HopefulinFLA

Does anyone here have any experience with Antabuse? My AH is considering giving it a try.

Thanks!

newpower

im currently u using campral it's very effective for the cravings. antibuse will only punish if he drinks. both are good back ups though on top of aa ect.

whiskeyman

i didnt try it but wanted to when I wanted a quick fix to my problem.
I think it takes more than a pill to get to the bottom of why you are drinking.

MatildaRose

I've used many different meds to help me in my recovery and Antabuse has been a wonderful tool for me. In the very early days of sobriety if I woke up in a "Craving mood" I would force myself to take an Antabuse. Then I could go thru the day and not have to worry that I might drink. It took my choice to do so away and some days I needed that! now that I'm further along in recovery I am more likely to put some L~Glutimine under my tongue or take a few Kudzu pills if I feel and uncomfortable craving coming on. It gets easier and easier to just ride out the wave of the crave the more sober time that I have. In any case I will always have Antabuse for times of extreme stress(Holidays etc.) to make sure that I always have a friend near by to make sure I never drink alcohol again!

MatildaRose

IMO, It takes a lot more than a pill to recover from alcoholism but Antabuse can be an Ali to get you enough sober time to start to figure the rest out.

HopefulinFLA

I agree completely, but it sounds like it could be a useful tool getting the process started.

terry9

I had campral and it helped a great deal . I would try that first before antabuse . Where I am you cant be prescribed these without being on a programme but they do help but you will still need all your other tools and your will power ! Good Luck xx I took Campral for a year and have now been sober for 2 years 2 months .x

terry9

I realise its not for you !! I wrote that last comment as though it was for you !! sorry I meant it for your partner ! xx Good luck to them and of course you for helping and finding advice xxxx

HopefulinFLA

Terry,
No worries. I appreciate you chiming in!

2 years and 2 months is a great accomplishment. You should be very proud of yourself.

Volstead

I have been taking Antabuse for over a month and it has worked magnificent for me. I take it every morning with my a.m. vitamins and it removes the option of drinking....unless you enjoy getting violently ill.

I've been a drinker for 30 years ...really heavy for about the past 10. I was a social drinker and would be out and about drinking 8-12 doubles(which were usually triples because I knew all the bartenders very well and they would pour heavy) and also lots of
patron shots on several days of the week. Never drank alone and didn't start until after 5
except during football season and vacations.

I never went more than 10 days without booze until Antabuse. I'm on day 35 alcohol free. I've been developing healthy habits ...getting up really early and working out , eating better, walking a few miles a day, going to the library and reading instead of the bars. For me the transition is going very smooth. Keeping a clear head and voluntarily taking the Antabuse made it all happen. Any relapse would be premeditated ...Antabuse can stay in your system for up to 2 weeks giving you ample time to rethink your plan.

I've noticed that when Antabuse is brought up on the forums someone always says "yeah, I knew a dude who took it and died." As if they took the pill and a few minutes later died. If you consume Antabuse and continue to drink, yes, you do risk potential health risks . Here's the solution DON'T DRINK WHILE ON IT... IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT THEN DON'T TAKE IT.

I never had the discipline to drink in moderation but I do have the discipline to take a pill to stop me from drinking all together...odd, huh? The last time Antabuse was brought out someone made the statement . "everyone who has every taken Antabuse has drank on it . No exceptions!" Well, I must be the exception to the "no exceptions!".

I'm adjusting to the life without alcohol more than I am the food restrictions with taking the Antabuse but I'm getting used to living without chicken marsala.

If you decide to take it then definitely read everything you can about it first.

MatildaRose

I took Campral with good results but Baclofen was even better to take away my cravings. Now I mostly use natural anti craving meds like L~Glutamine and Kudzu. I can honestly say that It's very rare for me to feel any cravings lately. What a huge relief that is!!!

MatildaRose

That is GREAT news. I am proud of you and you should be proud of you too!!!

Ranger83

I have an Antabuse prescription and the pills are sitting on my counter. As soon as I am 48 hours off alcohol I'm going to start taking them. I've tried other things, but I always started drinking again. I think the prospect of getting violently ill will be enough to keep me from taking the first drink. With me, after the first drink, there's no stopping. Tried AA for months, and I know it works for some people, but it didn't work for me, so now it's the figurative gun to the head with Antabuse, which I think will do it for me.

Volstead

Hi Ranger83, I looked at my bottle of Antabuse for a long time after waiting for the alcohol to get out of my system. I kept thinking I should have one more drunken blowout...hit New York for the weekend ...hhmmm Bourbon St! Fly to New Orleans ...no waitwait... River St. in Savannah! Is my last drunk really gonna be the dive bar that was walking distance from my house??? It will be. Somehow it seemed appropriate. I popped the pill and thought "it's a brave new f***king world, now." Best decision I have ever made.
Volstead

gonzo4419

It is a very strong deterrent, as stated above it isn't a magic pill that will stop you from drinking (I have drunk while taking it in the past, the symptoms from it vary from person to person, I personally didn't have the violent nausea, but the face flushing and 'hearing' my heartbeat POUNDING in my ears was uncomfortable enough).

It's main feature is after getting up to speed on it, it takes 10-14 days to clear your system, so you would have to be frustrated to the point where you said 'to hell with it, in 2 weeks I'm getting loaded' and then stop taking it, and this gives you a chance to reassess if it would be worth it (hint, it isn't).

Lifewillgetbet

This is a good topic.
I took Antabuse for about 3 months. The only issue is you actually have to take the pills. I was able to drink on Antabuse. Yea I know, stomach Bile has no bearing on my alcoholism. In Canada Antabuse was quite expensive anyways.
I found Camprol was very very effective. I realize everyone is different but Camprol worked for about 4 months. Then I stopped taking Camprol and had to go back on Valium.
I am not a huge fan of Antabuse, but I am a big fan of Camprol. Just ask your Dr. My Doctor easily gave me Camprol. It is about $200.00 Im going to start taking it again this weekend. It is not effective if you are still drinking so you have to stop.

MatildaRose

Wise decision Ranger. Antabuse works as long as you are willing to keep taking it. It's a great way to get some sober time so you can think straight.

HopefulinFLA

Hi Ranger,
Thanks for posting. I sure hope antabuse helps you. Please update us and let us know what you think of it when you start.

HopefulinFLA

Thanks everyone for posting, I really appreciate your input.

longbeachone

I took it for the first six months of sobriety. I found that when I woke in the morning, I was so thrilled to feel so good that I never craved alcohol, so I took an antabuse pill first thing. Late afternoon was my hardest time, especially driving home from work, when I would impulsively stop and pick up a bottle of wine. Couldn't do THAT on antabuse. It was very helpful in the early days. As time went by and I started to really understand how different and wonderful sobriety was, I stopped needing to take it. I've been sober now for four and a half years.