How Does Ibogaine Affect the Brain?
Ibogaine has strong mechanisms of action of various regions of the brain, resetting these regions to a pre-addictive state is the best explanation of how ibogaine works. Having said that, there have been plenty of studies done on ibogaine. The effects of pure ibogaine hydrochloride have only demonstrated positive attributes. Unlike other substances, ibogaine has never had any reports of toxic effects on the brain.
How does ibogaine interfere with a person’s addiction?
Ibogaine affects the biogenic amine transport, this may explain the anti-addictive properties the medicine provides. The ibogaine eventually metabolises into noribogaine. This essentially is an antidepressant with addiction interruption properties. Among many of the benefits of noribogaine is its capacity to give a person perception and introspection that may cause them to refrain from consuming substances. This lasts for several months, following the ibogaine treatment.
If Ibogaine was legal could we learn more about how it works?
It is certainly difficult to get the necessary funding to prove the benefits of what ibogaine is when the medicine is listed as a schedule 1 narcotic in the United States. This means that the medicine is listed as a substance with no medicinal value. This can be difficult as the necessary is difficult to execute without the necessary amount of financial contributions. For example, determining properly concentrating the dosing of ibogaine hydrochloride requires analyzing receptors and transporters and a micromolar range.
References
Wells GB, Lopez MC, Tanaka JC. The effects of ibogaine on dopamine and serotonin transport in rat brain synaptosomes. Brain Res Bull. 1999 Apr;48(6):641-7. doi: 10.1016/s0361-9230(99)00053-2. PMID: 10386845.