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Has Anyone Used Antabuse??

Old 07-13-2013, 10:10 PM
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Has Anyone Used Antabuse??

Hi im an alcoholic, i desperately want to change the cycle of my life, my doctor has suggested using Antabuse, does anyone have any experience with this drug, it's side effects or complimentary drugs needed to be taken whilst drying out?.
Any assistance would be great
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Old 07-14-2013, 12:21 AM
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Welcome to SR Hagrid I never used antabuse, the people I was seeing for recovery thought it was a bit barbaric and preferred campral instead. But I guess antabuse really does stop you from drinking whereas campral is just supposed to reduce cravings. I think whatever medication you use though it is necessary to do some work on the mental side of addiction. Have you ever tried to get help on that side? Maybe an AA or SMART meeting, or something like AVRT? x
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Old 07-14-2013, 01:53 AM
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i tried AA. but it wasn't for me, antabuse is barbaric i won't disagree with that, but it may be the shock to my system i need
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Old 07-14-2013, 01:57 AM
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Many people who don't like AA get on better with SMART, that may be worth checking out. And I have heard AVRT described as mental antabuse x
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Old 07-14-2013, 01:59 AM
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Hi Hagrid, I was going to try it but I went to my dr to discuss the drug and the side effects were terrifying and I didnt want to lose my mind because I am already half way there. I consume most of my calories from booze hence the humungous weight gain. So Im back on day one. again..
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Old 07-14-2013, 02:41 AM
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If I've done it right there's a lot of antabuse threads here:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...archid=4268343

D
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Old 07-14-2013, 05:32 AM
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My wife was on it for 5 months, and it did keep her from drinking. She stopped it for two weeks and fell of the wagon for 2 days, and now her psychiatrist is trying Naltraxone, which seems to be working well.
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Old 07-14-2013, 05:35 AM
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Antabuse was a good tool for me at a time I just could no seem to stay quit. It was a relief to take the option to drink away and gave me focus on other things that were important. Most of the side effects if any are fairly innocuous. The only major side effect one would have is if they drank on it and it is memorable.

Antabuse should only be taken if one is already motivated to stay sober, but just keep lapsing. Truth be said I never got away with drinking anyway, but the mental gymnastices would tell me this time I will. Antabuse takes that away.

For me, the important thing in the long run was finding interests, healthy relationships and activities which filled my life in such a way that drinking is just plain ridiculous (for me).
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Old 07-14-2013, 05:47 AM
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when i first knew i had to quit i wanted to get antabuse. i couldn't get a doctor's appointment for a week. once i had a couple of days sober, i realised that antabuse would only be a physical cure, and that i have to get on top of this mentally and emotionally as well.

i have 28 days today. today is a horrible, tricky one as all my triggers are out to play. i don't think antabuse alone would be keeping me sober today.
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Old 07-14-2013, 07:37 AM
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Hello hagrid,
What everyone says is spot on.I was on it for 3 weeks just recently and it helped me break the cycle I was in and showed me a little o the sober side of life.I have tried plenty of times to quit on my own and I would struggle all day at work battling in my head if I was going to drink or not when I got finished with work.
It helped me stay 3 weeks sober but then I stopped taking it and relapsed.It is definetly a tool to help bu not a solution.I have 8 days sober now without it but I give some credit to Antabuse for the chance to see what sober was like again.One thing for sure DO NOT DRINK ON IT!It will get you deathly sick.My wife was staining wood in the house and I started getting sick just from the strong fumes of the stain.Good luck with whatever you do!
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Old 07-14-2013, 07:55 AM
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I have a history of repeated relapse. this time I decided to take Vivitrol (the injection form of Naltraxone). Fighting the bottle wasn't working well for me. There would always be the day that I just didn't make it through to the correct choice and even when I did not drink, I was then just obsessed with not drinking instead of being obsessed with drinking. Alcohol still owned me.

this last 6 weeks have been GREAT! Once a month I have to make a decision to take the shot. After that, it's over...I know that I won't get the effect I want from the alcohol..just the icky part...so no point in drinking. The shots have freed me to focus on recovery instead of fighting the bottle 24-7.

