Case report: Ibogaine reduced severe neuropathic pain associated with a case of brachial plexus nerve root avulsion.
Jonathan E Dickinson, Jose Adalberto Dominguez Inzunza, Liliana Perez-Villa, Trevor G Millar, Abhiram P Pushparaj
Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) January 1, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1256396 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 53-year-old man with two decades of severe, intractable neuropathic pain from brachial plexus nerve root avulsion due to vehicular trauma was successfully treated with both high-dose inpatient and low-dose outpatient ibogaine. Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid, acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems (NMDA, κ- and µ-opioid, σ2 receptors) and stimulates neurotrophic factors GDNF and BDNF. While promising, the adverse effects of high-dose ibogaine may limit its tolerability to the most refractory cases.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 53-year-old male with brachial plexus nerve root avulsion from vehicular trauma |
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Neuropathic pain Vehicular trauma Chronic pain management Suffering reduction New pain approach |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | Ibogaine treatment successfully managed severe intractable neuropathic pain in a patient with brachial plexus nerve root avulsion. |
Abstract
Brachial plexus nerve root avulsion results from complete separation of the nerve root from the spinal cord and is one of the most challenging types of neuropathic pain, coinciding with motor, sensory and autonomic deficits. The severe pain and typical impossibility of root reattachment often leads to requests for amputation. Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid producing psychoactive effects through reported actions upon multiple neurotransmitter systems, including NMDA, κ- and µ-opioid receptors and σ2 receptor sites, along with stimulation of neurotrophic factors GDNF and BDNF. In this case report we describe a 53-year-old male with two decades of severe intractable pain due to brachial plexus nerve root avulsion from vehicular trauma who was successfully treated with both high dose inpatient and low dose outpatient administrations of ibogaine. Though promising for future study, the adverse effects of high dose ibogaine administrations may limit tolerability of this saturation protocol to the most refractory cases.