Sasha4

Do you take your dose at night?
Often the advice is that if drowsiness is an issue, avoid taking it in the morning or afternoon and take it early evening or before bed. Then you can sleep your symptoms away at night when asleep.

This advice works in reverse too.
Drugs for excessive day time sleepiness (experienced with narcolepsy) or anti-depressants that combat fatigue associated with depression are recommended to be taken in the morning and never later than lunch time or the patient can be at risk of being awake and active all night.

Usually the common side effects, which drowsiness is with your drug, are transient. Meaning the side effects get better with time and often disappear when your body has become more established to taking the drug.

Are you having the regular liver function tests (LFT's) and blood tests that are advised with Antebuse?
They are recommended until about 8 months of treatment has passed and they might reveal if something else is going on with you.
The tests are very standard practice, at least in the UK, so I would be surprised if your prescribing doctor has not requested or performed them.

Hawks

Alcohol plugged me into life, I participated fully for many many years.

If I had a drink, I got an exciting..." Let's do stuff" feeling.

I was social, I could dance, I could talk to people (good looking women were preffered conversationalists to engage with, usually around the 5 drink stage)... I was terrified of good looking women sober.

My tongue just wouldn't move and if it did, something would come out but it would be pretty garbled.

If I had a drink by myself at home, I couldn't stand it.... I had to go out..... Why? Because I felt bloody marvellous... That's why!!

Plugged into life, ready to engage in all life had to offer.

I wasn't a sit at home by myself watching TV kind of drinker.

I sat home watching TV when I knew I needed to avoid alcohol, because I had something to do the next day. Miserable but distracted enough to really not notice how miserable.


So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I now realise that it's ok not to be "plugged into life" for a while.

I watch movies, I read, I do "non drinking " hermit stuff just now. I even post here from time to time. It's great posting here, it's kind of hermity but it's reaching out at the same time.

And that's Ok. Sorry world, Hawks is out for a bit, I'm sure you'll all manage without me.

Just give yourself a break Mera.

You'll rebound back, but if you were like me and alcohol fuelled your lust for life and alcohol charged your life batteries....... Then it's going to take a while to sort out a new way of getting your "life battery" charged fully up again.

Just enjoy the time off. Sounds like you grabbed lots of life's goodies along the way, even if you were drinking a lot of that time.

Be happy with what you have for now and there will be time to get more goodies later.

Hope that makes sense

Nuudawn

Aww Mera...big hugs to you my friend.

As others have noted...fatigue, listlessness, lethargy were huge gremlins of mine in early sobriety (ha ha...I'm still in early sobriety), so I don't know if that antabuse has much to do with that.

I know for me....what makes this all the more bearable is that I WANT sobriety. I do not focus on the "can't drink" I focus on how much I want...sobriety and the wonderful things it offers.

I been going through some stuff lately (as you know)..but ya know what is making this crap actually manageable?

Is have my freaking WITS about me still...and the support of wonderful folks like you. Sobriety isn't always easy but it's magical ...great things..fabulous things..happen in it! I BELIEVE that with every fibre of my being.

Want sobriety...really, really want sobriety. It's full of yes's and wonder.

Meraviglioso

Really? That is what I feel like, like I am waking from a coma. Gosh, maybe it really is just the quitting that is making me feel this way.
I knew it could lead to tiredness but really, just the last time I was feeling on top of the world I AM A LION HEAR ME ROAR full of energy and enthusiasm. I had a few bouts of tiredness but nothing that a few vitamins and a good meal couldn't fix. This time I feel drugged.
I suppose it could be a combination of each recovery getting more difficult and the meds.

Thanks for posting this, it gives me some hope that things will start to settle soon.

Meraviglioso

Sorry folks, don't know how to multiple quote different people so I am adding a lot of replies.

Thanks Sasha, this is good information. I do take my dose at night, I could honestly stay in bed 24 hours a day though.
My doctor has not been in touch since prescribing the medication and left me no instructions or orders to contact her. I had read up about the importance of keeping a close eye on the liver. I am going to go on my own to have that done. I think if I just ask for complete liver tests they'll know what to do. Fortunately when we pick up our results here it is marked if there is an issue. Not being a doctor I don't understand all the names and numbers, but beside each test is an "average range" and you can compare your number to that, if your number is above or below the average range there is an asterisk next to it. So I'll know if something is going on and I hold find a doctor.

Good to know the side effects improve, I'll be anxiously awaiting that!

