Antabuse help

[lukalee]

I am considering Antabuse. For various reasons, I do not want to go to my primary physician. Can I get it anywhere else? What can I expect? What should I do/avoid?

[CS04]

Antabuse help

Hi Lukalee,
An MWO friend sent me some Antabuse a few years ago. You may find that someone here may offer to send you their supply that they no longer need. I would help you out, hon, but I think I may need it myself.

When I did it before, and I only took it on 2 separate occasions, and I took half a tablet. You cannot drink for 3 days. So, if you took it tomorrow, Tuesday, you cannot drink until Friday at the very earliest. You would not probably be nauseous sick (which is what I always assumed) but face will get red and very uncomfortable.

Again, I am no expert and certainly not a medical person, but that was my brief experience. I am considering the same route very soon. You and I have talked in the past so feel free to call or PM again. Let's get on this, as there are others jumping on the New Year wagon as well.

xoxo CS

[lukalee]

Antabuse help

Thanks. We have been at at it for awhile, and we are both ready for a change; this is our year. I do not do well with meds, but I think I could handle Antabuse. I just need to know the best place to purchase....We can do this, CS. Hugs...

[Wally22]

Antabuse help

lukalee, I got my prescription for antabuse from my counsellor not my general practitioner.
If you have a counsellor that you can trust, maybe you can approach them.
I take a pill every second day.
You must be AF for 48 hours before taking the first antabuse pill.
Sometimes I go without for 3 or 4 days (to keep costs down). but at the first hint of a craving a pop a pill.

[CS04]

Antabuse help

Hugs Lukalee. I am with you!

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse help

Hi Lukalee, I have been taking antabuse plus campral for a few months now and have not drank since my first pill. I find the antabuse brilliant in that I know I just cannot drink on it, at first I did have cravings and felt like I was white knuckling it but because I had taken the pill I couldnt cave in to them and now my cravings have reduced massively both in frequency and strength. I dont want to temp fate but I would say they are virtually gone. As far as I know I have had no SE's. My own doctor refuses to give me a script for antabuse so I buy on-line, the company I bought from is a Europe based one but there website is down at the moment anyway, I dont know where you are but there are lots of peeps on here who can tell you the ones they use. Antabuse isnt an expensive med, especially when you consider what you will save with not buying AL. I get my campral on a script of my doctor, but think this might be more expensive to buy online. I take these for long term abstinance and take daily, I have no knowledge of how suitable these meds would be for cutting down on drinking, but imho I wouldnt chance antabuse if there was any possibility that you are intending to drink. Good luck

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse help

As you might have noticed I dont think there are that many people on here taking antabuse. If you want to get in touch with me at all you can pm me.

[Cinders]

Antabuse help

Lukalee,

I took Antabuse for a while. Unfortunately, I actually drank on it!!

It is a good tool if you are wise enough to not drink on it. Trust me, you do not want to go through the agony that drinking on it causes. I almost ended up in the ER and have heard of cases where death occurred.

Antabuse apparently causes the liver to be unable to filter alcohol. Therefore, if you do drink, your body is swamped with alcohol.

If you can get to a doctor, it is best. A liver test should be taken first. One should not take Antabuse if there are any liver issues.

I know it really helps a lot of people stay sober. Please consider using a different doctor, don't use your insurance and ask that it not be sent to your insurance company or your primary doctor.

Good luck!! I wish you all the best on your decision to get sober. Your life will be yours again if you can deal with this addiction.

Love,
Cindi

[Running4life]

Antabuse help

Hi:
i have taken Antibuse for the last 61 days and it has allowed me to stay sober. I started by taking two a day and I have continued at this level. I have been seeing an addiction specialist and he wants the dosage high for the time being. I know that I absolutely can't drink at that dosage and that it would take quite a while for it to leave my system before I could drink. (at least a month) I used take just one but could not get a second day into me and then would let it wear off. After 6 days would get an awful headache so it is not worth making the mistake of drinking with it.
It is a valuable tool if you respect it but I would work with the Doctor. Unfortunately most Doctors do not have any knowledge about treating addictions. Would your doctor be willing to refer you to someone more qualified?
Good luck!
R4L

[lukalee]

Antabuse help

Thanks for the advice. I have not found a primary physician I even like, let alone one I would be willing to talk to about my problem. I did go to someone new a few years ago and brought it up. Her father was an alcoholic, so she pretty much seemed to be a bitter one. In large letters she wrote "Alcohol Abuse" across the paper I think she sends to the insurance company. I really should start fishing for a new doctor. My kids' doctor seems like an in touch person. Maybe I will set up an appointment with him and get some blood work done. thanks again.

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse help

Good point Cinders, sorry I forgot to mention about getting the bloodwork done, even though my doctor wont prescribe me antabuse and doesnt know Im taking it I can still be upfront with him about my drinking and because Im on other medications I ask to get blood tests done anyway. By some kind of freak miracle my liver seems to be ok, I have no idea how I got away with that but its another thing to not take for granted and make this opportunity of sobriety work for me. Here in the UK the NHS alcohol sevices are pretty crap and finding a doctor whose even remotely interested in addiction is damn near impossible never mind someone who knows anything about it. I notice your exhausted lukalee, you didnt say whats going on for you or if your still drinking or newly sober but if you are then thats probably got a lot to do with it. I think I was dragging myself around for the first few weeks or more. I still have low evergy levels but nowhere near as bad as they where.