Ibogaine is not an approved treatment for alcohol addiction, and the research in people is still small. Some people treated with ibogaine report drinking less or stopping. We offer it in Mexico under medical supervision. If you drink every day, please don’t stop suddenly on your own: coming off alcohol is done with medical care, and we plan it with you.
Can ibogaine help with alcohol addiction?
It may help some people interrupt the pattern. In rats, ibogaine reduced alcohol drinking, an effect researchers linked to a brain growth factor called GDNF (He et al., 2005); in people there are only small studies without a control group, a retrospective study of 75 people in Brazil (Schenberg et al., 2014) and a 2026 pilot with nine adults (Rocha et al.), where most reported drinking less or stopping.
Since 2009 we have worked with people with alcohol dependence.
Why you shouldn’t stop drinking on your own
If you drink heavily or every day, your body has adapted to alcohol, and stopping suddenly sets off withdrawal that needs medical care. That is why alcohol is one of the substances that may need a taper or a supervised detox first, planned with our medical team. Please don’t stop or cut down anything on your own.
If you drink every day: a week of detox first
If you drink every day, or heavily right up to the retreat, you first do a week of medical detox, with intravenous (IV) fluids and a detox protocol. It is a separate treatment with its own cost (costs). After it, you join the ibogaine retreat like everyone else. More on medically supported detox.
Everyone avoids alcohol for five days before arrival, along with quinine (tonic water included) and grapefruit. If that would be hard for you, tell us: that is what the detox is for.
How does alcohol affect ibogaine safety?
We look carefully at your heart and your liver before anything else. Everyone sends a 12-lead ECG and blood tests from within three months of the retreat, and two physicians review them before anyone travels. Years of drinking can affect the liver, so the blood tests check liver function, along with potassium and other values. Anything abnormal is corrected before treatment. More in is ibogaine safe?.
What happens during the retreat week?
Seven days, Monday to Monday, one group a month. On Tuesday, the main dose (the flood dose), which begins with a test dose; on Friday, a booster. We give ibogaine hydrochloride (HCl). The team checks each person every hour, and anyone close to the edge of what we consider safe goes on a heart monitor. Paramedics and an ambulance stay on site. You leave after a psychological and physical assessment, with a physician’s clearance. Step by step: the treatment process.
What happens after the retreat?
Ibogaine can be a starting point, not the whole recovery. You’ll have two one-hour group sessions with us, one for preparation and one for integration. At home, we recommend real support: a therapist, a recovery or mutual-help group, and a doctor who knows what you’re working on. It helps to have it lined up before you come.
Not sure where you stand?
Tell us how much you drink and what else you take, including medicines and supplements. We’ll tell you honestly whether you’d need a detox first, or whether this is not the right step for you.
Ask our medical team · Start your application
If you or someone close to you is in danger right now, call your local emergency number.
Frequently asked questions
Can ibogaine cure alcoholism?
No. For some people it can interrupt the pattern and open a window in which change feels possible. The support around you matters most.
Do I need to stop drinking before I come?
Yes, but never suddenly and never on your own. If you drink every day or heavily, you do the week of medical detox first. Everyone avoids alcohol for five days before arrival.
What does it cost?
Alcohol falls under substance use on our costs page. The detox week has its own cost, quoted after your medical evaluation.
Sources
- Rocha JM et al. (2026). Feasibility, safety and preliminary effects of ibogaine in moderate and severe alcohol use disorder. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. doi.org/10.47626/2237-6089-2026-1437
- Schenberg EE et al. (2014). Treating drug dependence with the aid of ibogaine: a retrospective study. Journal of Psychopharmacology. doi.org/10.1177/0269881114552713
- He DY et al. (2005). GDNF mediates the desirable actions of the anti-addiction drug ibogaine against alcohol consumption. Journal of Neuroscience. doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3959-04.2005
- NIAAA. Rethinking Drinking: Should you cut down or quit? rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
This page is general information, not medical advice. Treatment at IbogaQuest takes place only after a full medical evaluation. Medical and legal notice