Meraviglioso

Thanks Hawks and Heatcore, you make excellent points, I am probably doing too much right now. I have always been a very social, life of the party type of gal. I do notice that I am much more subdued now. I notice it but I don't feel anxious about it, it just comes with the territory I guess. I do look forward to the time that I feel more comfortable in my own, sober skin.
I should settle down at the gym. It is not an obsession of mine, but it is a solid, healthy activity that provides something positive and healthy to my day as well as a goal. I like goals. It is also something I very much enjoy. But either the gym or my work has got to give and as the bills keep rolling in I suppose I'll have to stay focussed on my work. My trainer is also my boyfriend- convenient!- so he knows what is going on and I'll ask him to lay off the heavy stuff for a while. Maybe we can do stretching, light cardio and less weights. I think I would suffer mentally if I were to give it up completely, it is a good reason to get me out of the house in the morning and get me started on my day.

Meraviglioso

Thanks Nuu, I'm working on getting there. I am fortunate that I have been gifted a generally positive and hopeful disposition. I truly believe that this has contributed to a beautiful life Even in my greatest moments of darkness I have felt hope, have always known that I am a very lucky person- just plain lucky- and have trusted that everything is working out just as it needs to. I get to the very bottom- financially, in love, work, whatever but something always comes along. I could even say I appreciate the trauma and pain because it is teaching me something I need to know for the future. I am thankful for what I do have and what I have experienced. If life gets better than this I can hardly wait because as it is now I must might be the luckiest girl in the world.

Venecia

Yes, really! Also, I didn't join SR until two months sober so I didn't know that this can be a normal response to the early days without wine. Makes me wish I'd posted to you sooner. Your comments from a few days back about not being able to get out of bed described me perfectly.

We've spent years pouring a chemical down our throats -- one that's a depressant, too. I don't want to venture into medical advice territory in re: Antabuse. But, just from a common sense perspective, simply the absence of alcohol is a major change for our bodies and minds. My own thoughts, grounded in my recollections from the "shaking out of a coma" phase, is that it was my body's way of saying "something's different here -- really different. I need to adjust." Since then, my mind and body rallied. To say I feel better is the understatement of a lifetime.

Although I hydrated with lots of ginger ale and stuff like Trader Joe's pomegranate green tea, I learned later that good ol' water is probably best.

It gets better, Mera, it really does.

You can do this. Twenty days shall become 40, then 80, then 120. Before long, we'll be doing the happy dance for your one-year sober anniversary. Now if we could only find a way to do it with you in beautiful Italy!

Meraviglioso

It's good to hear all this. It sounds like all of this is pretty normal. I know I'll get there, it comes in waves now. I am not sure how to describe it, but I get passing flashes of "ok, this is forever and I am really ok with that" and I feel peace and I feel good. But I'm just being honest that that feeling is not here with me 24/7 and I don't trust myself yet to be off the medication. I'll stick to my previously posted plan, with the modification of taking it easier in the gym.
I'm going to go get a full blood work tomorrow, not just the liver, that should set my hypochondriac side at ease. It could be dehydration. I still am forcing myself to drink water, but when I do it immediately feels good.
Trying to stay positive here, on that note, chestnuts are in season. I splurged and bought a big sack at the market today. Gonna roast those babies up tonight and snack away while watching tv.

Sasha4

I would explain that you take Antebuse to whoever does the blood test too and thats why you are wanting them being done.

They will probably know if there is a problem with your dose depending on your bloods, so alerting them would be a good idea.

If you google the drug and LFT's etc you will get a data sheet with all the prescribing information and you can always discuss with your doctor that you are aware now that liver function tests are needed and you would like his help with them.

Muffin2

This is exactly how I feel it: no alcohol, no fun. But I also try to think about the advantages of not drinking above being drunk.

About the antabuse, there should not be any side affects at all, my advice: keep on taking the quarter a day, it will keep the boose away ...

Meraviglioso

It never fails, I am always given just what I need, just when I need it.
I feel GREAT today. I feel like the fog has lifted. I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but it is 9:20 am, I've been awake for almost 3 hours now and I feel really fresh, alive, just plain good.
We'll see how the rest of the day goes.
I always think that suffering is useful, I will remember this withdrawal- the worst I've ever suffered- and use it as a reminder of what I would have to go through if I ever picked up a drink again. And I would have to go through it, because I know I'd quit again. I want a sober life.