Meraviglioso

Hi everyone, I hope you all are doing well. I had a very busy weekend and didn't have the opportunity to check in much, I have been thinking of you all

I went to see my family doctor today. I told her that I am concerned about my alcohol intake and want to quit. I also showed her the sonograms of my abdomen (including my liver) and the paper from the doctor who performed the sonogram outlining the fatty liver that she saw. My family doctor (who has years more experience than the much younger doctor who performed the sonogram) said that she 100% disagrees and saw nothing but a completely healthy liver with no fat and no damage. That was a big relief for me.

I then told her of my failed attempt to seek help via the drug and alcohol center I voluntarily visited. I told her of my work with my psychologist as well.

There are certain medications that she cannot prescribe to me (the ones the alcohol center gives) but she can prescribe antabuse.

She is sending me to have my blood taken to check my liver function. I imagine that will be ok if everything looked on on the sonogram, but she wants to check. Then she said she would give me a prescription.

I have read some pretty scary stuff on the internet about people dying after a short time on the medicine. It can cause hepatitis and many people do not survive. I am still deciding if I will take this or not. But I have to admit, it felt really good to get to the doctor and have her be sympathetic and be willing to make that an option for me.

I am just getting to the point where I have to admit I am not strong enough to face this alone. I am desperate.

Does anyone have any experience with this medication? Do you consider taking a medication "cheating" at sobriety. I feel like a failure.

doggonecarl

You don't have a proven defense against the first drink. So do what it takes to prevent it. It's not cheating. Don't feel like a failure.

Once you have enough sober time, you may find you don't need it. But use the time you are on the medicine to bolster your sober living skills.

hopeful4

I can only give my opinion. Firstly, good for you for going and being honest with your doctor. So many will not do that, and it is cheating both themselves and the doctor.

I think Antabuse should be prescribed as a temporary "assistance" to helping one who really wants sobriety to quit. A lot of people who take it do so at the request of a family member or someone else, and I don't think that will ever work. However, for someone like yourself who truly WANTS it, and wants it badly, I think it is a good tool to help you do it. It's not a cure to alcoholism.

Good luck to you and God Bless! Congrats again for taking charge of your recovery!

Meraviglioso

Yes, I definitely will just use it as a boost to get on a solid track record. I would like to try it for 3-6 months, but I will have to hear what my doctor suggests. I have been reading a lot of reviews and all of the reviews from people who were forced to take it are poor. However, there are a LOT of reviews from people who sought it out on their own and said it was a godsend. They finally were completely stripped of the option to drink and could focus their full energy on making a sober life and putting other safeguards in place to prepare for the time they would come off it.

aasharon90

On a court order after a family intervention,
I spent 28 days in rehab detoxing all the poison
in my system. I was very grateful to not have
to be placed on any medication when I saw
many march up to the nurses station to
get their prescribed medication for whatever
they needed it for.

In rehab, we had a routine of excersises to
help sweat out all those toxins in our bodies
and had good food to fuel us up along with
being taught about addiction and to learn
effective helpful way to not drink a day at
a time.

Going to your doctor for a good check up
and being absolutely honest about your
addiction and asking for what you need
to help yourself get healthy is a great
start in building a strong recovery foundation
to live upon for many days sober down
the road.

Anna

I'm glad you got a good report from your dr and that you are working on recovery.

I have no experience with antabuse.

jdooner

I was prescribed at the suggestion of my Dr. But I never took the drug bc I did feel I needed to do it on my own. In the past '96 I did take it for six months. Once you take the 500mg tablet its effects linger for fourteen days. You don't want to drink on Antebuse.

Side effects if you drink include nausea, temporary loss of sight, risk of heart attack. You will need to be careful of what you eat, no mouthwash, careful with fumes when pumping petrol at the station and skin care products, which also contain alcohol.

It works as a great deterrent for someone like yourself that has lucid thoughts of quitting during the day but struggles to get through the witching hours. Think of it like using crutches after you sprain your ankle. Its not a long term solution just to build some time

I don't want to give medical advice but if I had the same symptoms as you, lived in Italy where RX scripts are not tracked by health insurance providers, I would most defiantly go with this approach for the first month.

anattaboy

Any which way we can. I know several who have used antabuse successfully from this site. Really wanting it is the biggest component and utilizing all tools available when "it's time" is the way to go. I do know that the stars aligning and having the want-to comes around less and less later in the game. Best wishes.

SadieJack

I would think of it this way... if you had diabetes, you would take medication wouldn't you? You wouldn't think it was "cheating" right?

Alcoholism is a disease as well, and medication is available to help. It is not a moral failure nor is it cheating!

