Wayne
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Ibogaine has been discussed on this forum (@Hip), and so I thought today's article in the Washington Post would be of interest to many of us here trying to discern the best ways to restore normal brain function. It was a fairly lengthy article, too long for many on this forum. So I asked AI to summarize it, and add a sentence or two as to how it might be relevant for pw/ME/CFS.
Summary of the Rick Perry Article on Ibogaine:
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry wrote a powerful op-ed advocating for ibogaine, a psychedelic compound derived from an African shrub. Texas has just allocated $50 million for FDA-approved clinical trials, marking the largest government investment in psychedelic research to date.
Perry was initially skeptical but changed his mind after witnessing ibogaine’s transformative effects on veterans suffering from trauma, addiction, and brain injuries—including Navy SEALs Morgan and Marcus Luttrell. Both experienced rapid and profound improvements following treatment in Mexico.
Ibogaine shows promise for:
What makes this potentially relevant for ME/CFS is that many people with the illness suffer from neurological dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation, post-viral trauma, and brain inflammation—areas ibogaine may impact. Though untested for ME/CFS, its apparent ability to reset the brain and promote neurological healing could open new avenues for research.
Perry has founded Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit aimed at promoting research and access.
Subject: Could Ibogaine Offer Clues for Treating ME/CFS? A Deeper Look at Its Neurobiological Impact
While ibogaine is best known for treating addiction and trauma, its impact on the nervous system suggests possible relevance to ME/CFS — especially in the context of neurological dysfunction, trauma, and autonomic dysregulation.
1. Neuroinflammation & Brain Reset
Ibogaine has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and promote neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to repair and rewire itself. ME/CFS research has identified inflammation in areas like the thalamus and brainstem, which may relate to sensory processing issues, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction.
Intriguingly, some clinicians — most notably Dr. Jay Goldstein — have long proposed that ME/CFS involves a functional “limbic system lock” or circuit-level disruption. He attempted to "reset" the brain using fast-acting agents like ketamine, nimodipine, and others. A small subset of patients would experience sudden and dramatic improvement, sometimes within minutes. These cases, though rare, point to the possibility that a functional reset of neural circuits might be therapeutic in ME/CFS.
Ibogaine appears to work through a similar lens — by inducing a temporary, introspective state where disordered neural networks may reconfigure themselves. In some patients with trauma or addiction, this has led to deep, lasting symptom resolution after a single treatment.
2. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Recalibration
Many ME/CFS patients experience dysautonomia, including orthostatic intolerance and POTS. The autonomic nervous system — particularly the vagus nerve — is central to symptoms like fatigue, sensory overload, and unrefreshing sleep.
Ibogaine is reported to modulate the ANS, with some users describing a shift from chronic sympathetic activation ("fight or flight") into a calmer, more parasympathetic state. This aligns with theories suggesting ME/CFS is marked by persistent autonomic overdrive and blunted vagal tone.
If ibogaine can truly recalibrate these systems, it may offer insight into therapeutic targets for restoring nervous system balance in ME/CFS.
3. Trauma Pathways and Chronic Illness
While ME/CFS is not a psychiatric illness, trauma is not uncommon in patient histories — and the experience of living with ME/CFS itself can be traumatic. Ibogaine has shown striking results in treating PTSD and complex trauma, potentially by disrupting repetitive, maladaptive neural loops and re-integrating fragmented stress responses.
Given the overlap in neural circuits affected in both trauma and chronic illness (amygdala, insula, brainstem), ibogaine may help illuminate the role of trauma-informed nervous system dysfunction in some ME/CFS presentations.
4. One-Time Reset Model
Most current ME/CFS treatments — when they work — require long-term maintenance. Ibogaine is unusual in that a single, intensive session can catalyze long-lasting change. While not universally effective, this model of intervention aligns with some reported ME/CFS recoveries that happen suddenly after surgery, fever, or medications — events that may “jolt” neural circuits out of a dysfunctional state.
Caveats:
Final Thoughts:
We don’t yet know if ibogaine could benefit ME/CFS patients — but it’s one of the few emerging therapies that addresses the central nervous system, autonomic regulation, trauma, and neuroplasticity all at once.
At minimum, it underscores the value of researching brain-based reset mechanisms, an idea that’s long existed at the fringes of ME/CFS treatment theory. As large-scale ibogaine trials ramp up, we should advocate for inclusion of post-viral and complex chronic illness cohorts, and for more research into the “reset” hypothesis of illness remission.
