I got on fine with Rom, untill "that day". To be honest i completely forgot about it untill now. I got a temporary ban if you didn't know, so i paid my dues, then i moved on. Because i'm on my own path, i don't tend to take it too personally if the odd disagreement occurs. That's forum squabbles if you like. As much as i love this site, it isn't all that there is in my life.

Cheers.

I tried iboga myself the other day and it was one of the most cleansing experiences of my life ,
Although I only chewed a tiny amount I felt something amazing.
It was like my brain had been re wired and the chemicals out of balance in my brain had been set back to normal .
The main thing I noticed was the removal of an underlying unhappiness that has been with me for years.
I am very eager to start my micro dosing regime its amazing stuff and the most powerful healing tool I have come across in my travels.

Thanks Smoalker, i'm very interested in the Iboga experience myself. It was nice to hear some new iboga voice, as well as the old ones....

Thanks smoalker, it's really reassuring to get some positive feedback about this medicine. I hope the micro dosing goes well for you. So did you just chew on some root bark then? How much did you have? Enough to have visions, become immobile etc?

[
Here is what I would like to know -

1)Has anyone here self administered Iboga this way (using this method and for the treatment of depression as opposed to drug addiction) and what were the results?


I am "aware" of several treatments for depressionn using iboga. Depression is a wide term, and one should know if we are talking about biochemical inbalances or post trauma or other cause

you can PM for more info on how i know what i know

Generally for depression you need smaller doses repeated 3 - 4 times
You do not need a 'detox' flood - generally about 2 thirds of that



2)Whilst I appreciate that it's probably better to use Iboga in a proffesional/spiritual environment under the supervision of experienced people, this is also very expensive. It would be nice to have someone to empty my sick bucket and tell me that everything's going to be ok but, as a poor student, doing it in my bedroom with my girlfriend watching over me occasionally sounds like a more appropriate method. Is this relatively safe? and do I need to book 3 or 4 days off work?!

Do NOT take iboga first time without and experience iboga sitter who has flooded several times
Yes - some have and survived; but some have had some pretty bad scarring
Iboga not only plays with your mind there are some real intense physical symptoms
and when they kick in, you need a calm experienced sitter to help reassure you and to recenter you.
In some instances, although rare, they might have to make a more serious call
This does not include the possibility of falling and banging oned head or swallowing ones vomit
As for time off - minimum 3 full days - and for some it could be more


3)Should I take the 3.4gs all in one go with my yogurt or shall I just have say 0.5 every hour or so? And should I begin in the morning or evening?

my advice would be to go for 2.5 - split as 1, then 60 minutes later 1.5

4)Do I need to fast or avoid certain foods, drugs, other substances before, during and after my trip?

best is the day of the journey - only liquids (no grapefruit juice)
the day before the journey stick to fruits and vegetables
no alcohol for a couple of day and no meds
the cleaner your system is - the more profound the experience

5)Has anyone successfuly treated depression using the micro dosing method? If so, what is the best, most cost effective way to do this? Or should I just stick to flood therapy?

microdosing is tricky business and works best after a large dose
you have to experiment
try 300 mg once a day for a week first thing in am
then you can try it 2x a day - or double the dose
some people respond best every other day

6)If it is best that I visit a retreat clinic instead, does anyone know any good ones in the UK or at least in Europe?

in my opinion - clinics are too boxed in and rigid and expensive
find someone who is experienced and can be with you for you

7)Finally, am I going the right way towards fixing depression (bare in mind that I eat well and meditate a lot so most of my life is healthy)?. Like most sufferers, I feel like I've tried everything and it's bloody tiring! Some success stories would be nice.

Iboga can really help many people whether they need a chemical reset or release from (even hidden) trauma - butu in the end ,the work is up to you



[/quote]

Thank you for your response,

So you mentioned the flood dose needs to be less for someone who is depressed than for someone who wants to detox from hard drugs. This is something I am trying to find out more information about. Iboga World have advised me to take 3.4 grams for a flood. Could I still have a sufficient flood with say, 2.5 grams? I have 5 grams anyway so that way I could have 2 floods in the space of a year or whatever is needed. I hear of micro dosing and flooding but I never hear of anything inbetween. Can I get some kind of mini flood with 2 - 2.5 grams and still get good results? Please tell me about the smaller doses taken 3 - 4 times thing you mentioned.

