Disulfiram(antabuse)
 

OK quick background I recently stopped drinking for almost 6 months then went on a 2 day bender stopped for 2 weeks and again a 2 day bender.

Now I am wanting to go on Antabuse tomorrow(got an appointment) but you see I am scared how my anxiety levels are going to be. This may sound stupid or hopefully someone else has insight to this.

When I have been off the disulfiram(all my life) I always feel that if my anxiety becomes too much I can grab a can, bottle or whatever, neck it and my anxiety levels will go down. I never do this at work, at my sports training or in general life but knowing I have that takes me my anxiety away. Having this taken away I dunno how I will feel as I won't have my "crutch" anymore and it is worrying me about tomorrow. Has anyone else been through this turmoil and does it get easier as I noticed my anxiety levels decrease through this near 6 month period and done something In my life I never I thought I could do which was travel abroad but in Paris there are bars everywhere so that was always in my mind.

Kind Regards

SBalonD

Hi and welcome SBalonD :)

If you've been a drinker for a while, your alcohol use may actually be exacerbating your anxiety. Eventually I developed anxiety when I wasn't drinking because I had a growing dependency...

My shame guilt and fear about that growing dependency also contributed more to my anxiety....

It's a particularly vicious cycle when the only tool you have makes the problem worse in the long run.

If you're concerned, please do speak to your Dr - there are a variety of things we can do for anxiety - some medicine based, and a lot not.

How was your anxiety when you quit for 6 months?

D

If you recently drank, you shouldn't start antabuse while there may still be alcohol in your system.

I found that after being sober for a few months, my anxiety mostly went away.

Welcome to the Forum SBalonD!! :wave:

One question before I answer, as someone who took antabuse successfully after really screwing around with it- have you taken it before? A little confused when you say being "off" the disulfram for all of your life.

Hi everyone

Firstly I last drank Sunday so I am assuming after around 96 hours the drink should be out my system?

My anxiety was up and down but mostly calm as I exercised 5 times a week whilst working a hard labour job so was very tired at the weekend :D I very stupidly drunk for whatever reason probably the usual I AM CURED syndrome. I also done something I have never done(unprescribed) and took illicit diazepam with the drink, I have bipolar and sometimes make silly mistakes that one could have been deadly. Hopefully I will get some things such as a chance at acupuncture which I was told I can receive although good old exercise helps a lot with anxiety but I am plain sick fed up of anxiety I have had it for 33 years now(all my life) and just can't take it anymore!!!

If your anxiety is a life long condition I'd definitely speak to your Dr about things that may help :)

D

Ha sorry I meant not being on it at all and now probably gonna be on it for the rest of my life. Sorry for the confusion.

Thank you I am actually on a mood controllant(Depakote), anti-psychotic(Seroquel) and have beta-blockers for when I want(Bedranol) I will probably have to take the Bedranol more for the first few weeks as I imagine my anxiety will be fairly high whereas in the past my "crutch" helped me in a funny, stupid way from hardly ever using them!!

Welcome

Welcome SBalonD ~ You should definitely speak with your doctor regarding the anxiety, bipolar diagnosis, and your alcoholism.

Best wishes - stick around, post often, we're all in this together.

Thanks Vibrant Queen

Only 4 days sober but feel confident about the future seeing this councellor and hoping to get on the Disulfiram is going to help. Well I know I CAN'T drink whilst on this.

As the old saying goes.... Each day as it comes

So you must have a dr/psychiatrist who is prescribing the meds you mention. I have the same, and the honesty I have with my dr and my complete trust in her prescribed course for me, in terms of medicine, are key to my program.

In my case: I had a dx while drinking (that's key) of BPD, and while I am certainly on the spectrum, now that I am sober...that may not be the correct one. However, the meds she had me on, she is keeping me on- lamictal(2 pills/1x a day); seroquel to sleep (nightly or as needed), campral for cravings , (3x daily) and lorazepam for anxiety (daily or as needed- I am taking it less now as my skills to cope with my anxiety/excitability get sharper). This combination works perfectly for me now, as I close in on 7mo sober. I took Antabuse for the first 90 days. It is a serious drug that some drs have patients come to the office to take daily; mine had me keep a log with me and sign the date, time, as well as have a witness signature every single day. It just became routine. We decided I didn't need it after that, but I will always be open to her recommendation I take it again if needed. KEY here is that a good dr supervises your complete combination/regimen of meds. IME and also of some people close to me, when this gets "off" or we misuse/don't follow the directions given, they won't work and can likely cause harm.

Many of us have a cluster of legitimate dx; many of us also find that with sobriety some or all of these can change, or even be resolved. It is entirely possible to live a healthy, sober, good life if you have issues that need medical attention on an ongoing basis, or a forever basis.

One step at a time. Talk to you doctor and develop a plan. Then follow it. Do the same with the part of the plan specific to sobriety. You can do it.

I have GAD and PTSD. I take antabuse....for now anyway. My anxiety is greatly exacerbated in the long run by drinking so I know that when I try to convince myself that alcohol is some kind of cure? That's denial and my AV talking.

Alcohol will never be an effective solution for anxiety for the alcoholic, period. If just knowing that you can drink, even if you don't, eases your anxiety? Then other methods, if you simply believe in them, will work as well. What you're really saying is alcohol has a placebo effect. Soooo, deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, exercise, yoga, talking to another alcohol. These things, if practiced with consistency, should work as well.

Hang in there.

I'm also in counseling. I was prescribed anxiety and depression medication. My counselor also gave me a script for Naltrexone.

I suggest that you seek professional medical assistance for your alcoholism.

Doing so certainly saved my life.

I took Antabuse for over a year after graduating from the treatment center.

We are glad you are with us, we want you to not drink again and we want you and your life to improve.

taking the antabuse sure does help if you take it properly. I only take 2 a week just to make sure it's in my system and that's enough for it to prevent me from drinking.

Thanks for the informative replies and I am very thankful for them, I now know there are people out there with the same feelings and thinking.

Sorry that I have taken so long to reply I have been so busy working, training and visiting family and friends. I even went for breakfast in a pub(which some may say is a potential explosion waiting to happen) but I have done it so many times before if I know I am just going for something to eat.

I am now on day 23 but haven't taken the disulfiram and still waiting to get another appointment with the counsellor but he did say it can take up to 6 weeks.

Everything right now is going positive in my life and even on a Saturday and Sunday I am in bed for 10 to keep some continuity and routine and am feeling good apart from work troubles but hey I can't control them. I will be changing jobs constantly as I am with an agency so hopefully I can get something more permanent or do what I want to do at the start of next year - an adult apprenticeship, feeling really confident about the future.

God bless you all

Sorry again for taking so long to reply but that will be 56 days or 8 weeks sober so getting there, I must admit I have taken Valium a few times going out to cope with anxiety but can take that or leave it, never take it on a school night and only take it as relaxation on a Saturday night after my hectic week is over. Trying to get over coffee as I know that is a stimulant and is doing no good with my bipolar but hey I feel like I am heading in the right direction and hopefully for my birthday on 11th January I will be free from all mind altering substances apart from my prescribed meds