Medically Supported Detox & Pre-Treatment Care
For many of the guests
For many of the guests who come to us, especially those transitioning off fentanyl, high-dose 7-OH kratom, methadone, buprenorphine (Suboxone), alcohol, or complex polysubstance use, ibogaine is not the first step. The first step is stabilization.
After reviewing your application, medical information, medications, and substance use history, we will personally speak with you about the options that feel safest and most appropriate for your situation. In some cases, this may involve creating a gradual tapering plan before treatment. In others, we may recommend arriving earlier than the monthly treatment week so we can support you through part of the detoxification and stabilization process on-site before beginning ibogaine treatment itself.
These preparation and detox processes are supervised by Dr. Juan Moller, addiction treatment specialist Felipe Olbes, head nurse Juanita, and the rest of our medical and support team. Our intention is not simply to prepare you medically, but to help you feel accompanied, stabilized, and genuinely supported throughout the process.
We understand how vulnerable this phase can feel. Many people arrive exhausted, frightened, physically depleted, or uncertain about whether change is even possible. At IbogaQuest, we approach this work slowly, carefully, and person-to-person. Safety, honesty, and human connection remain at the center of everything we do.
Individualized Detox & Stabilization
We treat people, not diagnoses. Every preparation plan is individualized according to the substances involved, dose history, physical health, nervous system regulation, psychological readiness, and the kind of support a person will return to afterward.
For some guests, this may mean arriving several days early to safely detox from alcohol under medical supervision, with hydration, nutritional support, electrolytes, and B-vitamin replenishment before any ibogaine work begins.
For others, particularly those taking methadone, buprenorphine/Suboxone, fentanyl, or high-dose 7-OH kratom products, preparation may involve a longer transition process onto a verified short-acting opioid such as morphine or oxycodone before ibogaine can be administered safely and effectively.
Why is this important?
Ibogaine works most safely and effectively when the opioid receptors are not heavily occupied by long-acting substances that remain in the body for extended periods. Going directly from methadone, buprenorphine, or concentrated 7-OH products into ibogaine treatment can compromise both safety and therapeutic effectiveness. The transition process allows the nervous system and receptor systems to gradually stabilize beforehand.
Throughout this process, all medication adjustments and detox protocols are medically supervised, with tolerance carefully monitored and gradually reduced over time.
Extended Pre-Care Program
For guests requiring additional stabilization time, we offer extended pre-treatment stays from three days up to three weeks through our Extended Pre-Care Program. This takes place at a separate accommodation in town while remaining under the care of the same medical and therapeutic team.
During this time, we focus not only on physical detoxification, but also on helping the nervous system settle, restoring nutrition and sleep, building trust, and preparing emotionally and psychologically for the ibogaine experience ahead.
The cost of extended care reflects the additional medical supervision, staffing, accommodations, and length of stay involved.
A Human Approach
Throughout this process, our posture remains the same: guests, not patients. Open communication, not coercion.
We ask people to remain committed to the process, stay in close contact with our team, and follow the agreed medical protocols, but we do not approach this work in a punitive or institutional way. Healing often begins when people finally feel safe enough to exhale, speak honestly, and be met with genuine care rather than judgment.
For us, detox is not separate from the deeper healing process. It is already part of it.