Antabuse To Stop Drinking
If you have done even the smallest searching for anti-alcohol drugs, Antabuse no doubt came up first. But what’s the truth about this ‘magic’ cure for addiction, does it work? What are the side-effects?
Let’s dig a little deeper to find out if this really is the silver bullet for problem drinking.
Various investigations have shown that Antabuse (Disulfiram) is helpful for some people in dealing with alcoholism. Antabuse was not originally designed to deal with alcohol problems. However, it has been employed as such since the fifties.
Antabuse is not only an option for dealing with alcohol addiction, but it is also useful in dealing with other drugs.
Antabuse works by making you violently ill if you have any sort of alcoholic beverage. It does the job – because if you understand you can not consume alcohol, without getting sick. In theory, you will simply not consider consuming alcohol as much.
The problem is, just like any other drug – you have to use willpower to take the tablet. This is where most medications fall down when it comes to problem drinking.
Antabuse fans claim that it decreases desire for alcohol. One report of over 255 individuals did confirm that Antabuse considerably decreases cravings.
Relapse Prevention
Antabuse also claims that it minimizes the danger of relapse. Real world evidence for this claim is limited.
However, an evaluation of thirteen scientific investigations for alcohol addiction therapy verified the claim. Stating that Antabuse infusion with therapies like talking therapy, support groups, and alcohol rehabilitation considerably decreases the danger of relapse.
It is said that Antabuse also minimizes the danger of relapse in teenage addicts.
Individuals who are new to Antabuse like they have hope in the form of a new weapon. A weapon to use against that inner battle that takes place daily, “Will I drink Today?”. Many claim those thoughts are quashed when you’re on Antabuse.
Since alcohol consumption is not a possibility. You don’t squander your time considering drinking alcohol, and rather, you concentrate on getting better.
Antabuse works because you need to hold back for several days before you can have an alcoholic beverage. You can not quit Antabuse one day and have a beverage the next. It gives you lots of time to reconsider, reactivate your Antabuse treatment, and seek assistance.
However, problem drinkers are not always that great at asking for help. Drinkers are often secretive about their drinking, and it is far too easy to just not take the tablet. This is why Antabuse is rarely a solution on its own.
The Antabuse Response
It takes just one alcoholic beverage to create a severe counteraction. It takes just one bottle of lager, one glass of wine, or one shot of whiskey to become very sick.
The normal pattern of the Antabuse response is:
- Blushing of the face
- Migraine
- Low blood pressure
- Racing heartbeat
- Lightheadedness
- Queasiness and throwing up
If you have just one drink, you will throw up about as though if you had botulism. It really is very unpleasant!
A number of individuals are extremely hypersensitive to Antabuse and get a more powerful response. I include myself in that statement. I tried Antabuse and stupidly experimented with drinking while on it. This was a huge mistake – I can honestly report that the response was so terrible I thought I was going to die.
An easy test of if you’re hypersensitive to Antabuse is to observe if your face flushes when you put booze on your skin. If you’re hypersensitive you might still choose to use Antabuse, but you’ll need to be a bit more cautious about staying clear of drinking.
The majority of people just need to demonstrate some good sense when they’re on Antabuse
Antabuse Side-Effects Are Very Hard On The Body
Wait for a minimum of 24 hrs after drinking alcohol before beginning Antabuse. If you had ten alcoholic beverages and weighed only one hundred lbs (47kg), the alcohol would be entirely eradicated from your body in 24 hrs. If you weighed greater than one hundred lbs (47kg) it would take less than a day.
For the majority of people, it takes just one alcoholic beverage to generate a severe Antabuse response, it’s very unforgiving. You can have meals that have been prepared in wine. Provided that they’ve been cooked the alcohol vaporizes rapidly.
You need to be cautious of a few desserts that have a great deal of raw alcohol in them. You also need to beware of some chest and cough medicine and flu products that can incorporate as much as 40% alcohol.
Many people choose to use non-alcoholic mouth washes to be on the safe side. Even though the quantity of alcohol you consume from mouth wash does not equal one alcoholic beverage. Presuming you do not swallow your mouth wash.
You can use fragrances, scents, or aftershaves. The quantity of alcohol you absorb via your skin is not worth worrying about.
The basic client data sheet on Antabuse states that you must stay clear of all of these items: mouth wash, fragrances, scents, even white vinegar. I never had any problem with things like that, but that’s just my story.