Meraviglioso

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am nervous but really ready for this. I will be sure to go have my blood checked once every few weeks to make sure nothing happens there. That is my only concern, and I must admit, that is a pretty major one.

trachemys

I refused Antabuse when my doctor suggested it. It's way too easy to get exposed to alcohol accidentally and suffer the consequences.

Charlie117926

Hey Mera:

I am so happy to hear the great report from your doctor. Made my day. I know nothing about antabuse so I cannot comment. But just knowing the fact that your "healthy" in the sense of your liver function should be a great plateau to continue your journey to sobriety. Have a great day.

FeelingGreat

Talking to a sympathetic doctor is a great first step, and I'm sure she will make sure you take any medication appropriately and safely. You might just be able to stop on your own, now that you have her support, but that's really for you to know and decide.
I would never ever regard medication as 'cheating' - I've not thought of alcoholism as merely a moral failure, but a pre-disposition to become addicted. Sobriety is a life-affirming decision however you achieve it.

PurpleKnight

Great job on seeing your Dr!!

Sobriety is the goal, the method isn't as important in the beginning, just to clock up some Sober time!!

Soberwolf

Well done i was considering taking it when i first got sober

it makes you vomit if you have alcohol i havnt heard of no health risks

you really made my day with that post

Molto buona !!!

Dee74

I've never taken it but I know a lot of people here who have...simply search for antabuse as a thread title here.

I've never heard of a link between it and hepatitis though

D

JaylaaKent

I've been on it for almost 6 months - honestly it's been a miracle for me. I was a chronic relapser before. I took it after my fiance insisted it might work. I've went through a gambit of emotions my first six months on it, which I'm sure happens to everyone during their first year. At first I was committed and humbly took it. About 2 months in I began to resent it, felt like my family was controlling me by insisting I could take it. I pushed through the weeks. Then I moved into a phase of thinking I might try to drink on it - try 1 or 2? Then I heard and read all of these horror stories about people being committed, dying, or hospitalized for drinking with Antabuse, so I got over that real quick. About 4 months, I decided on trying to take it for a year. The last month or so, I honestly forget about it, or don't think much about it. My fiance brings me my pill most days (I don't take it every single day- since it stays in your system for weeks - missing one day here and there wouldn't matter) I can say it gave me the time I needed to gain some sobriety and clear thinking. Alcohol is less of a temptation, I don't dwell on not drinking and have found other things I occupy my time with. I walk past the alcohol in stores and it's like colored water to me - kind of cool where before it would cause me horrible anxiety and I would mourn my lost love. Antabuse helped give me the discipline I couldn't seem to muster on my own. I have not had any liver problems - had a series of tests before and during the last 6 months I've been on it. You will run a gambit of emotions, but I highly recommend it to get clear thinking, which I could never do on my own. I do AA and see a counselor weekly (I have dual diagnosis of PTSD).

Eddiebuckle

Merav, I have no experience with it so will not comment on that. However, I do think the recognition you have of your situation and you ability to tackle it with willpower alone is not a sign of weakness, but a realistic assessment of where you stand. That desperate admission is the starting point for many people who ultimately get sober.

Good luck, keep up the good work!

Meraviglioso

Thanks all, I went to bed (fortunately sober) feeling really at peace. I am eager to get some help with this. Thanks to JaylaaKent for relaying your experience. I am in the fortunate situation that no one is making me take this, I sought it out on my own to have some extra help with trying to get going on a sober road. I am a chronic relapser too despite every ounce of my being not wanting to drink. I was also seeing a psychologist who diagnosed me with PTSD, though I am not 100% convinced of that diagnosis. I generally feel pretty good when not drinking and only suffer site or situation specific anxiety or stress but not to crippling levels. She did say that we could not continue working together if I continued to drink, we just wouldn't get anywhere productive. So I am anxious to get on with sobriety and finally work out the last remaining kinks in my psyche.

Dee, the hepatitis link is rare, but serious. From what I have read, 1 in 30,000 people suffer liver injury due to the medication, even those who have no history of liver problems. Many requiring transplants or dying. This usually presents in the first 2-4 weeks. That is a serious concern for me as I tend to swing towards the hypochondriac side of the spectrum. But I will speak to my doctor about these concerns and be sure to get my blood checked regularly. Fortunately here I can easily go to a private clinic and have my blood checked for anything, anytime at my own request and also pay very little to go private.
I'm thrilled to have "let go" and finally sought some outside help- and to have received such a positive response. I have writtne out here before the bad experience I had wih the drug and alcohol center, where they didn't take my problem seriously and wouldn't provide me help unless I had a "babysitter"

Have a great day folks, off to take my boys to school, it has been an emotional (but happy) week here, my oldest started elementary school on Monday

lebroncavs

I was always scared to take antabuse. I tell a doctor I can't quit drinking so he gives me something that will make me very sick if I drink. Obviously he doesn't understand what I mean when I say I can't quit drinking.