Ibogaine-Replacements: Cure for U.S. Opiate Addicts...

[Richard_smoker]

This thread is for posting information relevant to several key factors:

1. Curing/Treating Opiate Addiction and/or Withdrawal Symptoms.

2. The Activities and Proposed Mechanisms of Ibogaine Therapy.

3. Possible Therapies that could possibly Mimick the Effects of Ibogaine so that US citizens can benefit from Ibogaine's Success with Opiate-Addicted Persons.


Please note that most of these issues have been addressed in previous discussions. However, I would like to discuss specifically how to alleviate WD symptoms and/or reduce opiate cravings based upon both established "kicking" aids as well as by attempts to recreate the pharmacodynamics of Ibogaine as a treatment for habitual, chronic opiate administration.

I believe that it might be possible to effectively recreate the ibogaine experience without illegally importing the Iboga plant into the USA. This thread will serve as a spring-board for creative ideas, for research reports dealing with the proposed and proven neurophysiological effects of ibogaine, and as a place to give testimonial evidence as to the effectiveness of various trials.

First, I would like to propose a few possibilities for Ibogaine-substitution, or said in another way, "How to relieve opiate withdrawal symptoms in a manner similar to Ibogaine treatment using techniques and compounds that are available to persons without access to Ibogaine."


DXM: THE IDEA THAT STARTED THIS THREAD...
-according to recent laboratory data, one of the neurochemical effects of Ibogaine is inhibition of the NMDA ion channel. There's another drug which operates in this manner... that drug is called dextromethorphan hydrobromide or DXM for short. For those who are unfamiliar, this agent is an over-the-counter cough remedy that has become notoriously popular for its ability to induce dissociative states--and I would be surprised if there's anyone reading this post who isn't well-familiarized with the effects of recreational-dosed DXM.

-my experience w/DXM: I personally experienced this drug many years ago while in college. This was during the time when very few people knew of the hallucinogenic/euphoriant/dissociative properties of DXM... My decision to try the drug despite little user-data was obviously stupid, and I would certainly not advocate anyone to copy my stupidity and try a drug on which very little research had been done... However, I tried the drug anyway, and I experienced its effects at various dosage levels without any preconcieved notions about what the experience would be like. In fact, all I really expected was a "drunk" feeling. Because of this "empty slate" approach to the drug, I was able to truly analyze several of the subjective effects that my friends and I experienced while under the influence of DXM.

Relativity of Time.
For one, I noticed that on DXM, time seemed to stand still. Everyone is familiar with the relative nature of time. If you're not sure what this is, then try standing on your head for 15 minutes while watching the second-hand of a clock slooowly tick away around the clock for 15 full cycles. Then remember the last time you had sex or rode a roller-coaster or stood in line at the DMV for 15 minutes. These examples demonstrate that we--as humans--experience time in a subjectively relative manner. Well, DXM made time stand still. One night seemed like 2 weeks. Occasionally, I would carry on conversations for seemingly hours-on-end, only to find that 7 minutes had passed.

Repeated Imagery and Themes.
While under the influence of a DXM 'trip,' I noticed that the experience was extremly "thematic." By this, I mean that there was always one or more repeating ideas, visions, thoughts, analyses, obsessions, or self-focuses that would essential repeat itself over and over again throughout the experience. Remember, when your subjective experience of time crams 2-3 months into a short 8-10 hours, repetition can have a profound effect in maximizing the learning and personal growth potential of that 10 hours.

Ability to Induce Personal Changes.
Believe it or not, I actually discovered for myself an amazing power of DXM to institute changes in my own behavioral patterns, habits, addictions, and motivations. I have since heard of this being a common experience, but for me it was nothing short of an answered prayer from God. Examples of changes that I was able to institute, fortify, and maintain after a half-hearted intention to change myself before & during a DXM experience: I stopped skipping classes almost 3 months into a semester of non-attendance--followed by an overall semester GPA of 4.0; I quit smoking (not permanent, but did last approximately 4 months--pretty good considering I was still a reckless teenager); I stopped smoking pot due to its effect on my activities of daily living (this worked forever--even after 10+ years, I have been largely turned-off by MJ. Prior to the DXM session, I had been smoking 3-5 times/day and refusing to leave my house unless absolutely necessary for about 18 months.

