Today is the day I am asking for help
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 349
Today is the day I am asking for help
Here in the real world, I am going to ask for help. I am not succeeding with quitting drinking and I have been on this site far too long and nothing has changed much in my drinking pattern. Sure, I have had maybe a few more days here and there with my "real attempt," but no success for any length of time.
So I am planning on asking my doctor for a prescription for antabuse. I do think it will be a great deterrent for me as I tend to be quite fearful naturally and knowing I could get extremely sick if I mix alcohol with it I think will be enough to get me over the hump (about 30 days is what I want the prescription for).
I know no one can give medical advice here, but I was wondering if anyone who has taken it had good or bad experiences with it?
Your input is appreciated.
So I am planning on asking my doctor for a prescription for antabuse. I do think it will be a great deterrent for me as I tend to be quite fearful naturally and knowing I could get extremely sick if I mix alcohol with it I think will be enough to get me over the hump (about 30 days is what I want the prescription for).
I know no one can give medical advice here, but I was wondering if anyone who has taken it had good or bad experiences with it?
Your input is appreciated.
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
No experience with antabuse. But I wanted to commend you on taking the steps you need to secure your sobriety. Do you have any other plans to support your decision to quit?
I tried quitting drinking and always failed. But when I sought recovery from my alcoholism, I succeeded.
I tried quitting drinking and always failed. But when I sought recovery from my alcoholism, I succeeded.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 349
I am not sure yet carl, to be quite honest. It seems the more sober days I string together, the less I am apt to continue doing the things that help me succeed (I.E.: Being on this site, going to AA meetings online or in person, meditation, etc.) It's like life gets in the way and then since I am sober at the time, I just forget about the changes I am trying to make.
I know what I need to do is put my sobriety first and continue with the changes I always start with, but then always let slide. If I don't, I will continue down the path I am on, which I don't want to do.
I know what I need to do is put my sobriety first and continue with the changes I always start with, but then always let slide. If I don't, I will continue down the path I am on, which I don't want to do.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: C.C. Ma.
Posts: 3,697
Hi.
All I can say is it works IF directions are followed. That’s not an alcoholics strong suite.
A question you might ask yourself is what happened after 30 days? Most people are the same person as at 0 days.
Like it or not this disease is full time active 24/7, cunning, powerful, baffling and insidious for the rest of our lives and requires work and changes within ourselves to battle it.
An active organization is a great benefit to join to help ease the painful periods.
BE WELL
All I can say is it works IF directions are followed. That’s not an alcoholics strong suite.
A question you might ask yourself is what happened after 30 days? Most people are the same person as at 0 days.
Like it or not this disease is full time active 24/7, cunning, powerful, baffling and insidious for the rest of our lives and requires work and changes within ourselves to battle it.
An active organization is a great benefit to join to help ease the painful periods.
BE WELL
Trudgin
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,348
Cecilia,
I took antabuse a few years back and yes it was effective - I did not drink while taking it. However, it simply bought me a little time. Ultimately I planned on drinking at some point when it ran out - which it did.
As I get a little sober time, read posts and attend AA I believe there is one common thread for those who quit and stay stopped.
Accepting we cannot drink - EVER - and becoming ready and willing to do whatever it takes not to pick up - I believe is the key. In our inner most hearts we have to reach that point of truly being ready to remove alcohol once and for all.
For me, this took many years to get to that point. I suppose I knew I was an alcoholic for a long time, but simply accepted this as life. Then, about a year back I reached a wall. Life was completely disintegrating. All that I loved and cherished was about to disappear. Soon thereafter I accepted that I could no longer drink - I was done.
I then became ready.........
Sobriety is indeed possible for those who reach this point, In my experience. We've all heard sobriety is hard work - I think this is what we mean we it's said. It is hard to mentally reach that point of becoming willing to not only accept the problem, but accept the solution - whatever that is - for each of us.
Kind Regards
I took antabuse a few years back and yes it was effective - I did not drink while taking it. However, it simply bought me a little time. Ultimately I planned on drinking at some point when it ran out - which it did.