And when you mentioned micro dosing, are you talking about TA? I only have TA. Presumably I would only need a very small amount compared with the rootbark.

I realise depression is a broad term. I would say mine stems from repressed feelings, negative beliefs about self etc. I have tried Prozac with limited success and alternative stuff (5-HTP, rhodiola rosea, St. Johns wort, kanna etc.) does nothing for me. Most of the time, I wouldn't say I'm deeply depressed, I just feel like there are some things deep down I need to take care of to really fulfil my potential. I have dabbled in hypnotherapy and councilling but it never lasts long because we end up both agreeing that I'm all good and that there is nothing really wrong, only to find that I am left with the same void afterwards!

Anyway, I have been on an Ayahuasca retreat which was great for a bit of purging and helped me to understand what my problems are, and it was awesome to visit these other realms, but I don't feel it was as direct as I would hope Iboga to be. I just feel like I need to have a good, long and deep conversation with my inner most self if you know what I mean!?

As for my sitter. She is the only person who could possibly sit for me. I am closer to her than any of my best friends and she knows more about my depressed side as well as my spiritual side than anyone else. I plan to take it gently with the dosing and inform her of everything that may happen. She is willing to sit with me for the most intense part and to check on me intermitently afterwards. I will have blankets nearby, pillows and bed sheets positioned in such a way to support my self and to minimise the possibility of choking on my puke. She will keep me calm and help me drink water. I have also written down the name of the drug and some contact numbers in the (unlikely) event that I may have to go to hospital.

I really appreciate your concern regarding this matter but I have little other option other than going to a retreat (which would be too costly).

So, with this in mind, can you give me any advise as to the best way to do this thing as safely as possible? What can you tell me about my sitter's responsibilities so that I may pass on the information?

Any other useful info you can give me about my situation, the after effects, what to expect from my life etc etc would be greatly appreciated. I value your experience.

Cheers

Thanks for the link. I will look into it but obviously right now I'm pretty focused on the Iboga. Have you found kambo to be more healing than Ibo? I've heard people just take it as a tool for cleansing BEFORE taking something like Iboga. Also I've heard it's not particularly easy to administer or to find somewhere that can administer it for you?

Would I be right in saying that whilst Ibo gives you the opportunity to reflect on your psychological limitations or blockages and work through them mentally, kambo allows you to simply purge yourself of negative bagage physically?

Cheers

I have a couple more pressing questions about Iboga that I would like Mary Poppin's opinion of (and anyone else for that matter).

1) What happens when the afterglow wears off? I realise I must make use of the window of opportunity to create positive mental habits and physical circumstances. I'm already ahead in some ways as I have a pretty comfortable life on paper (decent friends, a job, university etc.). How easy is it to stay happy 3 - 6 months after Iboga?

2) As I have TA Iboga, would taking say, 100mgs twice a week benefit me as far as microdosing is concerned?

I have probably asked these questions a few times on this thread just worded differently so I'm sorry about that! I'm just trying to gain as many different opinions before I take it in one or two weeks time.

Thanks guys

This sounds really interesting. I'd definately like to hear more about that if even if Iboga does help me. I'm always open to new experience.

I live in UK by the way. South West.

$400? That sounds pretty reasonable. That's pretty much how much I paid to order mine online! I will definately investigate that for a future Ibo session and the kambo thing sounds interesting.

How does it work exactly? Don't they cut the skin or make you lick a toad or something?! I don't know much about kambo. Can you hook me up with your friends details in a PM?

Cheers

Got my stuff in the mail! Woop!


I received an email from ICEERS (International Center for Enthobotanical Education, Research and Service) after quizzing them about dosages. This is what they said...

"I just want to make clear that I would not advise it to take Iboga without professional supervision, as I told you before, but regarding the dosing you have to take into account

that 5gr of 60% Ibogaine TA is not necesarily less potent than 5gr of 95% IbogaineHCL. The other alkaloids are potent and psychoactive as well.

So, if you consider that 10 - 12mg/kg bodyweight is the dose used for psychospiritual sessions, suppose you weigh 80kg you would calculate between 800mg to 1gr in total.

Preferably given a 100mg test dose prior to the session the day before or same day, then the flood dose in 2 times with about 1- 1,5 hours interval."

