Months before his death, Presley Gerber posted a video of himself sitting quietly at a treatment center in Mexico. He was about to take ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic drug that has been studied as a possible treatment for addiction.

Gerber didn't pretend he wasn't scared. In the post, he talked about being terrified of what was coming and about having trouble letting go of control. He said he was confronting things he'd been running from and hoped it would be the last time he needed treatment like this.

Gerber died on Sept. 20 at a rehabilitation facility in California. He was 27.

His death and the ibogaine treatment are separate facts. There is currently no official finding that the drug was involved in his death. The Los Angeles County medical examiner has deferred determining the cause and manner of death while additional testing is done. Santa Monica police are investigating.

The March post has nevertheless drawn new attention to a drug most people probably hadn't heard much about before.

What Is Ibogaine?

Ibogaine comes from the root bark of the iboga shrub, which grows in parts of Central and West Africa. It has a much longer history than its recent reputation as a psychedelic treatment. Iboga has been used in spiritual and healing ceremonies, and the drug itself can produce a long, intense psychedelic experience.

People who take it can experience vivid visions and hallucinations. After that initial period, there can be hours of intense introspection. That's one reason addiction researchers have been interested in it.

Ibogaine doesn't work like a typical medication that targets one thing and calls it a day. Researchers believe it interacts with several neurotransmitter systems in the brain. There is evidence suggesting it may also affect the way certain brain networks communicate. The hope is that this could help interrupt some of the patterns involved in addiction.

Small studies have reported reductions in opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings after ibogaine treatment. Researchers have also looked at its potential use for alcohol and cocaine addiction. Other early research has raised questions about whether related effects could be useful for depression, anxiety and traumatic brain injury.

Research Is Still Relatively Small

That's important because ibogaine has a reputation that can get ahead of the science. Some people who have undergone treatment describe dramatic changes in cravings or substance use afterward. That doesn't mean researchers have established ibogaine as an effective treatment for addiction.

There are serious safety concerns, too. Ibogaine can affect the heart and has been associated with abnormal heart rhythms. Other reported complications include seizures, low blood pressure and breathing problems. Deaths have been reported in connection with ibogaine use, which is one reason researchers have stressed the need for medical supervision.

In the United States, ibogaine is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance and isn't approved as a treatment. That may be starting to change, at least when it comes to research.

In April, the Food and Drug Administration allowed an early-stage U.S. clinical trial of noribogaine hydrochloride, a compound derived from ibogaine, for alcohol use disorder. The decision allows researchers to study the drug in a controlled setting. It does not mean the FDA has approved ibogaine or determined that it is safe or effective.

He Went To Mexico Because Ibogaine Treatment Was Available There

His post offered a glimpse into why someone might seek it out in the first place. He had spent years talking publicly about addiction and mental health, including through his “Mental Health Mondays” posts. He had also spoken about previous treatment and medications.

In the video from Mexico, he wasn't presenting ibogaine as some casual wellness experiment. He described being frightened before the treatment and hoping he could finally deal with what had been haunting him.

His family supported him at the time. His mother, Cindy Crawford, called him a warrior, while his sister, Kaia Gerber, publicly expressed how proud she was of him.

Now that Gerber is dead, that old post is being looked at very differently.

But there are still unanswered questions. His medical examiner's investigation remains open, and the office has said it could take months before a cause of death is determined.

What Is Known About Ibogaine Is Complicated

It is an old plant-based psychedelic that has become the subject of modern addiction research. There are early signs that it could have therapeutic potential. There are also documented risks that make it very different from an ordinary treatment.

Scientists are still trying to figure out where it fits.

Gerber was trying to figure out where he fit, too. His final outcome doesn't answer the scientific questions surrounding ibogaine. It just makes those questions harder to ignore.

Anyone struggling with substance use can call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day.

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