Antabuse Thread

[jessie]

Antabuse Thread

Hi Prest4time,
When I said that it builds up in the system I meant that if you took it daily for 14 days you would probably not be able to drink for 14 days after the last one.I never did the test myself. And like you, I wanted to drink and therefor I only took one and stopped at least 5 days before an event. Otherwise I had no interactions. I love mustard and vinegar and spicy food and could eat it even the same day as I took an AB.
Let me know how it goes.
Good luck.

[Cinders]

Antabuse Thread

Prest,

I am eating mustard and such just fine. Of course, I am only on day 4 of AB.

As far as why take something everyday that hurts my liver? :H

I WAS taking something everyday that hurt my liver much worse than AB, so daily AB does not scare me. Not taking it scares me!! My doctor told me I can take AB for years if I choose and several of his clients who are doctors have been.

It is a choice for me, AB or drunk.

My doctor is going to do liver enzymes tests every two months as a precaution.

Cindi

[hippie37]

Antabuse Thread

From what I was reading yesterday on the web it seems that the longer you take antabuse the more susceptible you are to even the smallest amount of alcohol. Therefore if you are taking it regularly on a daily basis then your tolerance for alcohol will be extremely lower than if you were just taking one pill every 4/5days. Looking at it psychologically then wouldn't it be better to be taking it every day. I don't see the point in taking the drug if you are choosing to drink even small amounts in between your last and new dose. It seems pointless in my eyes and defeats the object to me. The idea of taking antabuse is to have an ongoing period of total abstinence from alcohol in order to use other therapies alongside this. Taking antabuse while still drinking will not confront the real issues but just give you another crutch to rely on when things get bad.

Sorry for throwing a hot potato but I think I needed to express this.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[indiamike57]

Antabuse Thread

Hi -

Hippie -

I agree....at least for me. I take it because I so not want to drink and as for Vinegar or mustard? After 6 or so weeks on it, I have no issues and have salads almost everyday with Balsamic or other vinegars and love spicy mustard on my burgers, etc. The literature says to avoid things like wine sauces, dishes made with alcohol (it does not always cook off) etc.

Erin

[hippie37]

Antabuse Thread

Erin that was the sole reason for me taking Antabuse, so I COULDN'T drink no matter what. If you are relying on Antabuse to purely have periods of abstinence till your next fix of alcohol then you are defeating the whole purpose for taking it. You will therefore become self-reliant on taking it for those periods and never move forward. After all it is not a wonder drug!!. I think that's why GP's in this country will normally only prescribe the drug if you are actively seen to be taking some sort of alcohol counseling. I had no problem adhering to my GP's guidelines as I totally got to grips with the reasons why I was taking it in the first place. I've had 2 stints on it and have been off it know since early Feb and both times I had NO reactions whatsoever. But as you mentioned I steered clear of sauces and foods that even contained trace elements of alcohol and avoided deodorants and other products that would come into contact with skin.

There's many mind blowing articles out there regarding research with disulfiram that would have you thinking twice before taking it; which is why I think you have to be serious with your intentions for using it.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[tea]

Antabuse Thread

Hip,

That is exactly the way my thoughts are going, I want to be UNABLE to take a drink, no choices, no sitting looking at the clock, no will I won't I scenarios, no decision to take.
Keep thinking of something Star said "The fact that I am an alcoholic is not a problem to me, until I take a drink"........

Thanks for the link.

Lx

[indiamike57]

Antabuse Thread

Hippie -

Thanks for your comments and yes, I have done a ton of research, am tight with my Dr. and am active with an amazing therapist. I'm also feeling better than I have in years o for me, for right now, its good

[Cinders]

Antabuse Thread

My useless 2 cents..

I am taking AB to be AF. Period. I cannot imagine trying to figure out, hmm, I have a party 3 weeks from now so I have to quit taking it on such and such a day.

If I did that, then it is pretty much guaranteed that by party day, I will be drunk to blackout yet one more time.

I only have a few more of those, or none, left, where something happens that is undoable. Either great bodily harm to myself, harm to someone else (believe it or not you can drive blacked out and not even be aware) or great harm to my family because of my behavior.

For me to keep drinking at all does follow the AA dire warning "jails, institutions, death."

I plain old want to be a non-drinker. I have been around AL in the last few days and the AB just makes it a "no brainer" for me. I got one of the gorillas off my back!!

I gladly pop that pill with my Nexium first thing a.m. and actually get a smile on my face.

Love to all,
Cindi

[hippie37]

Antabuse Thread

Cindi you have the right attitude and approach to this and I know you have tried everything else including rehab so I know how committed you are to doing this. Keep doing what you are doing hun and eventually those thoughts of wanting a drink will become less and less while you are on the Antabuse. It helps greatly with the psychological approach or as you say getting the gorillas off your back!! Just remember to address the other issues you have while you have this time sober.

Love and Happiness (as always)
Hippie
xx

[anne1232]

Antabuse Thread

question: Antabuse and cosmetics

Newbie here, day one (of thousands of day ones) but this time on Antabuse. I'll post my
story on the 'new here' site, but am right now having trouble finding any info on the usage of nail polish remover, hair products...obviously I don't think you can use them...?

[Cinders]

Antabuse Thread

Anne,

I have been using hair spray (full of alcohol but I am a girl after all...)

