Noribogaine, or 12-hydroxyibogamine, is the long-lasting byproduct of ibogaine metabolized in the body. Because noribogaine stays in the body longer than ibogaine, it offers healing properties for a period of time after taking ibogaine.
Let’s look at what noribogaine is, how it works, its benefits, and the potential dangers.
What is Noribogaine?
Ibogaine is an African psychedelic drug. Because of its unique ability to reduce withdrawal symptoms, the primary use of ibogaine is treating drug and alcohol addiction.
When certain drugs enter the body, the liver must break them down. This is called metabolization. The body changes the chemical structure of the drug, making it easier to eliminate.
When taking ibogaine, the body metabolizes ibogaine into noribogaine.
Noribogaine is similar to ibogaine with many of the same properties. However, there is one primary difference–noribogaine lasts much longer.
This long-term persistence of noribogaine comes from its longer half-life.
Half-Life of Noribogaine
A half-life is the amount of time it takes the body to reduce half of the amount of a drug in the system.
It typically takes five half-lives before the majority of any drug is depleted.
Ibogaine has a half-life of between 4-8 hours. This means ibogaine lasts in the system between 20-40 hours.
However, noribogaine has a much longer half-life of 28-49 hours. This means noribogaine can remain in the body for 6-10 days after taking ibogaine.
Because of this long lifespan, noribogaine continues offering the effects of ibogaine for a prolonged period after ibogaine treatment ends.
Now that we understand what makes noribogaine long-lasting, let’s look at the helpful properties of noribogaine.
Benefits of Noribogaine
Noribogaine offers positive benefits for anyone taking ibogaine. However, those with addiction, depression, or PTSD may have more to gain.
And because noribogaine lasts so much longer, it can provide these benefits for an extended period of time.
There are three ways that noribogaine works in the brain–building new habits, stopping withdrawals, and offering a positive boost to mood.
Let’s look at these individually.
Neuroplasticity and Building Habits
The first benefit of noribogaine is its neuroplasticity effect. Neuroplasticity describes the brain’s ability to grow and develop new habits.
To make daily functions and tasks easier, the brain forms neural pathways. This is how habits form.
Noribogaine has a positive neuroplasticity effect on the brain. It breaks down old habit pathways and promotes the creation of new ones.
For those struggling with addiction, neuroplasticity enables the breakdown of addictive habits and makes change easier. This reduces friction when overcoming addiction.
This process isn’t only helpful for those with addiction. The neuroplasticity effect of noribogaine helps with symptoms of depression and PTSD. Even those taking ibogaine for life improvement will find benefits.
Noribogaine makes positive change easier and helps new habits stick.
Receptor Antagonist and Stopping Withdrawals
Noribogaine is also a receptor antagonist. In other words, noribogaine binds to receptors in the brain–specifically receptors involved in drug addiction–reducing withdrawal symptoms.
When drug use stops, the body’s natural chemicals are initially less effective. This causes withdrawals such as:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Shakes
- Nausea
- Vomiting
All of these can be caused by chemical withdrawal and imbalance while the body adjusts to its pre-addicted state.
As a receptor antagonist, noribogaine binds to these receptors. It helps heal old receptors and promotes the growth of new ones.
Now, natural chemicals produced by the body work effectively, and the individual experiences a significant reduction in withdrawals.
And because noribogaine lasts so long, it works continually on these receptors while gradually helping the body adjust.
Reuptake Inhibitor and Antidepressant Effects
Lastly, noribogaine works as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. This offers a boost in mood and eliminates depression–a symptom of mental health issues and overcoming addiction.
Serotonin is a chemical in the body responsible for positive mood, feelings of accomplishment, and daily regulation.
The body produces serotonin and sends it to neurons. After being used, serotonin is typically absorbed back into the body–a process called reuptake.
As a reuptake inhibitor, noribogaine stops the body from absorbing serotonin. The serotonin chemicals stay in the system and are reused.
This is similar to how antidepressants work. Thus, noribogaine acts like a natural antidepressant, helping the individual feel happier and more enthusiastic about themselves, their life, and the future.
Noribogaine works in the physical body over long periods to help normalize and heal areas of the body affected by addiction and depression.
But noribogaine is not without its risks. Similar to ibogaine, noribogaine has potentially adverse effects in certain situations.
Dangers of Noribogaine
Like ibogaine, noribogaine has dangerous side effects. And because noribogaine lasts longer in the body, the risk may be extended.
Let’s look at these potential dangers of noribogaine.
Cardiac Dangers
Noribogaine may prolong the QT interval in the heart. This creates variation in how the heart beats, adjusting the length of time from the Q interval to the T interval in the heart’s beating sequence.
For healthy individuals, this effect is usually low-risk.
However, for those with heart conditions, arrhythmia, or who have suffered heart attacks, noribogaine may be dangerous or even fatal.
Extensive pre-screening is often required before treating patients at an ibogaine clinic. Also, patients receive EKG tests before treatment to ensure their heart is healthy enough for ibogaine treatment.
Taking ibogaine with heart conditions or past heart issues is highly discouraged.
Mixing Drugs
Cardiac dangers are not the only dangers of noribogaine. There are also dangers in mixing drugs with noribogaine.
Here is a list of potential noribogaine drug interactions:
- Fentanyl
- Alcohol
- Methamphetamine
- Cocaine
- Crack
- Ecstasy
- Kratom
- Suboxone
- Methadone
These drugs must be cleared from the system before taking ibogaine. Post-treatment, these drugs should be avoided until noribogaine is eliminated from the body.
There are also potential complications with noribogaine and these drugs:
- Antihistamines
- Antifungals
- HIV Drugs
- SSRIs
- MAOIs
These drugs should be avoided until the noribogaine completely metabolizes out of the system.
The unique mechanisms of these drugs make some more dangerous than others. Also, the amount of each drug in the system significantly affects the potential for harm.
Mixing drugs with noribogaine has potentially severe consequences. For this reason,y ibogaine clinics pre-screen patients with blood tests before treatment to ensure they are clear of potentially harmful drugs.
With these precautions in place, the dangers of noribogaine are significantly reduced.
The Future
Ibogaine is a fascinating treatment method, proven effective in treating different diseases and mental health issues. Noribogaine offers a boost to the effects of ibogaine because it lasts much longer in the body.
Noribogaine offers positive benefits to those dealing with addiction, depression, and PTSD. However, it is dangerous to take ibogaine outside of a medical facility.
Although more research needs to be done, noribogaine shows promise as a medical treatment for addiction and mental health.
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