Ibogaine Treatment FAQ
About Beond
What makes Beond different from other ibogaine clinics?
Multiple physicians are on site during every dosing session, including a physician who specializes in heart rhythms, since that’s the main risk in ibogaine treatment, supported by ACLS-certified nurses monitoring around the clock. Within reasonable time prior to arrival, every guest gets structured preparation before arrival, regular coaching support onsite during treatment, and two virtual sessions plus Beond Circle, our alumni community support platform, and weekly group coaching after they leave. Beyond the medical side, guests have access to onsite wellness offerings during their stay, including yoga, breathwork, meditation, fitness, sound healing, massage, acupuncture and watsu. We have treated thousands of patients. See how to choose an ibogaine clinic in Mexico for the specific questions to ask any provider, including us.
Who is on the Beond team?
As of 2026, our team includes almost a dozen full-time physicians, more than 40 full-time nurses, and about 70 support staff. Many of our team members, their credentials, and their roles are listed on our Team page.
About ibogaine
What is ibogaine?
Is ibogaine legal and approved?
In the United States, ibogaine is a controlled substance and is investigational, with clinical trials underway or planned (R12, R13). Beond provides treatment in Cancún, Mexico. Ibogaine is not a scheduled or controlled substance under Mexican federal law, which is why clinics such as Beond can legally provide it there.
How does ibogaine work?
Who discovered ibogaine’s effect on addiction?
In 1962, Howard Lotsof, then 19 and dependent on heroin, noticed that ibogaine interrupted his withdrawal and craving. He later obtained the first patents for ibogaine in addiction treatment (R3).
Is ibogaine a psychedelic?
Yes, though it’s an atypical one. Like classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, it produces an intense altered state of consciousness. Unlike them, its effects last much longer (often many hours) and it carries a cardiac risk that most classic psychedelics don’t, which is why medical supervision and continuous heart monitoring matter so much here.
Safety and screening
Is ibogaine safe?
Ibogaine is a powerful compound and not risk-free. Its main danger is to the heart: it can lengthen the QT interval and, in some people, trigger dangerous rhythms (R5). That is why every guest at Beond is screened and monitored by our 24/7 medical team on site. Our nurses are ACLS-certified, and the team runs regular emergency response drills. These steps greatly reduce risk.
Have people died from ibogaine?
Yes. A 2026 preprint of 19,071 treatments at 11 clinics that follow published guidelines found six deaths within 72 hours, all in people treated for opioid dependence, none among 8,689 people treated for other conditions (R16). This is why screening comes first. Proper screening means reviewing your medical history and reviewing every medication and substance you take, all before you are accepted as a client. On arrival, our medical team runs an ECG and performs blood work to check heart rhythm and electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, and a physician reviews the results before treatment begins. Certain heart conditions, unmanaged psychiatric conditions, and specific medications can rule someone out. See who can and cannot take ibogaine, and visit our Patient Safety and Transparency page for full screening and emergency protocols.
What are the side effects?
Common effects include unsteadiness, nausea, vomiting, and intense psychological experiences. Less common but serious effects include heart rhythm problems and low blood pressure.
Who should not take ibogaine?
Ibogaine isn’t right for everyone. Exclusions include certain bipolar disorders, schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, acute suicidality, and certain heart conditions. Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines can also raise the risks of treatment. Some people may not be ready for ibogaine, even when they are medically eligible. Roughly 1 in 5 people who express interest in Beond are screened out as not appropriate candidates, and those decisions are made by Beond’s board-certified physicians after a medical evaluation. See who can and cannot take ibogaine.
Can I take antidepressants or other prescription medications?
Some medications, including some antidepressants, can raise ibogaine’s cardiac risk or change how your body processes it. Do not stop or change any prescribed medication on your own. As part of the intake process, our physicians review your full list and, if needed, help you plan a supervised taper or washout with your prescriber.
Can ibogaine help me get off my psychiatric medication?
Are there age limits?
How does Beond screen guests?
Screening happens in stages, before any treatment is scheduled:
- Inquiry and consultation. You book a call with a member of our pre-admission team, who learns about your background, situation, and goals and explains the program.
- Health history review. You complete a medical application through our secure patient portal. Beond’s physicians review it.
- Physician screening. Physicians follow up with a screening call. As part of medical approval, you may be asked to upload a recent blood test, an ECG, and an echocardiogram, along with your full medication list.
- On arrival. You have a full medical assessment with our physicians and nursing team, including a review of your history and current medications, an ECG, comprehensive blood labs (including a complete blood count and a metabolic panel covering liver and kidney function and electrolytes), vitals checks, and other screenings. Physicians use the results to customize your treatment plan.
- During your stay. Blood labs are repeated at multiple points, so our team tracks how you’re doing throughout treatment, not just on day one. Before each treatment, our team completes a clinical readiness check, and you’re under continuous nursing and cardiac monitoring during treatment.
If one of our physicians sees any psychiatric concern, you’re referred to our psychiatrist, Dr. Rod Paulsen, for further evaluation. A physician makes the final call on whether treatment is appropriate, and on the dose. Being open about your full medical history, including your medications and any substance use, is a critical part of that process. If anything in screening suggests ibogaine isn’t safe for you, we’ll tell you and won’t proceed.
Do I need an IV during ibogaine?
Is there a defibrillator on site?
Yes. Dosing takes place in treatment rooms equipped for emergency care, with a defibrillator, crash carts, airway equipment, and emergency medications, with doctors and ACLS-trained nurses who are experts in emergency care. Our medical team routinely runs emergency drills, including for dangerous heart rhythms such as torsades de pointes, so the team is practiced and ready if a real emergency happens.
Treatment
What happens during treatment?
After on-site medical testing and multiple days of therapeutic preparation support, you take ibogaine under physician and nurse supervision with continuous monitoring of heart rhythm, QT interval, blood oxygen level, and respiratory rate. The intense experience usually lasts several hours, followed by a reflective period that can last a day or more. A follow-up ECG and blood test follow within 24 hours.
What if I have a difficult experience?
It’s not uncommon, and it doesn’t mean something went wrong. Some people describe the ibogaine experience as intense, confronting, or emotionally difficult at points, alongside or instead of a peaceful one; both are part of the range guests report. Physicians and nurses are present throughout for your physical safety, and our preparation coaches help you set expectations beforehand and work with you on making sense of the experience afterward. If something difficult comes up, it becomes part of what you and your coaches work through in integration, not a sign that treatment failed.
How long is the program?
The average stay is 10 days, personal growth/health optimization programs are a little shorter. A 14-day program may be prescribed for chemical dependency.
What if I take opioids, methadone, buprenorphine, benzodiazepines, or alcohol?
Can I leave whenever I want?
What preparation and aftercare support do guests receive?
Preparation and integration are part of every program. If adequate time allows prior to arrival, you’re matched with a coach for two virtual one-on-one preparation sessions. During your stay, you can sign up for daily one-on-one coaching on non-treatment days, choosing from our in-person coaches on a sign-up board with times listed, and we also offer daily in-person group preperation and integration support. After you leave, you have two virtual one-on-one integration sessions, scheduled when you’re ready, with the option to pay for and book more sessions if you choose. You also get access to Beond Circle, our free, moderated, private online community for Beond alumni, plus free weekly virtual group coaching led by rotating therapeutic coaches.
Beond Service follows a different cohort style model.
Research and results
Does ibogaine work for opioid addiction?
Does ibogaine work for alcohol use disorder?
Does ibogaine help PTSD or depression?
Early research suggests it may. In a study led by the late Dr. Nolan Williams and colleagues at Stanford Medicine, 30 Special Operations veterans with mostly mild brain injury reported average reductions of 88% in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression, and 81% in anxiety one month after treatment. A 12-month follow-up preprint, with 25 of the 30 participants still enrolled, estimated the probability of sustained remission at 12 months at 84% for PTSD, 66% for depression, and 61% for anxiety. (R11, R17).
Will I need more than one treatment?
Can ibogaine cure addiction?
How long do the effects last?
Can you guarantee results?
No. Results vary, relapse can happen, and ibogaine carries medical risks. We can promise careful screening, monitoring during treatment, and therapeutic coaching support before and after.
Getting Started
How do I apply, and what happens after I submit?
First you book a call with a member of our pre-admission team. Then you complete a medical application through our secure patient portal. Next is a screening call with one of our physicians. Once you’re cleared, you select your dates and sign a financial agreement, then send your first deposit to confirm your spot.
Is a deposit required?
Yes. Once you sign the financial agreement, you have 48 hours to send your initial payment.
Do you offer virtual consultations? Can I reschedule?
Yes. You can book a virtual consultation directly through our website to talk with our clinical team. If you need to reschedule, just let your point of contact know and we’ll find a new time.
Are my treatment dates confirmed right away?
Cost and logistics
How much does ibogaine treatment cost at Beond?
Programs start at $13,500 (USD) for the earliest-reserved spaces, with additional spaces at $15,500 and $19,500 based on date availability. All tiers include the same care and length of stay, and the price covers your stay, meals, ground transport, medically monitored treatment, preparation coaching, adjunct therapies such as daily massage, workshops, and integration support.
Why does Beond cost more than some clinics?
Programs differ in monitoring, staffing, length, and aftercare. Beond has about four staff members for every guest, and care is not delivered in a cohort model; your treatment, dosing, and timing are tailored to you.
The price covers physician and nurse supervision with continuous cardiac monitoring and IV support, follow-up ECGs, additional doses when clinically appropriate, coaching, and integration support, as well as adjunct therapies such as daily massage, sound healing, watsu water therapy, breathwork and workshops.
Our length of stay is longer than many other clinics, which gives extra time for emotional and physical preparation and for integration. We believe a few extra days on site can make all the difference in preparing to return home and making lasting changes.
Does insurance cover ibogaine?
Do you treat veterans?
Yes, through Beond Service, which also serves veteran spouses. Admissions for 2026 are full, and 2027 admissions are planned to reopen.
I’m calling for my adult son or daughter. How does this work?
What should I tell you on the intake call?
Where is Beond and how do I start?
Beond is in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Book a consultation with our clinical team.
Accommodations & Facilities
What are the accommodations like? What's included in the stay?
Beond has three facilities in Cancún, each with a pool; only Beond: The Beach, a separate beachfront location, has a beach, and it’s reserved for alumni and pre-qualified guests. Your stay at all facilities includes a private room with daily housekeeping, clean meals, ground transport, and adjunct offerings such as daily massage, sound healing, cold plunge therapy, acupuncture, watsu water therapy, fitness and meditation alongside your medically supervised ibogaine treatments.
Reference list (R-numbers used above)
R1. He DY, McGough NN, Ravindranathan A, Jeanblanc J, Logrip ML, Phamluong K, Janak PH, Ron D. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor mediates the desirable actions of the anti-addiction drug ibogaine against alcohol consumption. J Neurosci 2005;25(3):619-628.
R2. Carnicella S, Ron D. GDNF: a potential target to treat addiction. Pharmacol Ther 2009;122.
R3. Lotsof HS. US patent 4,499,096 (1985); Lotsof’s 1962 discovery.
R4. Alper KR, Stajic M, Gill JR. Fatalities temporally associated with the ingestion of ibogaine. J Forensic Sci 2012;57(2):398-412.
R5. Knuijver T et al. Safety of ibogaine administration in detoxification of opioid-dependent individuals. Addiction 2022;117(1):118-128.
R6. Ona G et al. The adverse events of ibogaine in humans: an updated systematic review (2015-2020). Psychopharmacology 2022;239:1977-1987.
R7. Brown TK, Alper K. Treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018;44(1):24-36.
R8. Noller GE, Frampton CM, Yazar-Klosinski B. Ibogaine treatment outcomes for opioid dependence from a twelve-month follow-up observational study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018;44(1):37-46.
R9. Malcolm BJ, Polanco M, Barsuglia JP. Changes in withdrawal and craving scores in participants undergoing opioid detoxification utilizing ibogaine. J Psychoactive Drugs 2018;50(3):256-265.
R10. Schenberg EE et al. Treating drug dependence with the aid of ibogaine: a retrospective study. J Psychopharmacol 2014;28(11):993-1000.
R11. Cherian KN et al. Magnesium-ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. Nat Med 2024;30(2):373-381 (senior author the late Dr. Nolan Williams, Stanford Medicine).
R12. Texas Senate Bill 2308 (June 11, 2025): $50 million for ibogaine clinical research.
R13. Federal executive order of April 18, 2026 to facilitate psychedelic research including ibogaine.
R14. Mash DC et al. Front Pharmacol 2018;9:529.
R15. Davis AK et al. Chronic Stress 2020;4.
R16. Arns M, Shinozuka K, Barsuglia J. Indication-stratified mortality risk of ibogaine treatment under contemporary safety protocols. Research Square preprint, June 17, 2026 (not peer reviewed; one author reports equity in Beond).
R17. Faerman et al. 12-month follow-up of magnesium-ibogaine in veterans. Research Square preprint, Dec 2025 (not peer reviewed).
R18. Lissemore et al. Nature Mental Health 2025 (EEG and MRI analysis).
R21. Glue P et al. Ascending-dose noribogaine in healthy volunteers. J Clin Pharmacol 2015;55(2):189-194.
R24. 2026 scoping review of ibogaine in psychiatric disorders (three randomized trials).
R25. Dickinson J et al. Clinical Guidelines for Ibogaine-Assisted Detoxification (2016).
R27. Davis AK et al. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2023;49:587-596.
R28. Koenig X et al. Addict Biol 2014;19:237-239.