Effectivness of Antabuse

Hello all, I just got arrested for my second DUI, I stopped taking my mess and was sober for 2 years, then I picked up slowly and went back into my old habits and got busted, I thank god I did not hurt anybody, I was using naltrexone injection, but was able to cheat ! My dr recommended the Antabuse shot, and the courts like it as well, with Melanie's law I may have to go to jail or if lenient a 2 Week in house rehab, I am 47 and been drinking since having a gastric bypass surgery and losing over 100 pounds, I love reading the posts, it gives me hope and support that I am not alone with my problem.

I have heard that a lot of people struggle with AA because they disagree or find it hard to swallow God as a higher power. The thing about this higher power is, it can be anything that you chose. Your higher power might be antabuse, a loved one like your partner or children. I once met a lady whose higher power was bruce springstein, she'd lock herself away and blast his music and feel liberated. If you want to quit alcohol, take antabuse. I struggled with alcohol abuse whilst developing borderline personality disorder and was drinking for 3 days straight, up to 3 bottles of vodka, then recovering for 3 days, and making amends to the people I hurt on the next day. That isn't living. After a month in hospital to detox and get help for my borderline personality, I went to my first concert sober. It was amazing. You get to enjoy everything and you realise what your missing when you're drinking. Alcohol can ruin your life. There's no argument. If you can go without, do it, it may be uncomfortable at first but the rewards you reap are well worth it. I was worried my friends would think that I wasn't ''fun'' anymore, but they were all extremely proud. Just because drinking seems to be the social norm, doesn't mean you have to cave. Not drinking is liberating, and you'll find people take interest in you for that alone. Don't drink your life away. I'm so lucky I seeked help while I was young (19) and get to experience the rest of my life without that cloudy haze. Good luck to every single one of you. x

I’ve been taking 50mg of Antabuse daily for 3 months. I have experienced no side effects whatsoever other than insomnia.

Since I’ve been on Antabuse I average 4 hours of sleep a night (some nights 5 [never more than 6 in a single night], some nights as few as 2-3. 4 hours has been the mathematical and consistent average for the last 90 days however).

What’s interesting is that I seem to suffer no ill-effects from this lack of sleep. I have no trouble waking up for work at 6am every morning, and am not tired, sluggish, or lethargic throughout the day. It’s as if Antabuse somehow makes the time period I’m sleeping twice as effective (I realize that sounds crazy, which is why I decided to test to see if it was the Antabuse- because I've never heard of that before).

So, 6 weeks into taking my daily dose, I decided to stop taking Antabuse for a week, solely to see if it was a coincidence that I inexplicably seemed to require half as much sleep as I used to before taking it.

Within a few days I was sleepy approx. 7 hours before my usual wake-up time, had no trouble falling asleep, and I found I was able to again sleep in on the weekends (10-11 hours in a night, as used to be my custom) with no trouble.

I tried to test how I’d feel if I got 3 hours of sleep on a couple of weeknights, like I had frequently been doing during the previous 6 weeks, and couldn’t even stay awake till my goal of 3am. I dozed off 4 hours before my alarm went off, and could barely even make it out of bed I was so tired the next morning. I felt like a zombie the entire day at work, and couldn’t help but fall asleep as soon as I got home from work; and then proceeded to sleep 11 hours straight until my alarm went off the next morning. I did this twice during the week I was off of Antabuse, it was the same thing both times; tired as a zombie the next day.

The very first night I started taking Antabuse again, I went right back to not being even remotely tired until 2-3am in the morning, despite my 6am wake up time. After 5 days of averaging 4 hours of sleep, again, I was wide awake on Saturday morning after only 6 hours of sleep. It’s been like that ever since.

I’m not even complaining, it’s actually very convenient. I do ‘fun’ activities when I get home from work (social activities, make elaborate dinners, watch TV, etc.) until about 10pm-11pm or so, then do ‘responsible’ activities (cleaning, dishes, grocery shopping, exercise at my local 24 hour gym, etc.) until about 2am or so before waking up at 6am feeling great.

There have been a few nights where I was reading a good book on a weeknight and literally did not fall asleep at all. I did notice I was tired at work the next day, but not very. It felt like when I'm off Antabuse and get perhaps 5 hours of sleep on a work day.

Has ANYONE experienced these side-effects? I’ve done countless research (late at night, nothing else to do sometimes and not tired) and I only ever find people talking about Antabuse making them feel MORE tired and needing MORE sleep than usual.

