Ibogaine: A Psychedelic Treatment for PTSD Survivors

Ibogaine Treatment Shows Promising Results for Veterans with PTSD and Brain Injuries

A New Hope for Those Struggling with Mental Health

Joe Hudak, a retired US Army Special Forces veteran, found himself battling inner demons after returning home from multiple deployments in 2011. Despite trying various therapies and medications, his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) persisted, leading him to attempt suicide twice in 2012. “I was fighting a war in my head,” he recalls.

Hudak’s life took a turn when he discovered Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, a Texas-based organization that helps service members access psychedelic treatments in countries where such drugs are legal or unregulated. In 2022, the group sponsored his trip to Mexico to participate in a clinical trial involving ibogaine, a substance derived from the African iboga shrub.

Ibogaine: An Ancient Remedy for Modern Ailments

Ibogaine has been used for centuries by the Pygmy tribes in Central Africa in spiritual and healing ceremonies. Although illegal in the US and many other countries, this powerful substance has shown remarkable potential in treating various mental health conditions.

Hudak was among 30 special operations veterans with traumatic brain injuries and severe psychiatric symptoms who received an oral dose of ibogaine. The results were astounding: an average reduction of 88 percent in PTSD symptoms, 87 percent in depression symptoms, and 81 percent in anxiety symptoms, lasting for at least a month after treatment.

Psychedelics Gaining Traction in Mental Health Treatment

The ibogaine study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, adds to the growing body of research supporting the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment. In 2019, the FDA granted “breakthrough therapy” status to MDMA, better known as a party drug, for treatment-resistant depression. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) also announced promising results from a Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.

The Ibogaine Experience: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Ibogaine produces a dreamlike phenomenon, with users often describing a slideshow of their lives, allowing them to see events from a third-person perspective and reevaluate memories in a different light. “That is very unique to ibogaine,” says Dr. Williams, the lead researcher of the study.

During treatment, veterans reported side effects such as headaches and nausea, but no serious complications, including heart problems, were observed. Participants were monitored in a clinic, as ibogaine’s effects can last for around 10 hours.

The Science Behind Ibogaine’s Therapeutic Effects

While the exact mechanisms behind ibogaine’s therapeutic effects remain a mystery, researchers hypothesize that the drug facilitates plasticity, or the remodeling of connections in the brain. “Formation of new connections or synapses between brain cells may be playing some important role in the therapeutic effects,” suggests Dr. Conor Liston, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Ibogaine is also thought to act on the serotonin transporter (SERT) protein, which is the target of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly used to treat depression.

Cautious Optimism and Future Research

While the results of the ibogaine study are promising, some experts remain cautious. Dr. Amy Badura Brack, a professor of psychology at Creighton University who studies PTSD, notes that most psychological studies show improvement with any intervention. She also points out that the study was small and lacked a placebo arm or a comparison group receiving standard treatments.

“I think we’ve got work to do to prove it,” Williams says, “but the signal of what we found here is really exciting.”

The Stanford research team plans to publish data on the long-term effects of ibogaine treatment and hopes to launch larger trials in the US. As research into psychedelics for mental health treatment continues to expand, ibogaine may offer a new path to healing for those struggling with PTSD, depression, and anxiety.