soupdragon1973

I have been prescribed anta-abuse,very grateful to be on it,its working for me.Just wanted to know how long people had been on for before going it alone.I have decided 6 months might be enough for me before going it alone.Longest I have gone sober on will power alone in the past was 4-5 weeks,so I am thinking 6 months will be long enough.How long was you yourself on anta-abuse if you used it before you felt strong enough or comfortable enough to go it alone?

One more question,does anta-abuse affect mood,as in a side effect may be a depressed or low mood as a result of taking it?

littlefish

I asked my doctor about that. He said he has some patients who use antibuse for years.
I am using it now because I feel like my recovery is still pretty fragile. I know if I stopped antibuse this week, I would probably start drinking again. I am going to AA meetings every week and I want to start working the 12 steps. My goal is to keep going to meetings (always...), get a sponsor, work the steps, get completely used to my new sober life, and then quit antibuse when I feel strong.
I'm really comfortable taking it but I want to eventually take the "training wheels" off in a few months.

CarolD

It's very important to have regular liver
done by your doctor when you use Antabuse.
That is how you will know what
time to stop staking Antabuse.

Also..you need to be aware that it has an afterlife.
You can not quit Antabuse on Sunday and drink
safely on Monday.

We SR members are not allowed to give medical
advice because of possible harm to someone.
What works for some may be dangerous for you.
Members can PM you but I certainly would not
consider taking another cyber persons medical advice.

If you have concerns about your medication
you always need to consult with a professional.

Glad you are here with us...
Best wishes as you continue to move forward

soupdragon1973

ok thanks for responses.I wouldnt take anyones advice regarding the anta-abuse just wanted to know people experiences i.e how long they felt,or their doctor felt they needed to use it for.I know anta-abuse has a half-life of about 7 days,which is a great dis-couragement to drinking.I hope to use it for perhaps for 6 months

littlefish

Let me echo Carols words here: I am taking antibuse under medical supervision and meet my doc once a month and see nurses twice a week. I completely agree that anyone who wants answers to antibuse questions, the person to ask is your doctor....

Another echo: it indeed has an afterlife and my own personal experience is that it stays in my body around 10 to 12 days.

that pretty much kills the impulsive drinking. Hee hee: it's like saying: oh, in 12 days, 6 hours 25 minutes and 30 seconds, I'm going to carefully plan on doing something highly impulsive....

soupdragon1973

no,no,no again,I seem to communicate in-effectively.I wasnt asking for medical advice as such,just curious as to how long people here had used,or have been told they were going to use it for.I spoke to my doc just this morning and he didnt give me an affirmative answer to my question but I said 6 months and he said it depends on person to person.I wasnt asking people so I could think "ah,they used it for 6 weeks so I guess I will follow suit".I am just wary of medications and the less time I have to stay on anything the better I guess.I dont have to worry about dependency on it so thats a good thing(as in a physical dependency).Doc just said its about when you feel confident and strong enough to remove it as a detterent.So maybe,how long is a piece of string is the best answer to this question as it varies from person to person.

soupdragon1973

yes,yes completely agree.That was part of myproblem,the spontanetity of my drinking,it would just well up suddenly,the cravings.Now that is not an option and I am thankful for anta-abuse.Like you say,its crazy to plan 7-12 days in advance that you are going to drink by which time your mood has changed completely!