Clinical boundary Schedule I in the U.S. Serious cardiac risk Not FDA-approved No dosing or referrals Schedule I · cardiac risk Not FDA-approved · no referrals

Evidence

Evidence by condition

LAST REVIEWED 2026-06-30 · 815 SOURCES · 0 CORRECTIONS

Evidence-grade pages use the same skeptical template: evidence level, human studies, sample sizes, design quality, outcomes, limitations, safety signals, and what is not proven.

Condition Evidence Setting What's not proven
Opioid use disorder Evidence: Early humanEarly human and observational Observational detoxification reports, follow-up studies, and registered oral Ibogaine withdrawal research. Ibogaine is not proven to cure opioid addiction.
Alcohol use disorder Evidence: Very limitedVery limited human evidence FDA allowed an early phase U.S. Noribogaine hydrochloride study to proceed after an IND submission in April 2026. Noribogaine is not FDA-approved for alcohol use disorder.
Traumatic brain injury Evidence: Limited observationalLimited observational evidence A 30-person veteran prospective observational study and later neurophysiology work drew attention and require side-by-side design-limit explanation. Ibogaine is not proven as a general TBI treatment.
PTSD and trauma symptoms Evidence: Limited observationalLimited observational evidence PTSD-related signals often appear within veteran or substance-use populations rather than standalone PTSD trials. Ibogaine is not proven as a PTSD treatment.
Depression and mood symptoms Evidence: Very limitedVery limited human evidence Mood improvements appear in some Ibogaine-related observational and veteran studies, usually as secondary outcomes. Ibogaine is not proven as a depression treatment.
Parkinson's disease Evidence: Case report onlySingle case report only A 2026 peer-reviewed case report describes one patient treated with low-dose Ibogaine hydrochloride over 80 days using validated Parkinson's instruments. Ibogaine is not proven as a Parkinson's treatment.
Withdrawal Evidence: Limited observationalLimited observational evidence Withdrawal and craving findings appear in OUD studies, observational detoxification reports, and substance-use reviews. Craving reduction or withdrawal relief is not the same as a cure.
Cravings Evidence: Limited observationalLimited observational evidence Withdrawal and craving findings appear in OUD studies, observational detoxification reports, and substance-use reviews. Craving reduction or withdrawal relief is not the same as a cure.

Synthesis shelf: reviews and meta-analysis

Single studies and news items are easy to over-read. A synthesis shelf points to work that summarizes across studies: narrative reviews, a scoping review of cardiac safety, and attempts at systematic review or meta-analysis of ibogaine for substance use. A review that pools weak underlying studies is still limited by those studies; synthesis does not upgrade the strength of the evidence, it describes it. Reviewers repeatedly note the absence of an efficacy randomized controlled trial of ibogaine.

Historical framing note: reviews spanning roughly thirty years of ibogaine research consistently describe promising observational signals alongside serious safety concerns and an evidence base that has not reached confirmatory trials.

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