It might be relevant to note that I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, and am on 20mg of Ritalin a day. I went off Ritalin for a week and a half as an experiment to see if it changed anything. It didn’t.

Please don’t respond if you’re going to merely speculate or provide conjecture. The question was if anyone else has experienced my particular side-effect, or had heard of this particular side-effect before and might be able to provide me with some information (an HTML link would be great).

I don’t imagine it’s relevant, but I have been sober for 90 days, since I first started taking Abustane. My alcoholism was not very severe before I got on Antabuse, I’m 30 years old, and in great physical condition (no illnesses or diseases, don’t use drugs, I’m trim, lead a very active life-style, etc.)

My partner has been on 200mg for 3 wks an doin really well not touched a drop of alcohol.... Thus wkend hes had a drink n not been ill, bit of red face but thats all... So now hes drank himself unconscious an we back to square 1!! Im at the end of my tether hes dun rehab campral counselling now this!!! I cant go on anymore wiv him!! I wish there wS a tablet i cud take t stop me loving him so much!!!

Kelly wrote:

My partner has been on 200mg for 3 wks an doin really well not touched a drop of alcohol.... Thus wkend hes had a drink n not been ill, bit of red face but thats all... So now hes drank himself unconscious an we back to square 1!! Im at the end of my tether hes dun rehab campral counselling now this!!! I cant go on anymore wiv him!! I wish there wS a tablet i cud take t stop me loving him so much!!!

HI kelly, im in the same boat as you with my partner, and know exactly how you feel. Are you sure hes been taking it, my partner has been taking it in front of me for months (supposedly) turned out hed found a way of spitting it out or doing something, still not sure what while i wasn't looking. I now dissolve it in water and watch him drink it to make sure it actually goes down his throat. They are so sly and cunning!
Also he can get a higher dose of antabuse from his doctor if this dose isnt working.
Good luck, he doesn't deserve you , but I guess you both already know that.

Kelly wrote:

My partner has been on 200mg for 3 wks an doin really well not touched a drop of alcohol.... Thus wkend hes had a drink n not been ill, bit of red face but thats all... So now hes drank himself unconscious an we back to square 1!! Im at the end of my tether hes dun rehab campral counselling now this!!! I cant go on anymore wiv him!! I wish there wS a tablet i cud take t stop me loving him so much!!!

i second the notion; get him on 500mg (it affects some people, like myself, much less than others) and make sure he takes it. make it conditional that he let's you watch him chew it up (it's not hard to learn how to spit it up after a few minutes, and they have virtually no flavor) and swallows it before you even let him get in bed with you every night.

the first night he pulls his bull shit about why he doesn't want to take it this night, or that he just wants to have a 'vacation' from it- start throwing his shit on the lawn.

no one really talks about it, but the way we rationalize drinking... it's a lot like how kids rationalize some of the stupid things they do. for some of us, treating us like children is the only way we'll listen.

I have given him 2 200 mg tday hes still drank on them... Not ill at all jus unconscious.... Im a nurse so hes safe wiv me monitoring him.... He will sleep till tomorrow now.... Just ashame i av t sit here all alone....

icarus wrote:

<quoted text>
i second the notion; get him on 500mg (it affects some people, like myself, much less than others) and make sure he takes it. make it conditional that he let's you watch him chew it up (it's not hard to learn how to spit it up after a few minutes, and they have virtually no flavor) and swallows it before you even let him get in bed with you every night.
the first night he pulls his bull shit about why he doesn't want to take it this night, or that he just wants to have a 'vacation' from it- start throwing his shit on the lawn.
no one really talks about it, but the way we rationalize drinking... it's a lot like how kids rationalize some of the stupid things they do. for some of us, treating us like children is the only way we'll listen.

A lotta blow!!

