Appleboy1974

I had another blow out yesterday. I'm so sick of living like this! I set up an appointment with my doctor to see if I can get Antabuse. Any thoughts?

Poppy79

I took antabuse in the first couple of months and it was great. No side effects. The choice to drink is taken away from you (but you need to take the tablet every day). I took mine in the mornings when my resolve was strong.
I still have some on hand should I feel my resolve slipping.... coming up to 5 months sober and haven't needed it so far.

markinny

just make sure you are ready to quit and don't think you can cheat. when they say you will get sick if you drink they aren't kidding. just 2 beers and I thought I was going to die. that was a very long time ago. maybe they improved on it. nobody should have to go through that.

ThatWasTheOldMe

Antabuse blocks a reaction in your liver that breaks down acetaldehyde into acetic acid. If you drink on it, you'll feel the symptoms of acetaldehyde poisoning as it rapidly builds up in your body, and that's several hours of he!! and an ER trip.

ThatWasTheOldMe

No, it still works the same way. There's nothing to improve upon, it works as intended :P

MrMcTell

I have been taking this for 66 days, easily my longest period of sobriety in more than twenty years. I have had absolutely no side effects except a strong fear of drinking alcohol.

I could never put together more than a few days without a drink, but Antabuse has been a great tool for breaking the addiction cycle.

Like Poppy, I take it as part of my morning routine and the option to drink later in the day is simply taken away. No obsessive thoughts about will I/won't I when passing the beer aisle in the supermarket.

However, it is obviously serious stuff. About ten years ago (when I was living in the UK) my doctor refused to prescribe it to me. I got the impression it wasn't really used as a routine treatment there because of the risks.

My physician also stressed that Antabuse isn't a cure for alcoholism and that it's not a long term solution. You need a plan, too.

Dee74

Hi and welcome appleboy

Not every medication is suitable for everyone. Best to check with your Dr

D

August252015

The choice isn't taken away from you - you still have to choose to take the drug AND not drink. I was the kind of alcoholic who played around with Antabuse the first while I took it, warnings from my dr be darned. I got lucky that mild seizures, red face and speeding heart were the only side effects I experienced. That's what I thought- "no big deal."

Antabuse can be tough on the liver and is a great tool to use correctly and honestly for some people. A good dr is, IMO, crucial to the decision to take it and monitoring you- I took it for the first 90 days I got sober (I am at 400 days) and signed a piece of paper every day, got a witness sig, time and date - that's how honest I was with my dr about my past mis-use, and how serious I was about quitting. It was a great and effective tool for me - because I was fully committed to sobriety.

Don't waste your time if that isn't your goal, is my $0.02.

It is not a "cure" or "a quick fix" for alcoholism. A program of sobriety has to be the thing that any drug or supplemental support (and I have a regimen of the former that is excellent for me, and a great support system) is put on top of, for continued success.

Poppy79

IMO anyone who would take this drug and still drink is ridiculous. Why put yourself through that pain? If you want to still drink don't take the drug.....So yes, I do believe that taking this drug does in fact remove your choice to drink. It certainly did for me.

ZenButterfly

You'd have to make sure to take it every day. I've heard stories of people who decided they would stop taking it on the weekends or something so they could drink and then they'd be right back to drinking all the time again.