I have learned that the TA I have is 60% Ibogaine. The above email suggests thaT I only need 800mgs ish for a flood dose?! I'm about 76kgs by the way.

It's all very confusing. I think I'll just bite the bullet and stick with what IW recommended and see what happens! I should be getting on it this Sunday!

Peace

Guys, I need some advice.

I have now received my Iboga TA from [well known Iboga supplier], and having taken a test dose yesterday of 200mgs, I am concerned about the amount I have been advised to take for a flood dose. The amount I took had a strong affect on me, and although I was just about able to go to work, I felt the effects for at least 8 hours.

I have looked at all the medical accounts I could find on the internet and have discovered that, for drug users, one needs to administer 10 - 15mgs/kg of body weight and even less is needed for theraputic (non-drug addict) uses (5 - 8mgs/kg).

I weigh 76kgs and the TA is, so I'm told, 60% Ibogaine (not to mention any other active alkaloids that may or may not be present). So if my calculations are correct, even if I had as much as 10mgs/kg, I would only need about 1.2 grams of my TA extract. I am somewhat troubled, therefore, by the advice from my supplier to take between 2.5 - 3.5 grams.

I am inclined to err on the side of caution and just take a gram the first time. If I feel I can handle more then perhaps I can take more next week.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Wise words. Yeh I guess we covered it. I just was curious as to why I was recommended such a high dose. Anyway, you'll be pleased to know I took my first flood the other day and, to err on the side of caution, just took 2 grams. That was more than enough for me!

What can I say?! This is some strong shit! Probably about 3 times more intense than my most profound Ayahuasca trip and many hours longer! I had a nice afterglow in the first full day after the flood but I feel that has somewhat subsided already. I'm not sure that I'm gunna get the 6 month afterglow that people often experience. However it is most certainly working it's magic. Certain issues seem to have been given the chance to be processed properly and put back in their place and my future feels brighter already.

I can confirm that this is a truly individual experience. My encounter with Iboga seemed to be completely different to any other trip reports I've read, but I think the net gain is similar.

Thanks for all of your advice, I really appreciate it. And KP, if you could PM me the details of the person who does the Kambo in the UK that would be cool.

Let me know if anyone wants more info on my Iboga trip. I think I will take another 2 grams for my 2nd flood in a couple of weeks and then microdose the remaining gram for a couple of weeks after. I'll let you know how I progress in the coming months.

Peace

No problem, I'll PM the details.

So I took 200mgs as a test dose the day before at about 3pm. I had to go to work at 5 which was a bit wierd at first but I managed! I just felt really spaced out, kind of like on Salvia Divinorum. I could still feel it at 10:30pm!

The next day I just had a blueberry and banana smoothie for breakfast and that would be all I would eat that day to minimise having to go to the toilet and increase the effectiveness of the iboga. I prepared my room: closed the curtains and blinds, put an ambient playlist on Itunes, got a sick bucket ready and a glass of water with a straw. Then I took 1 gram at around 3pm. About 45 mins later I took another gram then after an hour or so I began to feel the effects.

I was completely immobilised and content to be lay in my bed. I had a heavy headed feeling which would persist throughout and I began to get slight nausea. I started tripping. Not as crystal clear as I had expected but interesting nonetheless. I remember kind of scanning my brain and sometimes freeze frames from my childhood would randomly emerge.

The usual trippy shapes and thoughts would twist and turn inside my head until the intensity gradually escalated to the point where I had to vomit. I had nothing in my stomach so it was mainly just water and bile. Even though my glass of water was right next to me and had a straw, I couldn't manage to drink it on my own so I called my sitter over to help me. By this time I was tripping hard. I felt it was comparable to my most intense Ayahuasca trip but stronger. I got that familiar "connected to the universe" feeling which is way too complicated to even comprehend. I just got the feeling that this iboga really knows something, everything even! For me, since taking Ayahuasca and even more so Iboga, it is impossible for me to think of reality in the same way as before. These plants truly have blown my mind.

This peak lasted for about 5 hours and the step down was not so gradual as the way up. Maybe it was just my perception that was distorted but it seemed as though the next stage came on quite suddenly. I was relaxed, subdued and sedated and a lot less nauseous than before. This feeling lasted all through the night. I kept thinking I wanted a cigarette but everytime I tried to get up and move around I had to jump back into bed again. Eventually, I made it outside and lit up. I had about 4 tokes then threw it away, it tasted nasty and wasn't doing me any favours!

