Can Ibogaine Help With Cocaine Addiction?
It might. Cocaine is one of the few drugs where there’s some research in people to look at. Small studies followed people who used cocaine or crack, and many reported fewer cravings or longer stretches without using. None of them had a comparison group, so nobody can promise you a result.
This isn’t a 30-day cocaine rehab. It’s a week away from the people, places and late nights tied to using, with your cravings often quieter, so you have room to plan what comes next. What you do in the weeks that follow counts just as much as the dose itself.
The people who call us about cocaine are often working, raising kids and keeping things together on the outside. Some use on weekends that keep getting longer. Others smoke crack daily and can’t remember the last week they went without. Some have tried outpatient programs, meetings or a stretch in rehab and slipped back within weeks. Wherever you are, the first step is the same: an honest conversation about what you use and how your body is doing.
Cocaine and ibogaine both put strain on your heart, so your heart gets checked before anything else. Cocaine has to be fully out of your system before your flood dose. You can arrive clean, or our medical team can handle the detox here. Nobody gets dosed on a guess.
Powder or Crack, Same Plan
Crack and powder cocaine are the same drug, and we treat them the same way. Tell us how you take it and how heavy your use is, so your screening fits you. How the flood dose works →
Mixing Cocaine With Other Drugs
Cocaine often comes with drinking, pills or opioids, and street cocaine can contain fentanyl. We detox mixed use all the time, so tell us everything you take. Alcohol and ibogaine →
Veterans and First Responders
If you’ve served in the military or work as a first responder, you pay less for your stay. See the discount →
Ibogaine and Cocaine: What Studies Have Found
More to go on than for most drugs, but still not proof.
Animal Studies
In a 1993 study, rats given a single dose of ibogaine took far less cocaine for more than two days, long after the drug itself had left their bodies. Weekly doses worked best, and the effect grew stronger with each one. That lasting effect is part of why researchers suspect a longer-lasting breakdown product, noribogaine, plays a role. Rats aren’t people, but this early work is a big reason researchers started looking at ibogaine for cocaine.
Studies in People
A 2014 Brazilian study looked back at 75 people treated with ibogaine plus therapy, many of whom used cocaine or crack. Those treated once went a median of 5.5 months without using, and those treated more than once went 8.4 months. No serious side effects were reported in that group. A 2018 study of 191 people coming off opioids or cocaine at a treatment center reported lower cravings after treatment, with mood checked before and after.
What That Means for You
Neither study had a comparison group, and the people in them chose treatment, so the results may look better than they are. Ibogaine isn’t approved by the FDA. For someone who passes screening, it can be a strong start, and your plan for afterward matters just as much. Be wary of anyone who quotes you a success rate.
There’s still no FDA-approved medicine for cocaine addiction. Counseling, support groups and contingency management (small rewards for clean tests) remain the standard care, and ibogaine doesn’t replace them. Many people use ibogaine to get a clear head first, then lean on those tools at home.
Cocaine Has to Clear First
Cocaine speeds up your heart, raises your blood pressure and can set off dangerous heart rhythms. Ibogaine changes your heart’s rhythm too, stretching out the electrical reset between heartbeats, which doctors call the QT interval. The two should never overlap.
Every client has an EKG and a full blood panel. You can arrive already clean, or start your detox here with our medical team. Either way, the flood dose waits until cocaine has fully cleared your system. If years of use have left your heart weaker than it should be, we’ll find out before treatment, not during it, and we’ll tell you honestly if ibogaine isn’t the right choice.
The Crash and the Cravings
The first days off cocaine often bring exhaustion, long sleep, big hunger, low mood and strong cravings. The crash usually isn’t dangerous on its own, but it’s when many people go back to using, because one more line or hit feels like the only way to feel normal. Here you ride it out with rest, meals and staff around the clock, far from your usual supply.
If anxiety or trauma sits behind your use, tell us. Trauma and PTSD care → If you’ve had thoughts of suicide, tell us too. If you’re in crisis right now, call or text 988.
How Cocaine Treatment Works Here
1. Call or apply. We’ll talk through your cocaine use, anything else you take, your last use and your health history.
2. Screening when you arrive. Your heart tracing and blood tests come before anything else.
3. Clear the cocaine. Arrive clean, or detox here under medical care. Any extra days are worked out after your screening.
4. Your flood dose. Given once cocaine has cleared, in a private room with 2 doctors and a full nursing staff present and your heart monitored throughout.
5. Rest and plan. Sleep, eat, recover and leave with a plan for the weeks ahead: who you’ll call, what to avoid and where to get support at home. What the night feels like →
What Your Stay Includes
Seven nights with us, heart and blood screening on arrival, one flood dose under medical supervision, meals, and staff on hand at all hours. We set up your ride from San Diego, so you don’t have to drive across the border yourself. We don’t accept insurance. See current pricing →
Ibogaine and Cocaine: Your Questions Answered
It may help, but there’s no reliable success rate. The studies so far are small and have no comparison groups. Some people say their cravings dropped sharply and stayed low for months; others notice less change. The people who seem to do best treat ibogaine as a starting point and line up support for afterward.
Until it has fully cleared your system. You can arrive clean, or we can manage your detox here. Our medical team confirms you’re ready before the flood dose.
No. It’s the same drug, and the same plan applies. Tell us how you use it and how much, so your screening fits you.
Many people say their cravings are much quieter after treatment, at least for a while. Cravings can come back, especially around old triggers like certain friends, bars or a stressful week, so plan for support at home and know what you’ll do when a craving hits.
It depends on your heart. Long-term cocaine use can damage the heart, so your heart tracing and lab results decide whether ibogaine is right for you. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you straight.
Most cocaine rehab programs last 30 days or more and rely on counseling and time. Ours is a seven-night medical stay built around one ibogaine flood dose, with a doctor-led screening first. It’s shorter and more intense. Many people do both: ibogaine for a strong start, then counseling or a program back home.
Yes. We detox mixed use all the time. Alcohol and some pills need their own careful plan, and opioids, including fentanyl, may need switch days first. Tell us everything you take.
No. Since ibogaine has no FDA approval, insurance plans won’t cover it. Veterans and first responders do get a lower price.
U.S. law lists ibogaine as a Schedule I drug. Mexico doesn’t prohibit it, so we can offer treatment legally and under medical care in Rosarito, a short drive down the coast from Tijuana.
Many people who use cocaine drink heavily at the same time. Together, the two form a third chemical in the liver, cocaethylene, which is harder on the heart than either one alone. Heavy drinking also needs its own careful detox, because stopping alcohol suddenly can be dangerous. Tell us how much you drink, and we’ll plan for both. Ibogaine and alcohol →
The cravings usually come back in some form, especially around old friends, payday or a night out. Before you leave, we help you plan for that: who you’ll call, what to avoid for the first few months and what kind of support you’ll use, whether that’s counseling, meetings or an outpatient program. Many people say the quiet after ibogaine is the best time to start that work.
Yes. Many people do. Tell us when you last used and how much, and our medical team will manage your detox here. The flood dose only happens once cocaine has cleared and your heart and blood work look right.
Everything you can: how you use cocaine and how often, anything else you take, including alcohol, pills and prescriptions, any heart problems, seizures or mental health history, and when you last used. Nothing you say surprises us, and it all helps us decide if ibogaine is safe for you.
Questions About Cocaine Treatment?
Thinking about ibogaine for cocaine addiction? Send us a message below or give us a call. There’s no pressure, and asking doesn’t commit you to anything.
Contact Info
Questions? Talk to Us
Call or email us. We’re happy to answer questions before you apply.