At the Iboga House, we have had many people detox from heroin with great results. Are you or a loved one addicted to heroin? We can help. Iboga is able to detox people from heroin with little to no withdrawal symptoms. The pharmalogical effects of iboga and ibogaine (an alkaloid in iboga), are rather undisputed with hundreds of peer reviewed papers in support of. Iboga is able to reset dopamine pathways in the brain. In fact, no other substance has such accuracy regarding these receptor sites in the brain. Dopamine receptors are responsible for the pleasure centers in the brain. The damage to receptors caused by heroin use can cause a person to feel dysphoria and depression when trying to get off heroin and other opiates. This is one of the reasons why relapse is so prevalent. So Iboga not only cancels out withdrawal symptoms, it also helps heal the damage.

At the Iboga House we also stress the importance of getting to the root problem. Any addiction detox patient will take Iboga with Moughenda on two separate occasions. The first is an initial iboga detox and the second is a psycho-spiritual journey. During the psycho-spiritual journey Moughenda will guide the patient to find the underlying causes of his or her addictive behavior. It is an very important part of the healing process.

Here is a little information about Iboga:  The Iboga root comes from the Tabernanthe Iboga shrub native to western Central Africa. Tribes in the area practice a tradition called Bwiti, in which they use the iboga root for rites of passage, initiations and for healings. The Bwiti have used iboga for the past 1,000 years and Bwiti Shamans are considered experts on the subject. The use of iboga and ibogaine (one of the alkaloids in the root) to treat opiate addiction was only recently discovered in the 1960s by a former drug addict that just happened to cure his heroin addiction by using iboga for recreational purposes. Iboga does cause some hallucinogenic symptoms in which the user may experience powerful visions. For example, many people that have used iboga have said that they experienced a life review where they were able to identify the point in time and the cause of negative thought or behavioral patterns and in turn, correct them. Thus, curing the underlying problem that was causing the addiction and/or symptom.

Iboga and Ibogaine are mostly used to treat and cure addictions of all kinds and to detoxify the body and mind. Opiate addiction is not the only addiction that is treated. Iboga has been successful in treating alcohol, nicotine, amphetamine and benzodiazepine addictions as well. However, other U.S. patents exist to treat many other illnesses and conditions. Some of those conditions include: neurodegenerative disorders such as alzhiemer’s, parkinsons disease and dementia, depression, OCD, post traumatic stress disorder and criminal behavior. Many people have also reported on the successful reliief of chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Iboga also has powerful antifungal and antiviral properties as well. The Bwiti have also used iboga to treat infertility.

What to Expect When Detoxing From Heroin With Iboga

Moughenda, our 10th generation Bwiti Shaman, has had a lot of experience in handling the administration of iboga to heroin detoxers. You are administered the Iboga the first night of your arrival, or earlier if withdrawals start. You are given the Iboga gradually to see how you will react to the medicine. Moughenda and his assisstants stay with you the whole night. The following morning, you may feel “out of it” and dizzy. It is a good idea to stay in bed and rest. You may feel as though you have a hangover feeling. Our aftercare team will make sure you are taken care of. Depending on your daily dosage of heroin, withdrawals may (or may not) kick in the following afternoon. If this happens, Moughenda administers a small dose of iboga, which will take the withdrawals away. The Iboga House does not let people suffer through withdrawals. After the initial detox is over, the patient may be weak. It is important to stay hydrated and to eat regularly during this time, as this is the solution to the weakness. Our aftercare provider will always keep a close eye on you. As soon as you feel better after a couple of days, you will take the Iboga one more time to clean your body of any residual toxins and experience a psycho-spiritual journey where you can find out and correct the root problem of the addictive behavior. Iboga sets you back to a pre-addictive state and it keeps working even after your departure.