tiburon88

I am currently taking Antabuse & must say that I think it saved me the other night. It's the first time taking this medication & I still remember a friend drinking while on it years ago (not good). Some may say that it's a crutch and not "real sobriety". I don't care anymore as long as it keeps me out of the E.R. or handcuffs.The good thing with me is that I will rarely, if ever use drugs unless I have already had a "few" beers. I would have gone to a meeting, prayed, called someone in the program yesterday and still had ended up drunk. I think this "old school" medication really isn't used much anymore but for me I thank God i had it in my system. For the next 3 months I will do a 90 pills in 90 days program and hopefully remain sane. Addiction can sometimes be a slow death with many jails and institution visits along the way. I am so powerless over alcohol it is scary.

youngirish

Hi tiburon,

"I am so powerless of alcohol it is scary" is a statement I can more then relate too. My dad's best friend (his sponser) quit using Antabuse as well. Well, he drank on it, got so sick he wanted to die, then kept taking it. I've been thinking about it too, with his warning in mind, lol. The 90 pills in 90 days sounds interesting. I didn't know that was how it worked. I'd do anything to get to three months! Did that only once years ago..fresh out of rehab then decided after that I had learned out to drink socially, lol. Anyway, I've been doing pretty well but some cravings are scary. I'm assuming you're finding it helpful knowing you'll get potentially dealthly ill if you have a drink on the medication? Sorry I'm rambling. Not quite sure where I'm getting at,lol. Anyway..Good for you if you're finding something to help you stay sober. Are you having any side effects or anything from the Antabuse?
*youngirish

CarolD

Hmm...
Can Antabuse give you "real sobriety".? Yes.
Can it give you " real recovery"? No.
JMO

I too used Antabuse in early sobriety.
I did drink whith it.... became so violently ill
I quit the Antabuse.

The catalyst for my reaction was a single split of
champagne ..18 hours after 125 mg of Antabuse.

Be sure and check out the afterlife of Antabuse
I kinda remember it stays in your system 4 or 5 days
after the last pill. Also...you do need to have your
doctor monitor liver enzymes if you take the med.

I do think it can be a good start for sobriety.
I took it each morning along with my birth control pill
for the same reason....Prevention!

It gave my mind time to clear so I could begin my goal
Recovery....

nandm

I am in agreement with Carol. Yes, antibuse can be an aid to stopping drinking. But it doesn't necessisarily give you recovery.

To explain what I am trying to say. My experience is I tried many times to quit drinking on my own, I tried several methods. I was even successful for a year. The problem for me was that the whole time I was miserable inside. I couldn't stand to be in my own skin. I still had cravings for alcohol. I held it together on the outside but my insides were a train wreck. Needless to say I went back to drinking. To me that was a form of sobriety, and in I did not drink during that time.

The difference between that and what I have today, recovery, is I do not have that hole inside anymore. I am comfortable with who I am. Resentment and anger are things that I let go of fairly easy. I know that I am responsible for my actions. I no longer feel like an imposter. My insides finally match my outsides, if that makes any sense.

The difference is the program of A.A. gave me the tools to live without the need of alcohol. It taught me things that I missed along the way about how to live my life in peace and serenity. I am not perfect, I do have rough days and trying times but today I don't automatically think about a drink on those days.

I hope this has helped answer your question. I am glad you have found a way to allow your system to dry out from the alcohol. I sincerely hope that in the meantime you are able to find a recovery program that works for you. Glad you are here with us at SR. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Judith

kelsh

Hi,

I went to treatment a month after I sobered up and when I came home, I asked my alcohol counselor if I could take Antabuse for three months. I was using this as a crutch. I had seen what it did to people that drank on it and they all almost died.

I wanted to be sober more than anything else in my life. I asked for help and to go to treatment and also got help for my depression at the same time. I did not have any run-ins with the law or any type of legal problems...I just wanted to be sober. :praying

Hope this settles the question in your mind. I don't think you have to tell everyone that you are on antabuse...that is your business. I considered it a good crutch.. it helps you stand on your own two feet for a while until you trust yourself not to take that first drink for today. :comfort

kelsh

Mongo

Hi Tib

I was on antabuse for over a year. I stopped taking it about June/07. I was able to refrain from drink for about a month then relapsed. Since then I've had a few false starts on my plan to abstain.

During that year it's obvious to me that even though I was sober, I wasn't working hard enough on recovery.

During that year however, I had a chance to repair some of the damage in my life caused by drinking. I am in a much better postion than I was.

So, maybe a crutch, but I do not regret trying it. I'm not sure I would go back on it though that remains a possibility.

Work hard on your recovery. Use the antabuse as a tool to help you develop a new lifestyle.

Good luck and keep well

Ron

Pinkcuda

Take it! There's nothing wrong with using as a tool to go along with your other methods. It will keep you off the booze, I guarantee that. The only thing is that you can't take it forever. Use it to get you over the hump but continue working your program.

pete7131

Hi PinkCuda. Do you by chance know how long you can take Antabuse?

Pinkcuda

It seems to me that I was only allowed to take it for 60 days but I can't remember too well. It was around 83-84 and I was drinking a lot so things aren't too clear. It was court ordered so it seemed like I was on it for years but in reality I think it was no more than 60 days. I think there was medical reasons why it can't be prescribed for longer. Check with your Doctor or google it but I think it messes up your liver if you take it for too long.

caitlin666

i am on antabuse atm, they prescribed it to me in the detox clinic. which is what i wanted.

i can be very implusive, and can tell you, its been great for me,
a few times i could have slipped, but knowing i couldnt drink, it wasnt an option.

i know this isnt a cure, but i can tell you its lifted a great weight of my mind knowing that its in my system....i used to wreck my brain battling with the will i/wont i
now that option isnt there, i can get on with the other parts of my recovery

it doesnt take away the cravings, its just a little help.

as far as i know, antabuse can be taken indefinately

tiburon88 i found support groups in whatever form the way to go

Tazman53

Nothing in the world wrong with taking antabuse or any other med that helps one get started on the road to recovery. Anything that helps one get over the hump is a good thing.

