Research Indicates That An Obscure Psychoactive Drug Is Exceptionally Effective in Treating PTSD in Military Veterans

The benefits of psychoactive drugs have been gradually shifting over the years from "hippie nonsense" to "science-backed research." It appears that tripping balls can be a fairly successful treatment for certain mental illnesses, particularly those resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a recent study from Stanford University. These illnesses range from magic mushrooms to psychedelic toad milk.

"There is no medication that can effectively relieve the functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with traumatic brain injury," stated Nolan Williams, co-author of the research and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, in a release. "The outcomes are striking, and we plan to investigate this compound more thoroughly."

Ibogaine is the substance in question, which you may not be familiar with. It comes from the roots of the iboga bush, which is native to central West Africa and has been used for generations in indigenous rituals and religious practices.

The compound's usage in Western medicine is a little less well-established however it dates back at least six decades, to 1962, when pharmacologist Howard Lotsof discovered the drug's ability to effectively cure opiate addiction. However, even though he was given a patent for the treatment and ibogaine is widely used in addiction treatment facilities worldwide, the medication is still illegal in the US and possession of any amount carries a 20-year jail sentence.

However, Williams and his colleagues found the volunteers for their trial in Mexico, where it is legal. These thirty veterans of special operations, all with disabilities from traumatic brain injury, had independently checked themselves into a clinic there to receive treatment with ibogaine and magnesium.

Williams stated, "These men were exceptionally bright, accomplished men who suffered from TBI that left them with a permanent functional disability during their time in combat." "They were all prepared to try almost anything they believed could help them regain their lives."

The World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS-2), which measures health and disability across various dimensions, revealed an average score of more than 30 on pre-trial assessments, indicating mild-to-moderate disability. A handful were even higher than that. Numerous members of the sample also satisfied the requirements for alcohol use disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and suicidality—all illnesses that are known to coexist with traumatic brain injury.

However, the subjects' symptoms quickly and drastically improved after receiving ibogaine treatment. Following the intervention, there was a notable improvement in the veterans' executive function and cognitive processing speeds, and their average WHODAS-2.0 score fell below 20, indicating mild to borderline disability. the outcomes simply kept getting better: a month into the treatment, the average reduction in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms was over 80%, and the WHODAS-2.0 score had completely fallen to 5.1, which indicates no disability.

Williams told Nature, "The drug seems to have a broad, dramatic, and consistent effect." But now the question is: Did the ibogaine do the trick?

As you can see, even while the study's findings are positive for a variety of reasons, the researchers are open about its shortcomings. This was not a randomized controlled study, and it focused solely on a relatively small number of self-selected individuals who, let's face it, were taking a little holiday while receiving the treatment and were therefore not typical of the general population.

"The authors of the study acknowledge that it is not impossible that expectancy, rather than ibogaine, caused the therapeutic benefits. In a similar vein, the therapeutic approaches that were complementary to what they were receiving during their stay in Mexico might have contributed to the observed therapeutic benefit."

Even if ibogaine was the cause, our understanding of the drug's mechanism is insufficient to determine whether it was alleviating the veterans' traumatic brain injury or something else. According to John Krystal, chair of Yale University's Department of Psychiatry in Connecticut and professor of psychiatry, neuroscience, and psychology,

"the improvement in the [cognitive disability] scores could be related to improvement in TBI, but it also could be related to improvement in PTSD and depression, both of which are associated with cognitive and functional impairment." Krystal made this statement to Medical News Today. "Therefore, even though this study included patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), we cannot conclude that ibogaine is a successful treatment for TBI."

Despite this, Krystal, who was not involved in the study, said the results are "very encouraging." "I think this supports more research on the efficacy and safety of ibogaine as a treatment, but it does not yet support ibogaine use in clinical settings."