Rick Perry: I’m dedicating my life to fighting for a psychedelic drug
This root of an African shrub can help heal trauma, substance use disorder and brain injury. Summary of the Rick Perry Article on Ibogaine:Former Texas Governor Rick Perry wrote a powerful op-ed advocating for ibogaine, a psychedelic compound derived from an African shrub. Texas has just allocated $50 million for FDA-approved clinical trials, marking the largest government investment in psychedelic research to date.
Perry was initially skeptical but changed his mind after witnessing ibogaine’s transformative effects on veterans suffering from trauma, addiction, and brain injuries—including Navy SEALs Morgan and Marcus Luttrell. Both experienced rapid and profound improvements following treatment in Mexico.
Ibogaine shows promise for:
- Interrupting opioid and alcohol dependence
- Alleviating trauma and PTSD
- Supporting neurological repair — possibly for conditions like TBI, MS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s
What makes this potentially relevant for ME/CFS is that many people with the illness suffer from neurological dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation, post-viral trauma, and brain inflammation—areas ibogaine may impact. Though untested for ME/CFS, its apparent ability to reset the brain and promote neurological healing could open new avenues for research.
Perry has founded Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit aimed at promoting research and access.
Subject: Could Ibogaine Offer Clues for Treating ME/CFS? A Deeper Look at Its Neurobiological Impact
While ibogaine is best known for treating addiction and trauma, its impact on the nervous system suggests possible relevance to ME/CFS — especially in the context of neurological dysfunction, trauma, and autonomic dysregulation.
1. Neuroinflammation & Brain Reset
Ibogaine has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and promote neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to repair and rewire itself. ME/CFS research has identified inflammation in areas like the thalamus and brainstem, which may relate to sensory processing issues, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction.
Intriguingly, some clinicians — most notably Dr. Jay Goldstein — have long proposed that ME/CFS involves a functional “limbic system lock” or circuit-level disruption. He attempted to "reset" the brain using fast-acting agents like ketamine, nimodipine, and others. A small subset of patients would experience sudden and dramatic improvement, sometimes within minutes. These cases, though rare, point to the possibility that a functional reset of neural circuits might be therapeutic in ME/CFS.
Ibogaine appears to work through a similar lens — by inducing a temporary, introspective state where disordered neural networks may reconfigure themselves. In some patients with trauma or addiction, this has led to deep, lasting symptom resolution after a single treatment.
2. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Recalibration
Many ME/CFS patients experience dysautonomia, including orthostatic intolerance and POTS. The autonomic nervous system — particularly the vagus nerve — is central to symptoms like fatigue, sensory overload, and unrefreshing sleep.
Ibogaine is reported to modulate the ANS, with some users describing a shift from chronic sympathetic activation ("fight or flight") into a calmer, more parasympathetic state. This aligns with theories suggesting ME/CFS is marked by persistent autonomic overdrive and blunted vagal tone.
If ibogaine can truly recalibrate these systems, it may offer insight into therapeutic targets for restoring nervous system balance in ME/CFS.
3. Trauma Pathways and Chronic Illness
While ME/CFS is not a psychiatric illness, trauma is not uncommon in patient histories — and the experience of living with ME/CFS itself can be traumatic. Ibogaine has shown striking results in treating PTSD and complex trauma, potentially by disrupting repetitive, maladaptive neural loops and re-integrating fragmented stress responses.
Given the overlap in neural circuits affected in both trauma and chronic illness (amygdala, insula, brainstem), ibogaine may help illuminate the role of trauma-informed nervous system dysfunction in some ME/CFS presentations.
4. One-Time Reset Model
Most current ME/CFS treatments — when they work — require long-term maintenance. Ibogaine is unusual in that a single, intensive session can catalyze long-lasting change. While not universally effective, this model of intervention aligns with some reported ME/CFS recoveries that happen suddenly after surgery, fever, or medications — events that may “jolt” neural circuits out of a dysfunctional state.
Caveats:
- Ibogaine is not a cure, and it has cardiac risks, including QT prolongation. It must be administered in highly supervised medical settings.
- There are no studies to date on ibogaine in ME/CFS or post-viral syndromes.
- The experience is intense, introspective, and not suitable for recreational use or self-administration.
Final Thoughts:
We don’t yet know if ibogaine could benefit ME/CFS patients — but it’s one of the few emerging therapies that addresses the central nervous system, autonomic regulation, trauma, and neuroplasticity all at once.
At minimum, it underscores the value of researching brain-based reset mechanisms, an idea that’s long existed at the fringes of ME/CFS treatment theory. As large-scale ibogaine trials ramp up, we should advocate for inclusion of post-viral and complex chronic illness cohorts, and for more research into the “reset” hypothesis of illness remission.
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