Forms of Ibogaine

Preparing Root barkThis web site is based on the use of ibogaine which is the principle alkaloid of the iboga plant, tabernanthe iboga. Ibogaine hydrochloride is considered the safest form of iboga for chemical dependence as it is easily calibrated unlike its other forms where there is uncertainty in the percentage of ibogaine present.

Ibogaine C20H26N2O is an indole alkaloid (indole: containing the indole nucleus, which is a benzene ring fused to a pyrrole ring, alkaloid: a cyclic organic compound that contains nitrogen in a negative oxidation state). It is derived from Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub indigenous to Central-West Africa. The iboga shrub, a member of the family Apocynaceae (order Contortae), is typically found in the undergrowth of tropical forests. Ibogaine is one of at least 12 alkaloids found in this plant.

Ibogaine is often referred to in the following forms:

1. Ibogaine hydrochloride – ibogaine.
2. Total alkaloid extracts of T. iboga – often called “Indra extract”.
3. Total root – “a worthless product not used anywhere in the world.”
4. Botanical product root bark – usually contains between 1% and 4% alkaloid content of which 50% is ibogaine.

In Africa, Tabernanthe iboga is consumed as a stimulant by chewing the rootbark. In Bwiti religious ceremonies, the rootbark is pulverized and swallowed with water. In the west treatment for chemical dependence is normally carried out using ibogaine hydrochloride, usually referred to as ibogaine.

1. Ibogaine Hydrochloride

Pure crystalline ibogaine hydrochloride is the most standardized formulation of ibogaine as Ibogaine and related indole compounds are susceptible to oxidation when exposed to oxygen as opposed to their salt form which is stable. Ibogaine hydrochloride manufactured within the chemical industry may vary from 95% to 98% purity. Non-pharmaceutical ibogaine hydrochloride manufactured in small batches may vary, depending on batch, between 85% – 98% ibogaine.

Regarding purity, according to the understanding of one source: “Ibogaine HCl (not ibogaine base) is rather stable over long periods of time if maintained at room or lower temperatures and certainly in inert gas. Most manufacturers provide a three year shelf life for ibogaine HCl at room temp. My perception is you don’t lose much over a ten year period if the drug was properly manufactured. However, if the manufacturing is contaminated then it may degrade rapidly.”

Pure ibogaine leads to hyperactivity post usage whereas an iboga extract produces a more balanced state. The actual experience itself with an extract is less intense and more rounded. Unfortunately, it is difficult to ascertain the concentration of ibogaine in an iboga extract and thus for safety and convenience reasons pure ibogaine is used. From a psychospiritual viewpoint there may be other reasons why at particular times pure ibogaine is preferable and this choice will be down to the individual themself as they make their own journey with eboga.

2. Total alkaloid extracts of T. iboga

Ibogaine is also available in a total alkaloid extract (often loosely called “Indra extract”) of the Tabernanthe iboga plant, which also contains all the other iboga alkaloids. Many prefer to use iboga in this form or in the form of the (botanical product) root bark due to the difference in feel of the experience, i.e., the onset is slower and the journey smoother. Proponents believe this is due to the synergistic effect of the other alkaloids present. However there is an inherent danger in this approach as precise calibration of the quantity of ibogaine present is diificult to determine.

Preparing Root barkThe Indra extract contains a reported 15% total alkaloids by weight of which 8% is ibogaine. As the other alkaloids in the Indra product are active, this material is viewed as having a 15% potency. It is darker and deeper in colour to ibogaine and comes as a brittle lump.

“The name “Indra extract” actually refers to a particular stock of about 44kg of an iboga extract manufactured by an unnamed European industrial manufacturer in 1981. It is unclear whether the extracts sold as “Indra extract” are actually from the original stock, or whether any of that stock is even viable or in existence. This stock was later purchased by Carl Waltenburg, who distributed it under the name “Indra extract”. Waltenburg used this extract to treat heroin addicts in Christiana, Denmark, a squatter village where heroin addiction was widespread in 1982. Indra extract was offered for sale over the internet until 2006, when the Indra web presence disappeared. It is unclear whether the extracts sold as “Indra extract” are actually from Waltenburg’s original stock, or whether any of that stock is even viable or in existence. Ibogaine and related indole compounds are susceptible to oxidation when exposed to oxygen as opposed to their salt form which is stable. The exact methods and quality of the original Indra extraction was never documented, so the real composition of the product remains uncertain.” – source wikipedia.

iboga roots3+4 Total Root & Bot. Product Root Bark

While the Indra extract has a significant concentration of ibogaine, (3) total root is “a worthless product not used anywhere in the world.” It contains virtually no ibogaine and is 90%+ wood, the rest being root bark (as little as 3%). (4) Botanical product root bark itself usually contains between 1% and 4% alkaloid content – sometimes less, sometimes more – of which 50% is ibogaine.

Note:

For further information on ibogaine forms and dose regimens please see the following document:

Ibogaine Therapy Forms and Dose Regimens – Ibogaine Therapy: Forms & Dose Regimens by Howard Lotsof, USA: