Safety & Screening
Understanding risk before you begin
Safety begins with honest information. Ibogaine interacts with several receptor systems in the body, including those involved in cardiac rhythm. This page explains the risks, what screening is for, the role of the EKG, and what Casa-Well provides.
Risk summary
Ibogaine carries serious medical and psychological risks, including potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. Serious adverse events and deaths have been reported. Screening and monitoring can help reduce risk but cannot eliminate it. Participation requires individualized medical assessment and informed consent.
Do not stop, taper, or change prescribed medication based on information on this website. Discuss any proposed changes with your prescribing clinician and the screening medical team.
Why cardiac screening matters
Cardiac screening is an essential part of preparation
Because ibogaine interacts with several receptor systems in the body — including those involved in cardiac rhythm — cardiac screening is an essential part of safe preparation. Screening can help reduce risk, but it cannot eliminate it.
Heart rhythm & the QT interval
Ibogaine can affect the electrical timing of the heart, measured on an EKG as the QT interval. An abnormally prolonged QT interval can increase the risk of serious heart rhythm disturbances, which can be life-threatening. A normal EKG is not, by itself, a guarantee of safety — it is one part of a broader individualized assessment.
What an EKG measures
An EKG (electrocardiogram) is a simple, non-invasive test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. It provides information about heart rhythm, signs of previous heart damage, and the QT interval length — a measure of cardiac electrical timing.
What is an EKG?
A simple, non-invasive look at the heart
An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a simple, non-invasive test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. It is one of the most important safety tools used before the experience.
Heart rhythm
The EKG records the rhythm and rate of the heart, helping identify irregularities that may affect suitability.
Previous heart damage
It can reveal signs of previous heart damage or structural concerns that warrant further evaluation.
QT interval length
The QT interval is a measure of cardiac electrical timing. A prolonged QT interval can signal elevated risk with ibogaine.
Why EKG screening matters for ibogaine
Electrical timing and the QT interval
Ibogaine can affect the electrical timing of heartbeats, which is measured by the QT interval on an EKG. A baseline electrocardiogram is used to evaluate heart rhythm and QT interval before any participation is considered.
Patients are screened for heart disease, electrolyte imbalances, and other factors that may affect cardiac risk. Proper medical screening and careful monitoring can help reduce risk — but they cannot eliminate it. A normal EKG does not guarantee safety.
Do not stop, taper, or change prescribed medication based on information on this website. Discuss any proposed changes with your prescribing clinician and the screening medical team.
What screening covers
Medical history, medications & psychological risks
Medical history & medication review
Screening includes a review of your medical history, current medications and substances, and clinician-directed testing. Do not stop, taper, or change prescribed medication based on information on this website. Discuss any proposed changes with your prescribing clinician and the screening medical team.
Psychological risks
Ibogaine can involve severe anxiety, panic, disorientation, and, in some cases, psychotic symptoms. The relevance of these risks to the program and the final wording used with participants must be approved by the clinical team.
Cardiac rhythm & QT-related risks
Ibogaine can affect the electrical timing of the heart. An abnormally prolonged QT interval can increase the risk of serious, potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. An EKG is one tool used before the experience.
Factors that may affect suitability
Certain medical and psychological factors may affect whether the retreat is appropriate. The specific contraindications and exclusion list will be supplied and approved by the medical director. We do not publish self-directed cutoffs, washout periods, or a risk calculator.
What Casa-Well provides
Verified procedures
The specifics below describe only what Casa-Well has confirmed it provides during and after the experience. Details not yet confirmed are listed in our editor handoff rather than stated here.
The original Casa-Well protocol references continuous or periodic heart rhythm monitoring and vital sign checks. Specific staffing, monitoring equipment, observation duration, and emergency arrangements are pending confirmation and will be described here once verified. We do not claim that screening and monitoring eliminate risk.
This section distinguishes general risk education from verified Casa-Well procedures. A general description of responsible providers is not a claim about this retreat.
Casa-Well’s protocol
Monitoring during treatment
In medically responsible settings, patients receiving ibogaine flood doses are often monitored to ensure stability throughout the experience. This monitoring helps maintain safety during the most intense period of the ibogaine experience.
Heart rhythm monitoring
Continuous or periodic heart rhythm monitoring to watch cardiac stability throughout the experience.
Vital sign checks
Regular vital sign checks to track the body’s response and catch any changes early.
Trained supervision
Supervision by trained staff present to support and respond throughout the experience.
These protocols help maintain safety during the most intense period of the ibogaine experience. Monitoring can help reduce risk, but it cannot eliminate it.
Informed consent
Your right to ask, and to decline
Informed consent is a conversation, not a formality. We encourage you to ask questions, understand the risks, and take the time you need. You always have the option not to proceed.
- What are the specific risks for someone with my history?
- What testing will I undergo, and why?
- What monitoring and support are provided during and after?
- What happens if the team determines the retreat is not suitable for me?
Talk with the team first
Screening and monitoring can help reduce risk but cannot eliminate it. The decision to proceed is made individually, with informed consent.