As I get a little sober time, read posts and attend AA I believe there is one common thread for those who quit and stay stopped.
Accepting we cannot drink - EVER - and becoming ready and willing to do whatever it takes not to pick up - I believe is the key. In our inner most hearts we have to reach that point of truly being ready to remove alcohol once and for all.
For me, this took many years to get to that point. I suppose I knew I was an alcoholic for a long time, but simply accepted this as life. Then, about a year back I reached a wall. Life was completely disintegrating. All that I loved and cherished was about to disappear. Soon thereafter I accepted that I could no longer drink - I was done.
I then became ready.........
Sobriety is indeed possible for those who reach this point, In my experience. We've all heard sobriety is hard work - I think this is what we mean we it's said. It is hard to mentally reach that point of becoming willing to not only accept the problem, but accept the solution - whatever that is - for each of us.
Kind Regards
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: PA
Posts: 1,053
I took it in 2011 and will have to say you do get VERY sick if you drink. In fact I drank 3 days after I stopped taking it and got very sick and it scared me. I don't know why I stopped taking it. Probably because I wasn't doing anything else to change. I didn't change my life in anyway or really gain any awareness - just tried to stop drinking and that didn't do it
Back on it now as a safety measure taking it everyday. I'm in therapy and am making changes in my life. If I don't take it I ask myself immediately why I'm not. Also I take it in the morning because my cravings happen in the evening.
Hope this helps
Back on it now as a safety measure taking it everyday. I'm in therapy and am making changes in my life. If I don't take it I ask myself immediately why I'm not. Also I take it in the morning because my cravings happen in the evening.
Hope this helps
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 9,029
Cecilia, I had a prescription filled but didn't take it so I'm not much use there other than to say take it as prescribed.
My suggestion is to not let life get in the way of your recovery while you are feeling better. Think of how much time and effort you, we, most of us, spent planning our drinking and then doing the drinking. Every single day. Because even if you aren't a daily drinker, you probably still plan in advance. Life never got in the way of my drinking. I shoved life to the side to do my drinking. Double down on the things you found and find helpful to not drink. you CAN do this.
My suggestion is to not let life get in the way of your recovery while you are feeling better. Think of how much time and effort you, we, most of us, spent planning our drinking and then doing the drinking. Every single day. Because even if you aren't a daily drinker, you probably still plan in advance. Life never got in the way of my drinking. I shoved life to the side to do my drinking. Double down on the things you found and find helpful to not drink. you CAN do this.
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,449
Originally Posted by Ruby2 
My suggestion is to not let life get in the way of your recovery while you are feeling better. Think of how much time and effort you, we, most of us, spent planning our drinking and then doing the drinking. Every single day. Because even if you aren't a daily drinker, you probably still plan in advance. Life never got in the way of my drinking. I shoved life to the side to do my drinking. Double down on the things you found and find helpful to not drink. you CAN do this.
Life. It's everywhere. ALL THE TIME.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
I think it's a great step forward you speaking with your DR Cecilia.
They may prescribe antabuse, they may not - but I hope you get some good advice and maybe some pointers to other help
D
They may prescribe antabuse, they may not - but I hope you get some good advice and maybe some pointers to other help
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 349
Hello everyone,
Thanks for all the replies. I have actually spoken to my Dr. about my drinking and she put me on high blood pressure medication to help with my anxiety. She is a nurse practitioner and while I like her pretty well, the first time I met her I could tell she knew very little about alcoholism (I.E.: Had to run to the real doctor in charge of the office to figure out my blood test results which were high in a few areas due to drinking. I could have even told her that).
It's o.k. though, through the years I come to like her more and more.
She is not in the dark about my drinking, albeit I may have said I drink 6 or 7 at a time and it's more like 9 or 10. The lies ......
Anyhow, after doing some research yesterday on antabuse, I decided not to go that route. I didn't like the scary aspect that 1 in 30,000 can go into complete liver failure (even with a healthy liver) and die from it. Seems to much like rolling the dice to me.