How did these changes take place??? I have absolutely no idea. I did not enter the experience with any expectations about changing my life. The problems were already existent in the back of my mind... It seemed like the DXM caused me to reflect deeply on these problems that I had successfully ignored for quite some time. Since this is a subjective experience, I have no idea whether the changes were due to physical changes in my brain chemistry or if they were due to merely psychological effects (from introspection, focus, dwelling on problems followed by dwelling on solutions and personal change?). In either case, the reality is that something very real happened for me and I cannot speak for anyone else, nor can I claim to have tested these effects on animals, brain tissues, or any other people.

Repulsion to Cigarettes.
Smoking cigarettes while doing drugs go together like a cheerleader and a football game for me. If I'm drinking or if I was under the influence of anything else (as a kid), then I was certainly smoking cigarettes at the same time. However, I noticed with my first DXM trip that I had forgotten all about cigarettes--almost like I had forgotten that I was ever even a smoker, until 4-5 hours INTO the experience! Finally, I remembered that I was a smoker, and lit up... GROSS!! I hated cigarettes on DXM. They tasted awful, and I felt like an alien holding them, lighting them, and puffing on them... I'm going out on a limb here to say that this effect is almost assuredly due to the biochemical effects of the DXM. Anyone who has experienced DXM with cigarettes and wellbutrin/Zyban knows what I'm talking about. The effect on cigarette pleasure is almost identical.


Exposure of Repressed Memories.
This one is a VAST area of potential. I will not get into my own experiences, but suffice it to say that old, previously-forgotten memories can and will surface while under the influence of DXM. According to the reports on Ibogaine, these surfaced memories comprise a very large portion of the subjective psychological self-healing process.

Remember: For a heroin addict, the problem is usually not the heroin. Heroin is a shitty solution to the problem. The problem is a poor coping-strategy for life's various curve-balls. It serves as a numbing agent to help you forget about your problems. Apparently Ibogaine (like DXM for me) sets the stage for confrontation of your actual problems. This includes surfacing of old memories, dealing with your own emotional response to forgotten problems, and helping institute a pattern of self-acceptance and self-healing rather than placing a band-aid over the problem, covering it up with mind-numbing drug addictions.


Difficulty accessing cortical pathways... I've read posts from other websites where this concept is referred to as "Reptilian brain." A very interesting, and descriptive term that embodies the experience as many higher-functions of the brain are essentially impossible to execute! Another reason why I find this term so intriguing is because of the physical location of the pleasure/reward center of the brain... First, let me explain some taxonomy to those who weren't biology majors in college. The theory of evolution--and the driving force behind taxonomic classification of various animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria is that all species originated from essentially the simplest of organisms... not only that every species started out as a single cell, but that there are common ancestors to essentially every organism we know of in each kingdom--even across kingdoms--but this would have been WAY LONG AGO! OK, so my point is this: when various animals are studied and dissected, there are big differences in their neurological anatomies--just as there are also obvious differences in their behaviors, moods, and 'personalities.'

Reptiles live with only a brain-stem. Anyone who has ever owned a pet snake or a fish knows what I'm talking about. It's food. Sex. Survival. Territory. Food. Sex. Survival. Food. etc... there is no cortex surrounding the brainstem to give way to what we know as "consciousness" or moods or learning--at least not in the sense that we usually define these terms.

OK... are you still with me? Well, the pleasure-center is located RIGHT THERE at the top-end of the brainstem/midbrain. This is what tells every reptile, "I'm HUNGRY" or "LET'S HAVE SEX." It is very disturbing to realize that these urges are so centralized and probably explains why so many addicts--whether it's drugs or food--are unable to control their behaviors despite the fact that they spend much of their time thinking about how desperately the WANT to QUIT!!! So, my thoughts are that with all this activity around the reptile-brain, maybe the Ibogaine (and DXM) can expend itself re-wiring the BASIC URGES!! Another good benefit from this focus is that there's a good possibility that the drugs will spare the cortex or 'thinking' part of our brains and their effects on memories, problem-solving, and overall consciousness will be minimal.

Now, after having written ALL this, I did a quick search for DXM and I was very disappointed to find that it wasn't ME who discovered all this potential for DXM... the DXM users-guide which is disseminated all over the internet gives credence to DXM's capacity to induce changes and its ability to assist with addiction interuption.

In fact, I am SO late in realizing the possibilities of DXM in addiction that I feel like the world's biggest idiot for investing so much time and thought into developing or finding an Ibogaine-replacement.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Richard, your posts are gigantic! But great. Well done!
	very well thought out
	Ineresting
	Points for each post made in this thread. Wow! Amazing wealth of highly detailed, accurate information