That day was spent just lazing around the house feeling spaced out and by the evening time I felt very relaxed and at peace. That night I slept like a baby with the help of some melatonin and some valerian tea (although I could have slept without help). For the next couple of days I felt a bit spaced out like I was trying to process my experience.

Now 4 days later and I feel as though everything is starting to fit into place. With a bit of effort I have been running everyday and thinking more positively. I think the key here is effort. If you show the iboga you are willing to put in the work to change then it will definately help you. I don't want to speak too soon as it is still early days but I'm pleased to say my future is looking bright. I look forward to seeing what the second flood will bring me.

Mescaline man - I can also say that iboga makes you feel somewhat exposed and emotionally vulnerable afterwards as it tries to rebuild your internal world. At this point I think it's crucial that you surround yourself with positive people and influences. I've been meditating more and listening to nice music and trying to avoid watching nasty films! If you can, after iboga is the ideal time to get therapy if you need it but if you're strong I don't think it's always neccessary. Writting stuff down may help to process your thoughts.

Another thing I've learned is that you must be patient. Don't expect anything and don't get too carried away in other peoples feedback (including my own). Just let it work for you in it's own way! You probably will not notice a dramatic and instant transformation, I don't think it's like that. As you know, overcoming depression is a journey and not something that just dissapears over night. I do feel however, that this medicine will kick start the process needed for permenant healing. It is infintely more useful than Prozac! Iboga can be very intense but I'm happy to do it again. Appart from the throwing up part it was quite manageable.

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions...

1. No I had my girlfriend as a sitter. She checked my pulse every hour or so and helped me to drink water but not a lot else. It does feel more comforting to have someone there but I don't believe it is essential, just safer. The biggest issue is when you are in really deep into the trip your mouth gets really dry and it's harder than you think to pick up the glass and drink. Straws make this a little easier.

I think it's good that you have taken mind altering drugs before so you know what it feels like to trip but the only thing that could come close to the intensity of iboga is Aya or maybe a 15x extract of Salvia D. I don't think that's a massive problem unless you are very sensitive or a schizophrenic. But I would recommend playing around with doses at the lower end to begin with to get a taste for it.

No, I definately didn't have any suicidal tendancies.

2. No. I had no feeling of the plant spirit. Personally I believe that when people come into contact with spirits of Aya or Iboga or Peyote or whatever I think they are probably just experiencing a mental construction of the psyche that could more easily be explained in terms of psychology rather than spirituality. Don't get me wrong, I do feel a spiritual connection with these plants to the universe and everything in it which cannot be explained in words. It really does take you to a whole new realm. But I think that this displays not just how amazing and complex the universe is but also our own minds.

3. If it's not too painful then I doubt iboga will make the back pain worse. And you will be immobilised anyway so it's unlikey you will damage it. In regards to healing though, I'm not sure. I also have a similar problem, ongoing low back ache which chiropractic treatment has done nothing for. I also hoped that Aya would heal my back pain and if not, then maybe the Ibo would. As yet, neither have. Although I have heard several accounts of people whos back pain has been alleviated using these medicines very successfuly. It is totally dependant on the individual. I did loose a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck though which perhaps in time could ease pressure on my low back but maybe that's wishful thinking. But in the meantime, I think you should investigate chiropractic if it's to do with disks and physio if that doesn't work.

I would say for sure do not expect miracles, just take it for what it is and don't be dissapointed if you don't feel like you're walking on the sunshine immediately afterwards. Write down all the issues you have and want to resolve and perhaps think about and write down any realistic, positive habbits you may want to instill afterwards. You can then refer back to your words whenever you like after the iboga. Be patient give your mind space to grow and adjust. The medicine is only just starting to work on me so it's still early days and I'm gunna take another flood in a week so I'll let you know how I progress.

Keep your chin up

Hello escape. Thank you for all your posts and details.
Its been a few weeks since your first flood now. Im in a similar situation to yours and i just wanted to know if you could share some words about how your life has been since your flood.
Mental state, mood, energy wise, whatever comes to mind about your progress (or failed progress if thats the case)

Hi Severe, Sorry about the belated response. I've just got back from holiday.
When you say you are in a similar situation, do you mean that you have also recently done a flood? If so, I'd also be interested in how it went for you.

