Fatal Case of a 27-Year-Old Male After Taking Iboga in Withdrawal Treatment: GC-MS/MS Determination of Ibogaine and Ibogamine in Iboga Roots and Postmortem Biological Material

• NCJ Number: 246266
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 58 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2013 Pages: 1666-1672
• Author(s): Cedric Mazoyer M.Sc.; Jeremy Carlier M.Sc.; Alexandra Boucher; Michel Peoch Ph.D.; Catherine Lemeur; Yvan Gaillard Ph.D.
• Date Published: November 2013
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

We report the case of a man who died twelve hours after ingesting powdered iboga root, commonly taken for its stimulant and hallucinogenic properties.

Abstract

We report the case of a man who died twelve hours after ingesting powdered iboga root, commonly taken for its stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Ibogaine and ibogamine were quantified in the powder ingested and the victim's body fluids by GC-MS/MS after liquid-liquid extraction Toxi-tubes A. The concentrations of ibogaine measured in the blood samples taken at the scene and in the peripheral blood, urine, and gastric fluid samples taken during the autopsy were 0.65, 1.27, 1.7, and 53.5 ìg/mL, while the iboga content in the powder was 7.2%. Moreover, systematic toxicological analyses of biological samples showed the presence of diazepam and methadone in therapeutic concentrations. Death was attributed to the ingestion of a substantial quantity of iboga in the context of simultaneous methadone and diazepam consumption. Abstract published by arrangement with Wiley.