Antabuse pills
 

Has anyone ever had family members use this and it work well towards their recovery?

My husband began taking this voluntarily recently because he had a few relapses that I think even scared him.

I feel like it is a chruch and not a permanent solution obviously and am concerned about what will happen when he stops taking it. Just wondering if others had experience. Thanks!

Antabuse is a serious drug that can be an excellent tool when used effectively and correctly - it can be very dangerous, even lethal, if misused.

I assume your husbancd is under the care of a psych who is prescribing this - have they discussed his commitment to sobriety? I took antbuse while still drinking and would sometimes skip doses and even drink while on it. I am very lucky I did not suffer worse consequences than couple instances of leg cramping/mild seizures and serious red face and heart constriction.

I took it successfully last year for the first 90 days of my sobriety. My psych took it so seriously that she had me get a paper signed with witness and date/time signature, every day. Antabuse can be hard on the liver so my understanding is that most drs don't prescribe it for long time use.

I was completely committed to sobriety so Antabuse was one tool of several medicinal ones (I started and still take Campral/acamprosate for cravings,, and an anxiety med as needed).

Bottom line: does your husband want to quit drinking, full stop? For me, everything medical and otherwise followed from that decision.

batchel....I worked with alcoholics for many years. I was the medical co-ordinator between psychiatry and medicine in a large heal care organization.
As such, I prescribed Antabuse for many of the patients.
I need to say, that I was watching over them carefully for their physical conditions...and I had evaluated their liver function, etc.).
In addition, they were all in a three month rehab program, as well, and I met with all the family members.
In other words.....it was a total program!
Antabuse was just one "tool" for them...It can be useful, in the beginning of recovery...mostly to help them from reaching for that "first drink"....it is the first drink that does the damage...because the alcoholic can't stop at a first drink. It is based on the reasoning, that if a person knows that the drink will cause them to become violently ill...they will have thinking time to make other decisions....like, go to a meeting, or call their sponsor, or get the hell out of the bar...etc.
Antabuse, alone, won't stoop anyone who wants to drink from finding a way....
they will stop taking the pill....or, they may try to drink on it...I have seen people do that , too!
In short, it is a helpful tool for th ose who are motivated to stay sober.
Personally, I would never prescribe Antabuse to someone who was not working a program.
A daily AA meeting is the best medicine that I can think of...lol....

It IS a crutch, but crutches are useful and appropriate when you are first injured. One wouldn't continue using a crutch once the leg is healed, and in fact, it could interfere with healing when it becomes appropriate to put the weight back on the leg.

As long as it's used appropriately, in conjunction with long-term treatment (which might be AA), it can keep the newly sober, well, SOBER while they are getting their feet on the ground. Not a permanent solution, as others have mentioned.

Many years ago after a relapse, I took it for a while as I could not stop starting again no matter what. It was an excellent tool for me then and immensely helped me on getting back on the right track. One can never predict the future, except for the fact that drinking will continue to be the same or worse for some of us. I think 95% of the battle is knowing/internalizing the fact that drinking offers absolutely nothing positive for us and only negative. The Antabuse is an obvious link, but we should be able to link everything else in life also that becomes negative with alcohol.

I think it's a tool in the toolbox. If it's the only thing in the toolbox it's not likely to work long term, however I believe it can be useful when paired with the appropriate recovery.

I also think that addicts many times plan their use time, and just don't take it at that time. I have heard that many times.

So if he truly wants to be well, he will work for the recovery.

The only permanent solution for alcoholism is to stop drinking and have a deep desire to do so with a commitment to not drink each and every single day for the rest of their lives.

A person who truly wants to stop drinking will move heaven and earth not to.

They will be sitting in AA meetings every day. They will be working a program that helps them to stop because left on their own and up to them, they will drink again and again and again. It takes more than popping a pill that makes you sick if you do attempt to drink. It takes more than just saying they want to stop. Actions, lots of them on their part is what is needed.

My stbxah took Antabuse on and off as part of his halfhearted attempt to get sober. Shockingly, it was unsuccessful.

He took it when he really didn't want to drink, went off it whenever a drinking function was on the horizon, and sometimes even took it and then drank anyway. (I asked him how that felt and he said he felt awful. But still he drank.).

I think it is more widely prescribed outside of the US, and I understand that for people who are committed to recovery, it can help.