I even tested using Listerine one day (careful not to swallow a drop) and had no reaction.

Does that mean the same for you? Can't answer that.

I think I would carefully try somethings that you simply do not want to give up, other than booze of course!!, and see if they bother you.

Use common sense, though. You do not want to use something that will soak your skin in alcohol because skin is our largest organ and does take in lots of things.

Someone mentioned vinegar salad dressings bothered them. They do not bother me.

btw, my dosage is 250 mg once a day, that could play into it also.

However, if I have to give up vinegar, pickles, hair spray with alcohol, fingernail polish remover, etc, to have this experience, I will do it. Nothing else has ever worked for me and this is working.

My life is being transformed.

Like Hippie said, though, use this time wisely to find out what your other issues are. AL just "hides" those things we are dealing with. I am continuing to see a psychiatrist on a regular basis. He is a wonderful guy and knows that step one is getting out of the booze cloud, step two is figuring out why I wanted to be in that cloud.

Best of luck!!

Please post any adverse reactions here, too. The more we know, the more power we have.

Love,
Cindi

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Antabuse Thread

Cindi-

I just want to applaud you. Your mindset and determination are just awesome. There is no question in my book you are a winner!

I am day 22 today on Antabuse. That is truly a miracle!! I am not using the drug as an on and off way to moderate, rather hope that by being on in for "awhile "(not sure how long yet) that I will become strong enough to fight the beast without it. I certainly couldn't do that before, so for me, this drug is just a lifesaver. I will say, that I have been unable to consider the fact that i am absolutely "done" drinking forever. I just CAN'T wrap my brain around that. The first couple of weeks on the drug, during my "witching hour" I would actually fantasize about some time in the future, when I stop taking the drug, and can drink all I want. However, next morning, I would not feel that way, and again take the pill. I guess this is ok, because lately, in the last week or so, I find I am not having fantasies like this. I still think about that time that I can savor a nice cold glass of chardonnay (yeah, right, like it would only be one), but find I don't let my thoughts stop there...I am able to think the whole scenario through to the ultimate truth of being drunk, hangover, etc. I am also finding evenings where I don't even MISS drinking. WOW. The other night after dinner, I went out to do some shopping. Of course I knew i wasn't going to drink, but I thought about how much I was missing it and realized..."no, I wouldn't even WANT a drink right now...I have shopping to do". That was a revalation to me.

So, I guess my point is that while I am not taking Antabuse as some moderation technique, I still had to think of it as "temporary" (at least I had to think that way when I was craving), or else I don't think I could have handled it. With time, thank God, I am finding myself more and more able to embrace the idea of permanence.

Just my thoughts.

With love,

Beth (sick with flu )

[Cinders]

Antabuse Thread

Antabuse Medical Info for EMTs and Docs

Morrison originally posted on a different thread that he was warned to carry a notice in his wallet that he was on Antabuse. He wondered why. Here is my response. This is important.

Morrison,

My hubby was (and will be again, I hope) a nursing student.

When I mentioned I was going to take Antabuse, he asked that I get a medical ID bracelet or necklace.

Why? Because so many drugs and wipe downs used during Emergency treatment, i.e. car accidents, etc, contain alcohol.

Ordering a necklace today -- I don't trust that they would look in my wallet before treating me, especially being female since if it was a car accident the wallet may not be easily found.

Again, thanks for the reminder!!

Love ya!
Cindi

[Cinders]

Antabuse Thread

Beth,

You know that is what makes this program so wonderful. MY Way Out.

RJ gave use great information, a great program and shared a very personal story. The start of something incredible. Without MWO, I would just be a lost drinker today.

I am so happy and proud of you for your choice to take Antabuse. Between you, Morrison, Det, Hippie and Bird, it gave me the courage to try it too.

However, I do consider it a "forever" thing. I cannot ever drink again, Beth. My alcoholism had reached an incredible peak. I am amazed my enzymes even let me take the Antabuse. I was drunk 24/7 unless I was working at a client site. I mean it, 24/7. I blacked out everytime I drank. When I was working, my hands were shaking and many times I had to figure out a way to hide that from the client.

So, for me, the Antabuse has been a true lifesaver. The cream was finding a psychiatrist who was willing to put my on the Gabapentin and the Trazadone in conjunction. I actually "feel" the results of the Gabapentin helping to calm me down without zoning me out. It is awesome. The Trazadone is a very old sleep aid that is not addictive. I sleep a full night right now. I will probably quit taking it in a week or so because I believe "natural" sleep is better but for these early sober days, it is a life saver.

So, again, no matter what you decide about your future, You, Det, Bird, Hippie and Morrison have my undying gratitude for helping to give me the courage to try Antabuse. I am indebted hugely to all of you.

Also, of course, the others on this site who have supported me, read my drunken posts and kicked my butt but kept me going, all such dear friends and helpmates, I am indebted to all of you, too. MWO and my friends have saved my life. :l

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, which has grown and grown and grown in the last few days because I am so happily sober.

Love,
Cindi

[indiamike57]

Antabuse Thread

Cindi -

So glad to hear of someone else's story on AB. I, too, was warned to get a bracelet or necklace to show I was on AB. It is also an excellent reminder as I see it on my wrist that I do not want to go back.

Erin