My post flood experience is as follows:
For the first week afterwards, I just felt a bit confused. I didn't really know how to feel and I guess expectations get in the way a bit. I had fleeting moments of feelings of serenity but nothing to profound.

Only after at least a week did I begin to feel what can only be described as the after glow. Depression had dissolved and was barely a part of me. I wasn't perfect but I felt as though I was heading in the right direction. I could see my life potential more clearly. My physical energy was similar to before but mentally I was very sharp. In the bar where I work I would litrally feel like I was buzzing until late at night and slept nicely after my shift. At times I would feel my mind growing and changing as if to incorporate a more positive outlook. My future was looking bright.

However, I'm dissapointed to say that this didn't last for longer than 2 or 3 weeks and recently the glow came to a crashing end leaving me feeling pretty miserable. My brain felt dead as though my neuro transmitters had been over worked and were now exhausted. I felt as though I was on a come down from a 2 week long high! But, as with any come down, it didn't last forever and I once read that, in the case of iboga, one must crash first before the brain chemistry has the chance to properly fix itself. I don't know how true this is but that was the thought I was clinging on to, and now I do feel as though everything has balanced out somewhat.

It's really difficult to say whether or not I feel any different to how I did before the iboga. I would like to think that I have grown a lot from it and I most certainly have grown at least a little but I've still had my on and off spells of depression. Whether or not the spells are less frequent is hard to say. And it has made zero difference to my smoking habbit (although it may have been different if that was my primary reason for taking it - quitting smoking was not top of my priorities, more just a nice idea).

I don't know what you are using/have used ibo for but I found that, as many people say, you do feel very sensitive and exposed after using it. I found myself being drawn to nice feel good movies and chilled music and would be more easily affected by more disturbing media. I feel as this is a crucial time to get some therapy whilst the mind is more malleable. This is something I will start within the next days but should have started earlier.

The question remains as to whether I would benefit from doing another flood or whether I should just have a booster every now and then. I found microdosing to be interesting but I seemed to build up a tolerance to it pretty quickly and when I crashed I just wanted to get the stuff out of my system asap!

To conclude, there is certainly potential here and, after reading other reports I can confirm that it works very differently on different people. My advice would be to go through it with a very open mind and not get too drawn in by all these tales of people who say "it's a miracle, I'm a new person!" or "all my problems vanished over night". Whilst these claims may be true I suspect they may only apply to a very lucky minority. Besides, people who just had an average experience or didn't get what they wanted are less likely to write about it and tell everyone. I would say psychotherapy is practically essential to get the best out of it and if you live in the UK you can get it free on the NHS if you go to the docs. I would imagine a combination of the 2 to be a pretty good long term treatment for whatever is ailing you. Even if iboga does nothing for you, I believe it's worth it just for the trip. What an awesome experience that was! That's something I will tell my grandkids about!

As a side note, I am looking into doing kambo (credit to Kambogahuasca who put me in touch with a supplier). Whilst I have given up on big, miraculous expectations, I know that kambo is good to have before ibo and may be a nice thing to do along side therpy to help clean out the system a bit.

Let me know if you want more info or opinions about anything.

Peace

Thank you for responding Escape.

Well, at least you got something out of it. People says boosters help incorporate the message of the trip in a better way, so it might help, although i understand you being reluctant.
I suspect the tales of overnight miracles mostly goes for long time hard drug users, understandably.

No, i have not taken iboga thus far, still weighing up options, so i cant help you there.

Tomorrow night is my flood day. I will update by monday.

Well, the bwiti most certainly dont got hard drugs habits, point well made. Then again Iboga is part of their lifestyle and culture so its very different to the western world most of us live in.

I havent walked the walk yet so i should be careful to make conclusive statements.
The overnight changes a drug user experiences (drug-free, minimal withdrawals) probably makes it a lot easier to make miracle statements. Escape mentions that maybe expectations got in the way, maybe that affects how one sees the end result. Dont get me wrong, almost every account ive read have been positive, people call it an experience like no other, but thats a leap from being miraculous.

Then again, maybe some folks are just more receptive to an experience like iboga than others.

Can i ask you Kambogahuasca Panacea what your expectations were when you took your first flood?