Health Science Reviews

By Tavia Quarmby

Imagine waking up each day with worsening neurological symptoms, facing a disease with no cure. This is the reality for an estimated 2.8 million people globally living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This autoimmune neurodegenerative disease damages the myelin sheath, causing neuroinflammation and progressive neurological deficits that severely impact quality of life. With no cure and often failing treatments, finding new therapeutics is essential.

In this study, Chen, Inzunza Domínguez (1) investigated whether ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid, could reduce MS lesions and induce neural changes in two patients (PA and PB). A novel, safety-prioritized protocol was followed, involving rigorous monitoring, co-therapy with magnesium and vitamin infusions, controlled ibogaine administration (capsules over 1.5 hours) with cardiac monitoring, and low-dose post-treatment. Researchers used advanced brain scans (like MRI) to measure changes in lesions and brain structure, alongside a patient quality-of-life index (MSQLI).

Ibogaine treatment showed promising results: Both patients experienced significant improvements in quality of life and physical function. PA notably saw a 92% decrease in fatigue and even achieved a level of recovery allowing participation in a 200-mile ultramarathon, while PB reported major improvements in chronic pain (73%) and fatigue (29%). Improvements in bladder and bowel function were also observed in both patients. Crucially, imaging for PA showed significant lesion reduction, signs of remyelination, and reduced inflammation, and both patients displayed structural brain changes in pain and emotion-related regions.

While a small study, these results offer a significant glimmer of hope that ibogaine could be a promising novel MS treatment. Larger studies are now crucial to confirm these findings. Could this unconventional compound unlock the cure MS patients have been searching for? Only time and rigorous science will tell.

References:

Chen DQ, Inzunza Domínguez JA, Valle Uzeta JM, Pushparaj AP, Dickinson JE. Case report: Significant lesion reduction and neural structural changes following ibogaine treatments for multiple sclerosis. Frontiers in Immunology. 2025;16.