Lindbain

Has anyone else tried antabuse? Did you try drinking on it and if so how many days did you wait until after your last pill before doing so?

LexieCat

Sounds to me like you've just decided to go back to drinking.

I'd suggest calling your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Darthbubster

Why would anyone want to be on Antabuse? They give that stuff to airline pilots that want to keep their license and extreme situations like that. I dont think that doctors even hand that stuff out to common people. If you want to stop drinking, you have to stop for you. Antabuse is an insurance policy that ensures a person does not drink, not really a way for a person to stop drinking. Reason I say was, I asked my doctor about antabuse, not really knowing what it was all about. That was what he told me.

NotDrinkingInCT

My doctor gave me the option of antabuse but I declined because like darthbubster I agree you need to stay sober for yourself.

Leadfoot

I've been on antabuse three times for six months each time. Yes I tried drinking on it. Several times. No I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
What antabuse does is disable the liver from processing the toxins out of alcohol. It's like poisoning yourself when you drink on antabuse. Actually it's not like poising yourself. It is poisoning yourself. Nothing more. I think any Doctor that prescribes antabuse to an alcoholic should lose his license. Immediately. Alcoholics drink. With or without antabuse. Doctors should know that.
On the fourth day after quitting antabuse I stopped feeling the effects and could drink normally (by my standards)

Darthbubster

Interesting Leadfoot, however, even without antabuse, by drinking in an alcoholics fashion, we are still poisoning outselves.

slimjim30

I was just about to say what Darthbubster said...

Antabuse works well for me. I've been using it for 18 months and haven't tried to drink on it. I have stopped taking it a couple of times and drank after waiting a few weeks, but I have never drank on it.

I find it very useful for quitting drinking. It's really changed my life. I'm not totally recovered yet, but I'm getting there. It's restored my confidence and physical health, and given me a new lease on life.

Geralt

Same here, I took Antabuse during my first year, never drank on it. It was a great help when I had cravings or when going to parties or other social events where people drank. Instead of endless debates with my alcoholic voice, it was a simple no - you can't drink or will get sick. I am an impulsive person and without Antabuse I might have drank giving in to a weak moment.

Now I take it rarely, on special events where I am not sure how I will react, like New Year's Eve or a party with a lot of people I don't know.

Geralt

Sometimes you need help when you are not 100% committed. It took time to accept the idea that I can't drink, ever again. And doctors here prescribe on a regular basis, it's tool that is used often in early recovery.

Darthbubster

I see you all are from way abroad. In the US Antabuse is only given prescribed in the most extreme conditions. As I said above, airline pilots that are trying to keep their license and so on and so forth. I guess you learn something new every day.

bigsombrero

Every alcoholic in my treatment center who had ever been on antabuse at least tried drinking on it once. The stories are horrific. I am sure if a doctor had given me antabuse I'd have drank too. In my experience I prefer treatment, counceling, detox, and peer support - seems to have a better success rate than antabuse IMO.

ricmcc

I used to use antibuse, and still keep a small supply around should I ever find that my thinking starts to resemble pre-relapse mode. So far I have not had that sort of thinking, much less a relapse, but still am glad that I have some around. I certainly don't look at it as any sort of recovery program in and of it self, I still need to be engaged in a program regardless of antabuse or not in order to stay in recovery (which will be a year at the end March). The sole reason I did use antabuse, and still keep some around, is that I look at it as a safety net, and I am all in favour of having as many safety nets in place as possible. The reason I went off it, with my Dr.'s approval, was that I am on several meds as it is, and wished to reduce the overall load on my system. I can't say strongly enough, though, that for me, it was useful (still is), but in no way replaces any recovery program. By the way, in Canada, it is not longer widely available, as the manufacturer stopped making it; however, my local pharmacy does make it, and some other orphan drugs, which is why, I guess, in the UK pharmacists are called chemists . Also btw, while I have never tried drinking on antabuse, years ago (when stronger doses were usually used), I have seen the results of using both at once--very unpleasant, as in medical emergency. All the best to you, hope that somewhere in this long winded post I managed to address your questions Take care, rick

Fandy

I don't know what part of the us you live in, but here if you ask and your doctor is aware of your problems with alcohol, it is prescribed, not a standard go to, but not difficult to get a script.

kellyg

I agree with Fandy it depending on where you live - it is prescibed in the US. I live on the East Coast and my doctor and I discussed different options to help me quit including Anatabuse and another med (one that supposedly takes the craving for alcohol away but can't remember name) but I decided to go it alone.

Maybe instead of Antabuse you should try a med that takes the craving away? I think if it helps you to stop (even if only in the beginning) than use every option you have available.

Darthbubster

Naltrexone is the name of the drug that takes cravings away. when i was younger, I asked my doctor about Antabuse. he looked at me like I was nuts. I am from Ohio. This is where i learned about legalities of such things as airline pilots using it to keep licenses, and such. Needless to say, if you were to drink too much too fast on Antabuse, couldn't that be a life threatening situation? Nevertheless, I knew one person that has been on it. that was back in the 80's. He drank on it and was never the same after that. Of course i have not seen that person in 25 years now. However, just out of curiosity, next time i walk into a Rite Aid, or CVS pharmacy, i will have to ask if they carry it. Just for the hell of it. not to mention I do have a class called Healthy Lifestyles in college and have a substance abuse presentation to do at the end of the semester. (yes i am an adult university student). Would be interesting input to know. But the doctor I asked, he was a VA doctor, (yes i am a navy veteran too). He was the one that told me these things. BTW Kellyg. Annapolis is a neat place!!

kellyg

Thanks Darthbuster - I love Annapolis! Great place

I too am an adult u student - in grad school after a long time out lol. But I'm loving it!

deeker

Don't drink on it. I did! over a week after stopping antabuse a long time ago.. Thought I was dying, this is a sickness that is so intense, your heart palpitates out of your chest, your head feels like it is going to explode, I am talking Emergency room kind of sick and it goes on for hours. Your face gets redder than an apple.

Don't do it. You will so regret it. If you even use perfume on your skin with alcohol you will get sick.

You will also be so sick that others will immediately know you are reacting and it will freak the sheet out of them. You will be so panicked like you are literally fighting for your life., I promise you.
It is scary thing I ever went through and I have been in jail 7 times, 14 institutions, suicide attempts, blackouts galore. Don't do it.

slimjim30

I agree not to drink on it, but anything else should be discussed with your doctor. I use after shave every day and don't get sick. I also still use mouthwash, soy sauce, vinegar etc and haven't had any issues.

deeker

Really? wow!

sobertime1

it saved my life. It has helped many- lot's of research out there i suggest really investigating the benifits of it and of course you need a great doc.