Kelly wrote:

I have given him 2 200 mg tday hes still drank on them... Not ill at all jus unconscious.... Im a nurse so hes safe wiv me monitoring him.... He will sleep till tomorrow now.... Just ashame i av t sit here all alone....<quoted text>

i hate being alone too. i adopted an old dog from the animal shelter, i don't regret it. it's nice having her around.

can anyone tell me why it is so difficult to be prescribed antabuse im fully aware of the dangers of drinkng while on them, i admitted to myself two n a half years ago now that i am an alcoholic i was drinking heavy for well over 13 years and i went straight to the doctor after researching antabuse but the doctor refused to prescribe it to me sending me to a.a meetings instead which didnt work out for me, so back to the doctors i went this time he still refused to prescribe antabuse but referred me to the local community drug and alcohol team who sent me to ome to one counciling which to a certain point did help i went from drinking every night up 15 or more cans of stella to not touching a drop for a few weeks but then go back drinking no stella but cider or vodka after fighting with the doctors and the c.d.a.t team for all this time back in may they finally agreed to put me on a 29 week waiting list for antabuse i saw them last week adn they said i might have them before christmas depending now on how quickly they can do blood test's. it's taking over 2 long years to get this far and drink has almost wrecked my life and almost my marridge which im fighting to save as i love my wife with all my heart. i need to know why its taking so long if your a smoker and want help you'd get it as easy as buying smarties? please help me my marridge could depend on the answer, thanks guys.

I am considering taking Antabuse. Have 8x400mg tablets at my dispoal. How should I take them? Half a tablet a day??? Any suggestions? Also, how long does it take for them to be out of your system? Christmas is coming and would like to have a glass of wine...

daviall wrote:

can anyone tell me why it is so difficult to be prescribed antabuse im fully aware of the dangers of drinkng while on them, i admitted to myself two n a half years ago now that i am an alcoholic i was drinking heavy for well over 13 years and i went straight to the doctor after researching antabuse but the doctor refused to prescribe it to me sending me to a.a meetings instead which didnt work out for me, so back to the doctors i went this time he still refused to prescribe antabuse but referred me to the local community drug and alcohol team who sent me to ome to one counciling which to a certain point did help i went from drinking every night up 15 or more cans of stella to not touching a drop for a few weeks but then go back drinking no stella but cider or vodka after fighting with the doctors and the c.d.a.t team for all this time back in may they finally agreed to put me on a 29 week waiting list for antabuse i saw them last week adn they said i might have them before christmas depending now on how quickly they can do blood test's. it's taking over 2 long years to get this far and drink has almost wrecked my life and almost my marridge which im fighting to save as i love my wife with all my heart. i need to know why its taking so long if your a smoker and want help you'd get it as easy as buying smarties? please help me my marridge could depend on the answer, thanks guys.

i didn't have a problem getting my doctor to prescribe me anabuse, however, i'm uninsured and was shocked to discover it cost $250 a month for the prescription.

so, i found an online website where i now purchase it (the generic term for it is 'disulfiram'). there are a number of canadian pharmacies that do not require a prescription to obtain disulfiram.

one thing to consider of course is the reason doctor's are so gun-shy about prescribing anabuse in the first place; it's dangerous.

it makes you allergic to alcohol, and you won't know HOW allergic until after you're on it for a week or so. for some (like me), it makes me only mildly allergic to alcohol. i can enjoy a single glass of wine without too many adverse side effects (i get a tightness in my chest and an instant headache similar to a hang-over). for others, simply using hairspray can cause an allergic reaction so severe that it requires emergency medical treatment.

from a doctor's standpoint, the fear is always that an alcoholic without prior/current treatment to address the psychological aspects/causes will try drinking while on anabuse and die.

it happens, people die while on anabuse. if you still want to take it and hopefully save your marriage, simply Google "canadian pharmacy AND disulfiram AND anabuse" and you'll find a plethora of websites willing to shill the stuff to you.

Bela wrote:

I am considering taking Antabuse. Have 8x400mg tablets at my dispoal. How should I take them? Half a tablet a day??? Any suggestions? Also, how long does it take for them to be out of your system? Christmas is coming and would like to have a glass of wine...

it takes approximately two weeks to fully leave your system, so if you wait for two weeks from the last dose to the first drink, you'll be fine.

personally, i've found waiting about a week suffices. i'm only on a "quarter dose" (125mg/day) however, and anabuse does not affect me as severely as others (i can use mouthwash with alcohol in it for example with no issues, whereas others react violently even from beauty products with trace amounts of alcohol in it).

i've also heard taking vitamin C helps to flush anabuse from your system faster.

honestly though, i wouldn't play around with trying to figure out how quickly you can drink after being on it. some will (rather morbidly) joke that figuring out how to drink on anabuse is almost an art form. it's terribly dangerous to do so however. if you want to quit drinking, anabuse will work for you. if you want to simply cut back, perhaps anabuse is not the best form of treatment.

my advice is to follow doctor's orders: wait two weeks after discontinueing your dose, and then get back on it as soon as possible (and wait 48-72 hours after your last drink before continueing your doses to ensure there is not any residual traces of alcohol in your system).

