Drug & supplement interaction

Iboga + Naratriptan

Naratriptan brand name: Amerge.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Naratriptan falls into 2 drug categories that Iboga can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking iboga with serotonergic drugs might increase levels of serotonin, resulting in additive effects with serotonergic drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Iboga and Naratriptan

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Iboga interacts with whole categories of medication. Naratriptan falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Iboga in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

SEROTONERGIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Naratriptan

Naratriptan falls under SEROTONERGIC DRUGS — the group Iboga interacts with.

Theoretically, taking iboga with serotonergic drugs might increase levels of serotonin, resulting in additive effects with serotonergic drugs.
Ibogaine, a constituent in iboga, has serotonergic effects. Theoretically, combining serotonergic drugs with iboga might increase the risk of serotonergic side effects, including serotonin syndrome and cerebral vasoconstrictive disorders. Monitor patients for signs of serotonin syndrome and other serotonergic side effects if using iboga with serotonergic drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the concern with pairing naratriptan (Amerge) with iboga. Naratriptan is a triptan that works on serotonin receptors to ease migraines. Iboga, through its active compound ibogaine, also nudges up serotonin activity in the brain. Stacking two things that both raise serotonin can, in theory, push serotonin too high. That can lead to serotonin syndrome, with symptoms like agitation, a racing heart, sweating, shivering, muscle twitching, or confusion.

To be fair, this warning is theoretical and based on how these substances work, not on real reports with this exact pair. Still, iboga carries serious heart rhythm risks on its own, so I'd steer clear of it. Please talk with your doctor or pharmacist before combining anything like this.

References
  1. Glick SD, Maisonneuve IS. Mechanisms of antiaddictive actions of ibogaine. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1998;844:214-26.
  2. Singhal AB, Caviness VS, Begleiter AF, et al. Cerebral vasoconstriction and stroke after use of serotonergic drugs. Neurology 2002;58:130-3. PubMed
  3. Litjens RP, Brunt TM. How toxic is ibogaine? Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2016;54(4):297-302. PubMed
Moderate

QT INTERVAL-PROLONGING DRUGS

2 of 2

Naratriptan also falls under QT INTERVAL-PROLONGING DRUGS.

Theoretically, iboga may have an additive effect with drugs that prolong the QT interval.
Numerous case reports suggest that ibogaine, a constituent in iboga, can cause QT interval prolongation.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the concern with pairing Iboga and naratriptan. Iboga (through ibogaine) has been linked in real-world case reports to a heart rhythm change called QT prolongation, where the heart's electrical reset takes longer than it should. Naratriptan is one of those triptan migraine medicines that can also nudge the QT interval a bit. Put them together and the worry is an additive effect, meaning the two could stack up and raise the risk of a dangerous, irregular heartbeat.

To be fair, this is mostly theoretical and rests on scattered case reports, not strong studies. Still, ibogaine carries serious heart risks (and is illegal in the U.S.), so this isn't a combination to take lightly. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before mixing anything with your migraine medicine.

References
  1. O'Connell CW, Gerona RR, Friesen MW, Ly BT. Internet-purchased ibogaine toxicity confirmed with serum, urine, and product content levels. Am J Emerg Med. 2015; 33(7):985.e5-6. PubMed
  2. Vlaanderen L, Martial LC, Franssen EJ, van der Voort PH, Oosterwerff E, Somsen GA. Cardiac arrest after ibogaine ingestion. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2014;52(6):642-3. PubMed
  3. Asua. Growing menace of ibogaine toxicity. Br J Anaesth. 2013;111(6):1029-30. PubMed
  4. Hoelen DW, Spiering W, Valk GD. Long-QT syndrome induced by the antiaddiction drug ibogaine. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(3):308-9. PubMed
  5. Paling FP, Andrews LM, Valk GD, Blom HJ. Life-threatening complications of ibogaine: three case reports. Neth J Med. 2012;70(9):422-4.
  6. Pleskovic A, Gorjup V, Brvar M, Kozelj G. Ibogaine-associated ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50(2):157. PubMed
  7. Litjens RP, Brunt TM. How toxic is ibogaine? Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2016;54(4):297-302. PubMed
  8. Grogan J, Gerona R, Snow JW, Kao L. Ibogaine consumption with seizure-like episodes, QTc-prolongation, and captured cardiac dysrhythmias. J Emerg Med 2019;57(4):e99-e104. PubMed
  9. 105383 Knuijver T, Schellekens A, Belgers M, et al. Safety of ibogaine administration in detoxification of opioid dependent individuals: a descriptive open-label observational study. Addiction 2021. PubMed
  10. Steinberg C, Deyell MW. Cardiac arrest after ibogaine intoxication. J Arrhythm 2018;34(4):455-457. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Iboga Also Interacts With Other Medications

Iboga has 1 major, 500 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Naratriptan one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Iboga

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Iboga. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Iboga or Naratriptan

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Iboga or Naratriptan, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Naratriptan

This page covers Iboga only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naratriptan page lists 50 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 8 major · 31 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Naratriptan page

“Naratriptan (Amerge) treats migraines by acting on serotonin receptors, so it matters that 20 of the 50 supplements flagged for it can also push serotonin activity higher, raising the risk of serotonin syndrome, a dangerous overload. This is a list to approach with real caution, not a quick skim.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Naratriptan interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Iboga and Naratriptan Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Iboga
Top half

#611 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Naratriptan
Top 25%

#333 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Iboga

What is Iboga?

Iboga
  • Drug and alcohol addiction
  • Opioid withdrawal
  • Spiritual and ceremonial rituals
  • Fatigue and stimulant effects
  • Mood and emotional issues

Iboga is a Central African shrub whose root bark contains ibogaine, a powerful hallucinogenic compound studied mainly for addiction. It carries serious safety risks, including dangerous heart rhythm changes and deaths, and ibogaine is illegal in the United States and many other countries. We do not recommend its use outside of tightly controlled research settings.

Read the full Iboga monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Naratriptan

What Is Naratriptan Used For?

Brand name: Amerge

Naratriptan tablets are used to treat migraine headaches — with or without aura — when a migraine is already happening. It is a rescue treatment, meaning you take it during an attack, not daily to prevent migraines.

It is not used to prevent migraines, and it has not been proven effective for cluster headaches. Naratriptan should only be used when a doctor has clearly confirmed a diagnosis of migraine.

See full Naratriptan drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Iboga

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Iboga — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

1Major
500Moderate
0Minor
2,328No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

500 interactions

Showing 60 of 500 moderate interactions — see all 500 on the Iboga page.

No interaction 2,328 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Iboga and Naratriptan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Iboga with Naratriptan?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Iboga and Naratriptan?
Naratriptan belongs to more than one drug category, and Iboga interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Iboga and Naratriptan interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Naratriptan and Iboga?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.