Antabuse Adverse Effects
People claim that the negative side-effects of Antabuse happen less than the negative effects of relapsing. I am not so sure about that! Throughout the initial week, you’ll most likely feel a bit more fatigued. It typically lasts for a week or two and after that, it disappears for most people.
Throughout an initial couple of months that individuals take Antabuse, around 20% get a strange taste in their mouth. It’s typically referred to as a metal flavor. Most people do not get it, I can confirm that I didn’t at any point. If you do get that taste, it typically disappears after a couple of months.
The significant negative effects of Antabuse are unusual. You need to be aware that Antabuse (Disulfiram) is very hard on the liver and can cause liver damage. Any medication that you take over a long-term has the potential to induce liver harm. With Antabuse, it occurs in approximately 1 out of 30,000 individuals.
Tough On Your Liver
Your health professional may do a blood test to examine the condition of your liver before you begin. After you’ve been on Antabuse for a four week period you must have your liver exams reworked. Your physician ought to occasionally examine your liver enzymes while you’re on Antabuse.
Any medication may have any type of possible negative effects. You can never say never with prescribed medication.
Before trying Antabuse you must provide your general practitioner your whole medical background. Do not ever do what I did and take it without medical supervision. Antabuse Disulfiram nearly killed me!
You might not be able to take Antabuse if you have a notable case history of cardiac or artery disease. Also, diabetic issues, an underactive thyroid gland, brain ailments (e.g., seizures, brain damage), renal disorders, liver problems or background of serious clinical depression are a problem.
Antabuse can interact badly with specific medicines. Particularly tricyclic antidepressants, Dilantin (phenytoin), coumadin, isoniazid, and theophylline.
Do NOT take Antabuse if you’re expecting, or attempting to conceive.
Major Precaution Indicators
If you discover some of the following major warning signs, stop using Antabuse. Inform your physician right away: darker urine, serious stomach discomfort, consistent queasiness or sickness, yellowing of the eyeballs or face.
Worried About Trying Disulfiram?
There are 3 primary reasons why you might hesitate to try Antabuse (Disulfiram).
You may be worried about the Antabuse Side-Effects and you should be. It’s true they are very severe, but only if you drink. As long as you stay sober you should not have any major problems.
Do you trust yourself to stick to the rules of Disulfiram use?
The next explanation is that you wish to quit drinking by yourself. You’ve always been self-sufficient and you wish to be self-sufficient in your sobriety.
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A Tool In The Box Only
Remember, Antabuse is merely another tool in the box. Like hypnosis for alcoholism, it is not a substitute for taking the complete quit drinking course. It enhances it.
The 3rd and last reason why you might be hesitant to try Antabuse is that you are not fully committed to quitting alcohol. This indicates that you are still trying to use willpower to stop drinking. Willpower has a 95% failure rate against alcohol – so isn’t it time you stopped using it?
Antabuse isn’t for everyone, but it’s out there as an option to try. For more information speak to your doctor.
Getting a Prescription
Talk to your physician about Antabuse (Disulfiram), it is accessible at the majority of drug stores.
Other Anti-Alcohol Drugs
There are 3 anti-alcohol medications obtainable:
Antabuse (Disulfiram) is the oldest and most well-known drug for the treatment of alcoholism. It has a lengthy background and is regarded as safe and efficient. It’s obtainable in generic format, which means that it’s fairly cheap. The price of Antabuse is a lot lower than the cost of drinking.
Why It Didn’t Work For Me
As I said, I tried Antabuse (Disulfiram) and it failed to stop me drinking. I believe the reason for this is two-fold. First, no drug can deal with the underlying reason why you are using alcohol. Many people are drinking to deal with the pressure of modern life, to self-medicate pain or avoid thinking about past trauma.
If these people take a tablet that stops them drinking, they may be sober but they are still miserable. This is called Dry Drunk Syndrome, and it is not a good place to be.
The second reason Antabuse failed for me is the reason it fails for thousands of other people. You have to use willpower to take the tablet. A drug that is going to prevent you from doing your absolute favorite thing in the world.
As mentioned above, willpower has at best a 5% success rate.
Ready To Take Action?
If you are worried about your drinking, stop looking for a silver bullet. The way to deal with this is by logically dissecting the addiction and removing the driving force behind your drinking.
The Stop Drinking Expert is not a replacement for professional medical advice. However, over 100,000 have escaped problem drinking with our online course and live seminars.
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