I had a bottle of naltraxone that had been perscribed, but I never took it...I knew there was no way I was gonna be able to take it everyday...so no real point. The doctor suggested the Vivitrol. It took special approval from insurance and even when covered is quite expensive. For me, having tried everything else I know of, Vivitrol was the only option left to try...and I am so glad I did

If antibuse works for you and you can make the decision every day to take it...it may releive your mind and allow you to focus on life in recovery. I don't do AA or NA or Smart or AVRT or any of the other formal programs. I do come to SR and practice a recovery program of what works for me. So far so good
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:16 AM
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Thanks for starting this thread. After years of trying but failing to stop drinking I went to see my doctor yesterday and asked him if he would prescribe me antabuse. He didn't like the idea at all . He says it's really brutal, makes you REALLY ill and doesn't cure the root problem . He told me there is another new drug out which apparently does "cure" you but that it hasn't been approved yet so he isn't allowed to prescribe it -would that be the one you've mentioned Ananda?

Maybe it's already approved in U.S?

Hi Ananda nice to see you again (well nice might not be the right word as the fact we're both still here means we're both still struggling, but I remember you fondly from a few years ago when I did actually manage to stay sober for a while)
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:34 AM
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yip, did the Antibuse thing. Kept me sober for a month. Scared me into not drinking.......but stopped it and started to drink again. Now I am just scared of alcohell period. I also used Campraol (sp) That helps with cravings. Wasn't a fan (very expensive where I live) Whatever works for you and your doc tho!!!

Good Luck
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:40 AM
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To be honest what scares me about antabuse is that apparently the only reason you don't drink is because you know it will make you ill right? But I already know that drinking alcohol will make me ill but it doesn't stop me, so can you explain how it works please?
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:58 AM
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Outstanding comments. The only thing I will add is that I asked for it a couple of times and both times the Dr.s refused saying "you have to be disciplined enough to take it every day" and both said most don't.

After a while, I finally did get a prescription - no noticeable side effects and I knew while on it, under no circumstances could any alcohol be consumed. You have to be committed to taking it but it brings up the issue of what's a person's long term plan; you can't take this stuff year after year and it's quite expensive.

My opinion is that it's good for use as an interim "crutch" but you still need some other long term support system.
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Old 07-16-2013, 01:48 PM
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I was on Antabuse. When things got too stressful I would just "not take it" so I could drink.
My AV is smarter then that. Its quite simple to just not take it. This is no medical advise but Campral works for me. It gets me over the 2-3 month hurdle of cravings. I dont even have any cravings. Unfortunately its not cheap, but I dont like putting a price tag on sobriety.
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Old 07-16-2013, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by JJB View Post
To be honest what scares me about antabuse is that apparently the only reason you don't drink is because you know it will make you ill right? But I already know that drinking alcohol will make me ill but it doesn't stop me, so can you explain how it works please?
It makes you EXTREMELY ILL!The kind of ill that you could find yourself in the emergency room.Ive had plenty of hangovers but what I hear this is a whole different level.As I said up above,my wife was staining wood one day.I got home from work and about 30 minutes went by and I instantly start feeling terrible.stomach,headache.
I got some fresh air and felt better after about an hour.I looked it up on the Internet and sure enough it was the stain reacting to the Antabuse.I never tried to drink on it because of all the horror stories I read.
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:26 PM
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I'm on Antabuse. It may be a crutch, but I definitely needed to remove the option. If I want to drink, the drug needs to leave my system. It takes a good 4 days for that to happen. Thus, I can't spontaneously respond to a craving. I agree with what people have said: the physical element is done but there is so much more to this addiction. I know I can't be on Antabuse forever so I need to work for the time I will be off it and not relapse. That time is not now
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:46 AM
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Thanks Stubbs. Although the doctor didn't put me on antabuse I was seeing him also for another medical problem I have and on looking up the antibiotic he has given me I see it has the same side effects as antabuse and I mustn't take alcohol for at least 48 hours after finishing the course of treatment. So I don't even have the option of not taking the stuff for a day during two weeks as it's an antibiotic and I have to get rid of the infection I have. The result is I'm scared stiff of even going near a supermarket. At the same time,, reading on here that others have managed with antabuse then I should be able to do it too, which gives me (a little) confidence. Feel really crap though! Sorry if I have diverted thread.
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Old 07-17-2013, 03:46 AM
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I am taking antabuse this time around. I have a habit of throwing in the towel. I will get a few weeks of sobriety and then my AV is there screaming that since you don't have much time, you can just start over.

I have started over too many times and this time I don't want to. I am using it as a crutch right because I have pulled into liquor stores on the spur of the moment. I need to use it get me to the point that NOT drinking becomes a habit.

I also attend AA, have a sponsor and am calling friends in the program. I am determined to stay sober with whatever will help me.

Today is day 50 and this is the longest amount of continuous sobriety since 2011 when I first tried to quit.
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