Depression Treatment
Ibogaine for Treatment-Resistant Depression — Vancouver, BC
The 2023 Stanford study found an average 87% reduction in depression symptoms one month after ibogaine treatment — in a population where conventional antidepressant treatment had already failed.
87%
Avg. reduction in depression
Stanford / Nature Medicine, 2023
50%
What conventional research calls a 'strong response'
Standard antidepressant benchmarks
$50M
Committed to ibogaine clinical trials
State of Texas
How It Works
The Mechanism
Treatment-resistant depression means, clinically, depression that has not responded to at least two adequate trials of antidepressant medication. The Stanford study population fit this definition. Most had years of treatment behind them.
Ibogaine works through a different mechanism than SSRIs. Antidepressants modulate serotonin reuptake on an ongoing basis — they maintain a chemical state. Ibogaine appears to produce a structural change: a reorganisation of how the brain holds patterns related to depression, fear, and disconnection. The noribogaine metabolite continues this process for weeks to months after ceremony.
The ceremonial context matters. What ibogaine produces is not only a chemical state — it is a direct biographical encounter with the experiences that have sustained the depression. The patterns that have been invisible precisely because they are too familiar become visible. This is demanding. It is also the mechanism by which lasting change becomes possible.
The Evidence
What the Research Shows
The 2023 Stanford study (Nature Medicine) found a 87% average reduction in depression symptoms one month after ibogaine treatment. Conventional antidepressant research considers a 50% reduction a strong response. The Stanford results — in a treatment-resistant population — are nearly double that threshold.
Texas has committed $50 million USD to clinical ibogaine trials at four major research universities. The consistent pattern across multiple research populations — rapid, durable reductions in depression that conventional treatment does not produce — is what drove that investment.
Sources: Nature Medicine · PubMed / NCBI · Health Canada
Appropriate Candidates
Who This Is For
Treatment-resistant depression — failed 2+ medication trials
Depression with co-occurring PTSD or trauma
Depression with a clear biographical or experiential component
People who have found antidepressants insufficient or intolerable
Not Appropriate
Who This Is Not For
Current SSRI or SNRI use — a supervised taper is required before any ceremony
Active suicidal ideation — iboga amplifies what is present; acute crisis is not the appropriate moment
Bipolar disorder — requires individual evaluation; some people with bipolar are not appropriate candidates
Active psychosis or schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Anyone expecting ceremony to substitute for the ongoing work of integration
Medical screening is required before any ceremony. If you are not an appropriate candidate, we will tell you directly. Read the full contraindications FAQ.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked
How does ibogaine treat depression?
Ibogaine works through mechanisms distinct from antidepressants. It produces rapid changes in serotonin and glutamate systems and increases neural plasticity — creating a window in which depressive patterns are more easily addressed. The active ceremony facilitates a biographical review of the experiences that have shaped the depression. What you do in the integration period — the weeks following ceremony — determines whether that change holds.
Can I take iboga while on antidepressants?
No. SSRIs and SNRIs are absolute contraindications for iboga and 5-MeO-DMT ceremony. The combination significantly increases the risk of serotonin syndrome, which can be fatal. A supervised taper — working with your prescribing physician — is required before ceremony. The taper timeline varies by medication and dosage.
How long do the antidepressant effects of ibogaine last?
The noribogaine metabolite remains active for weeks to months after ceremony. During this period, many people experience reduced depressive symptoms and increased clarity. Whether those changes hold depends on the integration work — what behavioural, environmental, and psychological changes are made while the neuroplasticity window is open. Integration coaching is strongly recommended.
Is ibogaine better than ketamine for depression?
They are different interventions for different populations. Ketamine produces short-term relief — often 1–2 weeks — and requires repeated infusions for sustained effect. Ibogaine appears to produce more durable changes from a single ceremony, but has a higher barrier to entry: more extensive screening, longer duration, and higher physical demand. Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on the specific person and their medical history.
Who is not a candidate for ibogaine depression treatment?
People on SSRIs or SNRIs (without completing a supervised taper), anyone with certain cardiac conditions (QT prolongation in particular), people with active psychosis or schizophrenia spectrum disorders, people in acute psychiatric crisis or with active suicidal ideation, people with severe liver or kidney disease. We screen every applicant. If you are not an appropriate candidate, we will tell you — directly and without softening it.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or see what the experience involves.
Take the First Step
Begin With an Application
We review every application personally. If your situation is appropriate for ceremony, we will be in contact within 2–3 business days.
Jacob has facilitated iboga and 5-MeO-DMT ceremony since 2016.