Force

I need the choice or option to be able to drink to be removed. Nothing is working, no meeting, no steps. I get no support from family and friends. So I just want the option to drink to no longer be one for me. I am not asking for medical advise, but anyone had good experience with maitaining long term sobriety from using antabuse in the beginning?

Dee74

Hi and welcome force

I have no experience to share but go see your Dr and see what he/she suggests - Antabuse may not even be suitable for you, who knows?

D

Force

Thank you, I am trying to pump myself so when I go there I am honest about my continued drinking, but that I feel like if I dont quit I will die soon. Also, don't want her to deny my refill request on my sleep aide. If I dont sleep I dont stay sober..

fantail

I've met people who used Antabuse, but haven't myself. It seems like a good way to give you the help you need at the start. Just getting through the first couple months when it's really hard not to get in is very valuable.

As a long term strategy, though, you need to make sure you're doing other forms of recovery, like group therapy, counseling, AA, inpatient, AVRT, etc. I met quite a lot of people who had the antabuse as their one and only defense against booze, and slipped up as soon as they went off of it. I even met one guy and heard of another who over time slowly built up the ability to drink ON antabuse!

Talk to your GP & see what they say, and if you do it, make sure that you're using that sober time to work actively on your mental strength in sobriety.

ScottFromWI

Both things sound like ideas to speak with your doc about. Antabuse is not normally considerd a "long term" sobriety solution, your doctor will most likely talk with you about that as well.

wpainterw

Yes, I've had a lot of experience. Even had an "antabuse implant" when traveling abroad (extended release capsule implanted subcutaneously. Available in the UK and Canada but not, so far as I know, in the U.S.). All it does is buy you time, a breathing spell. Negatives include risk of death (heart attack, stroke) if you drink while on it, as well as possibly or even probably (in my case) postponing the most important thing of all, namely getting started on a recovery program. I tried antabuse, 1-1 "counseling" but avoided group therapy or other work with other recovering alcoholics,as well as AA. Finally started to attend AA meetings after 30 or more years of struggle and relapse. Found some problems with AA but learned a lot from an Agnostics group, although I am not an agnostic or atheist. Later I benefitted from Rational Recovery but do not believe that it is basically inconsistent with AA. Thus I have been that controversial fellow, an eclectic, but despite that distaste for dogma (other than an addiction to dogs and horses) I have managed nearly 27 years of sobriety. Now at my age (88) my life expectancy is such that time is running out for me to get in trouble. My doctors say that I shall die of a heart attack or stroke. I've had open heart surgery and a "non invasive" arterial artificial valve implant. The likelihood that I might relapse is also diminished by my logging on to SoberRecovery. I only wish I had had that back in my drinking years. It is an enormous resource. Quite astonishing. After I die, I shall try to keep posting (like Houdini who said he would communicate if he could). If I do so it will probably be on Halloween. Check it out. I'll try to put up a thread. I take literally what they say in AA, "Keep coming back!"

W.

fantail

wpainterw!

Lorax1981

I think it could be worth a shot, but Do Not drink even remotely close to taking it.

Dee74

Remember guys - experience only please - recommendations are medical advice.

Thanks

Dee
Moderator
SR

Soberwolf

Hello & Welcome Force when my Dr gives me meds its for 1 month only which I like

Good luck

Meraviglioso

Hi, I took antabuse. I hesitate to post something negative about a medication because I don't' want to scare anyone away from exploring ANY option available to stay sober. With that said, this is only MY experience.
A little over a year ago I was on antabuse for about a month. I managed 47 days of sobriety while taking the medication. I stopped because I could not handle the side effects. I was sleeping nearly 18-20 hours a day, I could not wake or get the energy to get out of bed. It seriously interfered with my ability to care for my children.
I am generally very sensitive to medications and side effects though. Not everyone is affected in that way, you may not be.
While taking the medication I did not drink for fear of what would happen if I did. It bought me time where I was able to stay sober while getting myself in order. The problem was I did not get myself in order. I didn't work on myself in any constructive way. I simply fought through cravings out of fear of drinking.
And fight I did. Antabuse doesn't take away the craving for alcohol, it just makes it a very, very bad idea to act on that craving.
I am now taking Campral which has proven to be a better fit for me. It diminishes cravings for alcohol. They still come but the nearly 24/7 obsession is no longer there. With campral I have the free will of choice- to drink or not to drink. Because that choice remains (while antabuse eliminates it) I need to do daily work to make sure I make the choice that is right for me, to not drink. I am certain that the addition of daily work towards my goal of sobriety and not just dependance on a medication is what has made the difference for me.
Talk to your doctor honestly about your habits, your concerns and your personality. Knowing you first hand, face-to-face, they will be able to make the best recommendation medication wise.
Best of luck to you!

