something very interesting and I have no doubt that it can be an adjunct in the treatment of addictions, particularly at a time when psychiatry is turning to the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics, as long as it is associated with other strategies for recovery and relapse prevention. Medical supervision is essential for the safety of treatment. It is important that the person has a certain mental balance: it is a very intense and profound experience and the risk of triggering psychiatric disorders such as panic can occur. Ibogaine is not for beginners. Would I do this experience again? Without the slightest shadow of a doubt.
It's a shame it's so expensive.
Comments