Antabuse?
 

Not sure if this post is allowed here, but I'm wondering what people's experiences with antabuse are. I want every advantage over alcohol that I can, and am well aware that this is no substitute for addressing the issue. I go to AA every day and am working the steps and talk to my sponsor daily. I'm also active here, and left my job in the restaurant industry so I don't work with alcohol anymore. No more parties or bars either.

It's a common question here Joey, and one you should most likely discuss with your doctor as well. I think you've also hit on the main point most people make - that its' not a solution in itself to alcoholism. It is only an aid that should be used in conjunction with a recovery program like you are doing.

Antabuse is only designed to make you ill if you ingest alcohol. It's not an "anti-craving" med, although there are several of those too.

Your best bet would be to talk with your doctor and also your sponsor.

Caveat Emptor:

1. Some alcoholics train their bodies to tolerate both alcohol and antabuse.

2. Some users simply switch to narcotics.

3. Some users go x number of years and then assume they are done with it. Relapsing worse than ever.

Tolerate the Antabuse? Wow didn't know that was a thing.

I've never seen it work for anyone.
I've known lots of people who have tried it.
Someone I know is actually being released from the hospital TODAY after having ingested alcohol while on antabuse (she had a heart attack).

I go the AA route...and for me, there is no chemical solution to my problem.

I have been going to AA and staying sober for many years now, but, when I was fresh out of the treatment center, I took Antabuse for ~ 15 - 16 months.

I'm glad I did.

I don't know whether it helped, but I did everything I could, including working the AA program hard, to not resume drinking, and I haven't.

Any side effects for you?

I have taken antabuse on and off for 3 years now. I take it for 2-4 months then stop taking it and drink again.so it is not a cure. I am thinking about going to aa to see if that works for prolonged sobriety. I would however say it is great to get you sober. If I have been on a binge and I say right tomorrow this stops no more booze. I get up in the morning and take antabuse then I can't drink that day and then have to deal with the withdrawals.when your taking antabuse you know you can't drink so you don't think about it as much. None of that daily battle of will I or won't I. I have drank after stopping antabuse for a few days and the side effects are terrible, red flushing skin, vomiting, heart beating fast and a pounding sore head. So personally I would say it is not the answer for long term sobriety.

No it's not, as stayed in my original post I'm very active in my sobriety in other ways.

There are other drugs to help with the cravings if that's what you are struggling with. Topiramate, campral, baclofen, and one more I can't remember (we learned about them in today's day programming. Antabuse (disulfuram) can help to stop over drinking, but if you want to deal with the cravings there are other options to help with your overall sobriety effort.
Talk to your doctor about the options, pros and cons, and what might be right for you and I would detail your sobriety plan and explain you're not looking for a pill to fix it all.

I take it. Only for the first 90 days as it can be hard on the liver. If your dr thinks it's ok for you, and you're working a solid program, it can be that added bit of insurance. It's not a long term solution, IMO. I take it at night with no side effects. Just don't drink on it. Very yucky I hear!

From my experience:
Once I was ready to do all the things you describe- to stop drinking permanently and begin a very strong AA program, it was the right time for me to take Antabuse the CORRECT way. Previously, I used it sometimes, I skipped doses sometimes, I drank on it, and I got away with it. Horrible things could have happen so I am lucky- I wouldn't suggest playing with this stuff as I did. It is a superb medicine as one recovery tool when used correctly.

I took it for 90 days and my dr had me keep a sheaf of papers lined so that every day, I signed and dated and noted time I took it, and a witness signed it. Every day. It became a no brainer and it was perfect for me. In regard to the comment about possible liver impact - my dr decided that the benefit of using Antabuse as one of my sobriety tools outweighed this risk; I was on the brink of cirrhosis and she still felt it was better to use it. My liver functions were all completely normal by about 100 days; she has asked if I would want to take it again if I think I need it now that I work in a restaurant. I don't, but am open to it if she decides I should and wouldn't worry about liver impact. Another reason why a good dr and talking with him/her is key.

I was also on Campral, and still am. I have had zero - in complete honesty, zero- cravings in 7mos (and 1 day). Whether that's because my problem was immediately removed or not, or I was just so sick at the beginning that my body couldn't even contemplate putting alcohol in it, or because the Campral has worked splendidly, I don't care. My dr plans for me to stay on my 3x/day plan indefinitely.

IMO, good meds exist and are there to help us, when good drs prescribe them thoughtfully and in conjunction with all of our medications and care needs.

Good luck. Talk to you doctor and work out a plan.

I took it. It helped me get through those first two weeks of hell. No, it did not take away the cravings, but for me just stopping for one full 24 hour period was a hard thing to do. Again, it just helped me start, the hell inside did not stop.

I too was doing AA, twice a day in the beginning, noon and evening meetings. I was pretty much white knuckling it, but that is what I did and yes I relapsed my ass off till finally getting 90 days under me and started 'getting it'.

I had no side effects. I just knew I would get violently ill if I drank, and that was enough of a negative for me.

I have taken it for several months. For me it has essentially been a physical guarantee for me that I abstain. It's a short-term, but not long-term solution.

No, but I was not particularly stable in early recovery, so side effects may have been masked by my erratic behavior.

For me, giving up the one thing that seemed to be the most important part of my life was an absolutely cataclysmic event.

I felt lost without alcohol, but I stayed in AA constantly and eventually started acting and feeling more stable and moving in a positive direction.