sogladnow

I went though the same thing. I got some antabus, took it happily at first. Great. Sobriety. Chemical handcuffs. Problem was, I had the key. I stopped taking them because I planned a drink when I knew it would have worn off. My wife then took over. Checked my mouth that I had swallowed them. So I substituted similar looking tablets because I still wanted to drink whilst proving to my family I was on a righteous path. Relapsed badly, got caught, confessed, my wife took over again, this time getting a new prescription and hiding the bottle and giving me one each day. So I put my fingers down my throat straight after...

Do you see my point ?

I only got some decent sobriety when I wanted it. For me it brought some respite from drinking, but I wasn't ready so I found ways round it. The way I stopped was 90 in 90, sponsor, and the realisation that booze just doesn't do it for me any more. It just makes me feel crap.

It took me ages to see this, I had hell on the way as did my family. I just finally saw that the only person or thing that can stop me drinking is support from sober alcoholics.

Good luck with your sobriety, maybe it will work for you. For me though it was a very temporary fix.

Force

Thank you ALL for the great responses! My appointment is in a couple of hours and I'm still debating on if I can be honest with my doctor. The support from reading and the support seems to make me think I can and know it is imperative to healthy new sober life!

paddyjnr1

Yes I am on them and have been on them in the past, I found them very effective especially combined with stories from others who drank on them and felt like dying, the symptoms they experienced scared the living day lights out of me so yes they are a great deterrent.
I also take a new medication on the market now called Selincro 18mg for chronic alcoholism only problem with them is theres a bit of a get out clause attached to them.
They do lessen cravings but you can drink on them but only a limited amount. (tried and tested by moi) of course I would have to try and see could I drink like a gentleman on them.
First few days, 4 pints and home satisfied with my fill.
Day 5 decided I'd have a topshelf drink and then the hiccups started for 24 hours.
oh boy was that hell, next day skipped my dose and bam i stayed untill I fell off the bar stool.
If you are really sure you don't want to drink, antabuse is certainly a deterrent but it does nothing for the alcoholic mind where the disease is centred, Get help with "minding your mind" along with it and please try give AA a go even if it means not speaking, I promise you one day you will understand what it's all about. It's so simple you'd miss it. It's a mere one hour a day, try move around to different ones until you find yourself comfortable.. I wish you the best my friend..

wpainterw

I spoke exclusively from experience. And remember, whatever you do I shall keep my AA promise to "keep coming back" even, or perhaps especially, after I am dead. You may want to keep checking this website on Halloween. Just because Houdini couldn't make it back doesn't mean that I can't give it a shot. I'll always be watching you and if you don't sober up I'll be haunting you.

W.

KiKi0615

Whatever you do, I am cheering for you Force. You can do it!

OpenTuning

The decision of whether to take it is between you and your doctor, but I'd just want to ask what your plan is while on the Antabuse to stay sober when you stop taking it? Because it seems clear it isn't meant to be a permanent solution in itself. Now might be a good time to think about why those other methods didn't work for you, and what you'll do differently to find a method that will work. Depending on what the answers are to those questions, you might even find you could skip the antabuse stage and go straight to the other solutions.

Saskia

I don't think that any of the available meds are a "solution" though they may help some of us when used in addition to other treatment (that's my experience). I'd suggest that when you see your doctor that you get his/her advice on which of the meds to try.

Mountainmanbob

I have known a few who took Antabuse so as to help to keep them away from the drink. Under doctor's orders it seems to be an efficient tool.

But, we did have a man at work years ago that drank a small beer while taking it and he got very red in the face and fell over and hit his head pretty hard. One would never wish to drink while taking this drug -- although many try ??? Not sure why ??? Could kill you !

MB

Dee74

I hope you don't mean haunting me personally Bill....

:

My mod remarks upthread were meant, gently, for everyone - you clearly spoke from first person experience - no worries


D