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10 papers
Ketamine has been used as a safe anesthetic for more than 50 years and also works well for pain relief. The active form is S(+)-ketamine and it is mainly broken down into an active metabolite called norketamine. Ketamine blocks NMDA receptors in the brain, which helps explain its special effects…
Researchers found that the main kratom alkaloid, mitragynine, is turned by liver enzymes into a much more active compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH). In lab tests and in mice, 7‑OH acts more strongly at the mu-opioid receptor and reaches brain levels that can explain most or all of the pain relief…
This report describes 33 open-label treatments with the alkaloid ibogaine given for acute heroin withdrawal in non-medical settings. In 25 of the 33 people, visible signs of opioid withdrawal stopped within 24 hours and stayed absent during 72 hours of observation. The authors note the results are from uncontrolled, non-clinical…
A single ibogaine treatment reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and achieved opioid cessation or sustained reduced use in dependent individuals as measured over 12 months. Ibogaine's legal availability in New Zealand may offer improved outcomes where legislation supports treatment providers to work closely with other health professionals.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive chemical from a West African shrub that some clinics use to help people stop using opioids or stimulants. Small studies, animal research, and many personal reports say a single high dose can cut opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings. For example, one study found 50% of participants…
A descriptive open-label observational study of ibogaine in people with opioid use disorder found the drug can produce clear but reversible heart and nervous-system side effects. Reported effects included QTc prolongation (a change in the heart’s electrical timing), slow heart rate (bradycardia), and severe problems with balance and coordination (ataxia).…
Project Twenty21 collected real-world data from people in the UK who sought prescribed medicinal cannabis. Data at treatment start were available for 2,833 patients and 1,410 had 3-month follow-up for anxiety, chronic pain or PTSD. On average, patients reported improvements in condition-specific symptoms and in general health and quality of…
Researchers made new versions of the psychedelic drug ibogaine, called oxa-iboga compounds, by changing part of the chemical structure. In lab tests on human heart cells these new compounds did not show the heart-rhythm risk that ibogaine can cause. In tests with male rats, a single dose or a short…
In 14 people with opioid use disorder who each received a single 10 mg/kg dose of ibogaine, researchers measured blood levels of ibogaine and its metabolites over 24 hours and linked those levels to side effects. They found large differences between people in how fast ibogaine was cleared, and that…
This review says that low (sub-anesthetic) doses of ketamine can produce strong short-term pain relief by blocking NMDA receptors and by boosting descending pain-inhibiting pathways. It is well documented to help with pain around the time of surgery and is linked to less long-term postoperative pain and lower opioid use.…