Antabuse is kind of like a gun to ones head, it gives one a bit more will power not to pick up because they can get very sick if they drink on it, but there are folks who can drink on it.

Antabuse and all other meds are a good method to start the road to recocovery, but they are not the answer to long term recovery, every single one of those meds state that one should be in some form of a long term recovery program.

Real recovery is in the heart and soul of a person and not in pill form, meds can help get there, but long term they are not the answer.

CarolD

Hi Pete!

Welcome to SR!

CarolD

caitlin...
It's good to see you here with us in our Alcoholism Forum

sugErspun

Did you mean the obsession of the mind rather than craving?

The phenomenon of craving only occurs when there is alcohol introduced to the body of an alcoholic, it is completely physical in nature. That is why the medical community states the only advice they have is total abstinence. The main problem with the alcoholic, is that total abstinence is not an option - they will drink again, craving will develop - the cycle starts all over again.

My $.02 - antabuse does not contribute to a spiritual experience, which is vital to recover from alcoholism. It's a middle of the road solution for AA's.

sugErspun

I think the Dr's opinion is pretty clear

"Of course an alcoholic ought to be freed from his physical craving for liquor, and this often requires a definite hospital procedure, before psychological measures can be of maximum benefit.
We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all"

action of alcohol = allergy = physical craving

Craving takes place in the body

A little more from the Dr's Opinion:

"After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again"

The phenomenon of craving develops after one has succumbed to the desire. To me, succumbing to desire (obsession, mental) means taking that first drink. Then and only then does craving develop.

and again

"They took a drink a day or so prior to the date, and then the phenomenon of craving at once became paramount to all other interests so that the important appointment was not met."

They took a drink - and then the craving.

The whole point of the doctor's opinion is that there is something physical that takes place in the body of an alcoholic. It's also lets us know that Doctor's cannot help us other than to dry us out - "we are perhaps not well equipped to apply the powers of good that lie outside our synthetic knowledge" - I am told to read it as follows: "Doctors are perhaps not well equipped to apply the powers of God that lie outside doctor's synthetic knowledge"

I hope this makes sense.

nandm

I think that you both are talking about basically the same thing with just different wording. The Big Book talks about the idea of allergy (a physically reaction) as well as the mind being part of the problem (mental component) it also speaks of a spiritual component. When one adds it all up it is a three part disease of the mind, body, and spirit. To only treat one of those components fails to get to the root of the problem putting the person at a greater risk for drinking again.

Alcohol does have a physical component to it, that can be seen with the physical withdrawls such as DT's. This is spoke about in "The Doctor's Opinion." This physical component can be helped with an anti-seizure medication, antabuse, anti-anxiety meds and other medications that address the physical component.

Alcohol does have a mental component to it, that can be seen in the way alcoholics think. The Big Book talks about this in several places one being "There is a Solution" page 26. Dr Jung is speaking with a man regarding alcoholism The waking up in the morning feeling like sh** swearing that we will not drink like that again or not drink at all and turning right around and by the end of the day just as drunk or drunker than we were the night before. The blackouts, the stupid things each of us has done while drinking that we probably never would have done sober. The insanity of doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. The Steps help us with this aspect of alcoholism.

Alcohol does have a spiritual component to it. The Big Book talks about alcoholics this in several places one is in "There is a Solution" page 27. Dr. Jung So basically both of you are correct in what you are saying. There is more than one factor involved in alcoholism. To successful deal with the disease all of the components need to be addressed. Many people go cold turkey and just deal with the physical withdrawl symptoms. No matter how a person deals with the physical symptoms one also needs to address the other core issues involved in the disease.

Just my couple of cents worth. :puppet

nandm

Sorry, I was just trying to help resolve the disagreement between you and sugerspun so the thread could get back to topic. You are correct the topic of the thread is what should be discussed and other disagreements should be addressed either through pm or a new thread.

User_Name

I took it for a month about a year ago. I relied on it, and drank on it a few times. I didn't get sick like throwing up, but my face got REALLY red and I got a major headache. I stopped taking it after deciding to go back drinking and even after 6 days of not taking it I still felt the effects. It worked since I drank much much less, but my emotions never really healed. This is just my experience, now I'm in AA and if it were offered by a doctor I don't think I would have a problem taking it again, and I can feel my emotional pain SLOWLY subsiding. Good luck with everything!

sugErspun

Well..like I said in my first post (and thought maybe I hadn't been clear).

I consider antabuse to be a middle of the road solution from AA members. The solution offered in AA is a spiritual experience.

This spiritual experience (and continued maintenance) removes the insanity that precludes the first drink.

Without the first drink I will never experience the phenomenon of craving which sets forth the vicious cycle which leads to either death or insanity.

I apologize if what I posted came off as abrasive, I really was trying to be clear with tiburon on my experience and opinion on the matter. If I feel that information which is false (craving without alcohol on the body) has been offered, I am going to say something about it. It does nothing for anyone to stand aside when someone is being misinformed of the AA message.

nandm

Back to the topic of the thread

Antabuse and Sobriety