SOFT/TIAFT 98 - Ibogaine-Associated Death in a Female Heroin Addict: ...

SOFT - TIAFT 1998

Scientific Session 6

Thursday October 8, 1998

IBOGAINE-ASSOCIATED DEATH IN A FEMALE HEROIN ADDICT: FORENSIC AND TOXICOLOGICAL ASPECTS
	Maciej J. Bogusz, Helmut Althoff, Deborah Mash, W. Lee Hearn* Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aachen University of Technology, 52057 Aachen, Germany * Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA ** Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department, Miami, FL 33136-1133, USA

A case involving the death of a young female heroin addict after ibogaine administration is reported. The drug was alleged to have been administered orally at a dose of 23 mg/kg and later on an additional 6 mg/kg was administered in the course of experimental and officially unapproved anti-addictive therapy. The patient collapsed and died about 19 h after ibogaine administration.

Extremely high levels of drug and its active metabolite (12-OH-ibogaine) were found in blood. The following concentrations (mg/L) of ibogaine and its active metabolite 12-OH-ibogain were determined by GC-MS(1): ibogaine in femoral blood 0.710, in heart blood 0.730, 12-OH-ibogaine in femoral blood 3.900, in heart blood 10.700. In experimental studies the concentration of drugs in blood samples taken 19 h after administration of ibogaine 20 mg/kg were: 0.1-0.2 mg/l for ibogaine and 0.5-1.1 for 12-OH-ibogaine. The circumstances of the case showed that the "therapy" was performed in an unprofessional way and the minimal medical standards were not met.

1. W.L. Hearn, J. Pablo, G. Hime and D.C. Mash, J.Anal.Toxicol. 19: 427-34, 1995.

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