Jami wrote:

Sorry to go on so everyone. One other thing is that both medications are really expensive. Even after the insurance I'm out over $100 a month.

How much did your drinking cost you a month ?

There is no sign of me improving

jonny ballbag wrote:

There is no sign of me improving

how long have you been taking it? is your dose low enough that you can continue to drink (albeit uncomfortably) on it? and do you take it regularly?

Booner wrote:

I am beginning antabuse because I have had alcohol four times in the past year and a half, which is just waaay too dangerous for someone who's been as screwed up on it as I havae for 30 years. My Q:What about all those dire warnings? Swithching to alcohol-free mouthwash and aftershave is no problem, but do I really have to worry about alcohol in a restaurant's salad dressing, or touching rubbing alcohol working on a craft project, or breathing fumes from gasoline additives when I pump gas?

I have been taking antabuse for 3 months, never took a "test drink" to see what the side affects would be. But I don't have any doubt that they would be severe. But as for the mouthwash, aftershave, cleaning brushes with alcohol based solvents, or breathing in ethanol fumes at the gas station, I have not had any reactions from exposure to any of those. Even marinating meat with sherry before cooking it for stir fry, no problem because the alcohol evaporates during cooking. But I wouldn't risk swallowing anything that has any uncooked alcohol in it, like Rum Balls or salad dressings that have alcohol in them, etcetera. No problem gargling with mouthwash, just don't drink the stuff!

homedeeth wrote:

No one said it's a 12 step forum. It's a forum about antabuse.
You live your life how you want to Sassa. I just don't think you've grasped the concept of Antabuse

this is just randomly coming from someone who has been sober for a year and 4 months, but people are allowed to say whatever they want....whenever they want. If you ignore the questions or comments that you deem to be negative to the whole situation then people are less likely to keep doing it. But as far as your quote, you make it 9/10 of the way being mature about it, but then you throw in that last sentence. How do you know when one has grasped antabuse? I mean people can indeed take it for any reason whatsoever, people could even take it because they enjoy the sickness. My point is, almost immediately you should be able to tell whos serious and who isnt. It's human nature to want to kind of lash out, but the internet can be used in two ways. Good and evil. Hoping that people grow up is a losing battle.

I agree. Antabuse is NOT for a person who is wanting "just one glass of wine or beer". If you have trouble with drinking then don't TRY to beat the things that could keep you sober like Antabuse and a meeting. I know from decades of experience ...

Erin wrote:

I started taking antabuse19 days ago after trying all sorts of things like AA. I went away on a business trip and "tested" it a few times-- got a really red face and heart pounding. Once I felt completely dizzy and had to sit down. the most alcohol I had at one time was probably not even a half a glass of beer. 2 nights ago back in nyc, i thought i could do this again. i had a half of glass of wine. my face started to feel red, and my heart was beating so hard i thought it might break. i had to lie down and then was very aware that i was probably going to pass out. i whispered to a friend what i was on in case i fainted or went unconscious. slowly, i started to feel a huge ache in my back and couldn't take the pain. during this, my vision was started to fail me and everything got more and more cloudy. my friends carried me to the bathroom in which i had the thought "i can't go on like this". after a few attempts, i as able to throw up. it was hot, hard and unstoppable. i had no control over my bottom and thought acid was spewing through my throat and mouth. after 10 minutes of this it slowed down. that is my lovely "test" of antabuse. no way it's happening again. i need to find out how to life like sober. if i can't do that, what really is life?

I have this same problem, and I use that good feeling in the morning to get me to take another dose as insurance that I wont drink that night. It does feel like absolute craziness but just keep it up and soon you will not feel as crazy at night. I've been doing this same thing, every day, for going on six months and have not had a drink in all that time because I just keep taking the pill in the morning. It gets better. Replace your bar time with something healthier, start excercising and soon you will look forward to that. Good luck!

Elyse wrote:

So i have been takin anrabuse for 4 days now. I asked to be perscribed to it.Spent 4-5 days a week at the bar.I found that my weekness is at nite when i usually get out of work and head up to the bar.mornings are great waking up with out a hangover, and thats when i take my pill....then i get out of work and wish i hadnt. Its driving me nutts..!will this ever end?