Ibogaine for Cocaine, Methamphetamine and Stimulant Dependence

Cocaine and methamphetamine damage the cardiovascular system directly: hypertension, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy and, in long-term users, structural changes that often go undiagnosed because they produce no symptoms until they do.

Since ibogaine itself prolongs the QTc interval, a heart already affected by years of stimulant use needs more than a routine EKG. For stimulant patients we normally require:

• A period of abstinence before treatment, defined case by case
• Baseline EKG and echocardiogram
• Full electrolyte and cardiac marker panel
• Cardiology clearance before any dose is prepared

A meaningful share of stimulant candidates are deferred until a cardiac finding is investigated. That is the system working.

With stimulants the reported benefit is concentrated in the mental, not the physical:

• Interruption of the compulsive use loop
• Relief of the post-use crash, anhedonia and flat mood that drive the next binge
• A clearer view of the pattern that sustains the use

Dopamine systems worn down by years of stimulant use do not recover in a week. Expect the months after treatment to be the real work, supported by the integration plan.

Dependence on prescribed stimulants — Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin — follows the same logic: the dosage is legitimate, the escalation is not. Treatment here starts with a medication review, because stopping them abruptly before the session is not the right approach either.

If your situation is closer to exhaustion and loss of function than to classic addiction, say so in the screening form. It changes the preparation, not the welcome.