I have found on the Internet here a healthy alternative. It is called Kudzu. It has been used in China to cut alcohol consumption by half since 600 A.D. I looked it up and did plenty of research on it and it gets rave reviews. I ordered some from an on-line herbal store.
I will not, however, be taking the supplement to continue to drink, but will be taking it instead to eliminate my drinking entirely. I do believe it will work with the physical part of my disease.
For my self-medicated, emotional issues, I have finally found an AA group on-line that I can join in meetings with viewable on my tablet computer (which means I can sit on the couch and still be in a meeting) and I plan to do 90 meetings in 90 days. AA worked for me in the past and why I put off even going to on-line meetings this long ... I do not know.
I am hoping, once I feel brave enough, this may lead to meetings in person too. I could use the support.
I don't plan on being on SR nearly as much and I know that Dee always asks, "What else can you do? What else can you add to your plan?" Well, these two things, combined with perhaps some meditation (I am trying to work that into my schedule), is what I believe will lead me down to the path to recovery. I am ready.
SR is a good "catch all" site, in my opinion. Meaning there are lots of different people here trying many different methods of recovery. Some just use this site. That has been me for several years and I realized (finally), that it just isn't enough for me. I have to move forward with things that I know WILL work for me.
I like this site, but just joining the classes and the gratitude threads and supporting others doesn't give me enough of a game plan to succeed and while I will continue to read here, I probably won't be posting nearly as often. I will, however, update you on my progress.
Much love to everyone.
Thanks for all the replies. I have actually spoken to my Dr. about my drinking and she put me on high blood pressure medication to help with my anxiety. She is a nurse practitioner and while I like her pretty well, the first time I met her I could tell she knew very little about alcoholism (I.E.: Had to run to the real doctor in charge of the office to figure out my blood test results which were high in a few areas due to drinking. I could have even told her that).
It's o.k. though, through the years I come to like her more and more.She is not in the dark about my drinking, albeit I may have said I drink 6 or 7 at a time and it's more like 9 or 10. The lies ......
Anyhow, after doing some research yesterday on antabuse, I decided not to go that route. I didn't like the scary aspect that 1 in 30,000 can go into complete liver failure (even with a healthy liver) and die from it. Seems to much like rolling the dice to me.
I have found on the Internet here a healthy alternative. It is called Kudzu. It has been used in China to cut alcohol consumption by half since 600 A.D. I looked it up and did plenty of research on it and it gets rave reviews. I ordered some from an on-line herbal store.
I will not, however, be taking the supplement to continue to drink, but will be taking it instead to eliminate my drinking entirely. I do believe it will work with the physical part of my disease.
For my self-medicated, emotional issues, I have finally found an AA group on-line that I can join in meetings with viewable on my tablet computer (which means I can sit on the couch and still be in a meeting) and I plan to do 90 meetings in 90 days. AA worked for me in the past and why I put off even going to on-line meetings this long ... I do not know.
I am hoping, once I feel brave enough, this may lead to meetings in person too. I could use the support.
I don't plan on being on SR nearly as much and I know that Dee always asks, "What else can you do? What else can you add to your plan?" Well, these two things, combined with perhaps some meditation (I am trying to work that into my schedule), is what I believe will lead me down to the path to recovery. I am ready.
SR is a good "catch all" site, in my opinion. Meaning there are lots of different people here trying many different methods of recovery. Some just use this site. That has been me for several years and I realized (finally), that it just isn't enough for me. I have to move forward with things that I know WILL work for me.
I like this site, but just joining the classes and the gratitude threads and supporting others doesn't give me enough of a game plan to succeed and while I will continue to read here, I probably won't be posting nearly as often. I will, however, update you on my progress.
Much love to everyone.
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
(((Cecilia))) hope you make it to face to face meetings if you have a trusted friend you can go to an open mtn or if you ring aa directly someone from aa might go with you
Keep us updated and hopefully speak soon
Good luck my friend
Keep us updated and hopefully speak soon
Good luck my friend
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