Antabuse and Campral success

[spacebebe01]

As I am having success with Antabuse and Campral I am not sure whether I should start a new thread or re-title my old one. I dont really want to start a new thread but also think that most of the threads here are about bac and think anyone who is looking at using other meds wont know where to look without them being in the thread title I would appreciate any comments, ideas on this

[Greg]

Antabuse and Campral success

Hi Space, this happens to describe my approach at the moment, although I am also using 15 mg per day of diazepam (Valium) and no longer using Xanax. My Campral dose is 2 grams per day (2 333-mg pills taken with meals 3 times a day) and Antabuse dose is one 200 mg pill taken every 4 days or so (since I know I'd never risk drinking in less than a week after a 200 mg dose, and it helps cut down on the number I use). I'm back to zero baclofen at present, due to a supply problem that has been well documented elsewhere on the forum. Oh, I should also add that I take 1500 mg L-tryptophan for sleep sometimes, although at present I'd rather not mix that with the Valium.

So far I am not desperately craving alcohol, and in fact seem indifferent to it most of the time, but I have only been AF again for 5 days. I still get cravings for something, anything, to feel escape and emotional freedom at night, but that's more due to my habit of doing this for over 20 years, and due to not yet putting enough enjoyable activities and goals into my life.

I also found Antabuse vital to staying sober from early 2010 to mid 2011, so it does help me. Also had 2 months sobriety years ago using nothing but Campral. I wish you well and hope you find continued success.

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse and Campral success

Thanks Greg, Im around 3 months AF now and I am not getting cravings for alcohol at all . I do think about drink, and sometimes I think I want a drink but due to the antabuse I take I know I cant have a drink and the thoughts just go away. At first I was pretty miserable and was getting strong cravings for AL but I think that lasted maybe a couple of weeks or so. I know what you mean tho about getting cravings for something, anything, My problem now is that I have used chocolate and spending to satisfy this and I know that niether of these things are in any way near like allcohol in harm and descruction of my life and thoses around me they are still not good so I want to start on working on getting rid of those.
My doctor here in UK gave me a script for diazipan for over the christmas period and I found it very helpful but he wont give me any more in case I become addicted and sue him, (My doc is terrified of being sued for malpracticei in fact I think he has a problem with it, it seems more like a phobia than just being carefulk with him he wont even prescribe me my antabuse in case I take it then drink loads and die and my family sue him!). Do you get your valuim of your doc or buy it on line?

[tea]

Antabuse and Campral success

Can you just take antabuse when you are craving or do you have to take it daily to build it up? Thanks

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse and Campral success

Hi tea, I take antabuse every day to make sure I always know I cant drink. Im not sure what you are asking tho, do you just whan to take it as and when you have a craving? if so then no you do not have to build it up I think, but I may well be corrected on that, if you take the antabuse then DONT drink , but Im not sure what the benefit of that would be because then you would know the next week that it would have worn off and be leaving yourself open to giving in to craving again. IMHO.

[Greg]

Antabuse and Campral success

tea;1240900 wrote: Can you just take antabuse when you are craving or do you have to take it daily to build it up? Thanks

Antabuse is most effective as a deterrent when taken daily, but yes it will also prevent you from drinking if you take it when you get cravings. It does work more strongly when taken daily, but even a single full dose will make drinking extremely unpleasant and dangerous. You would have to carry a pill with you all the time for this to be practical, because you could easily just give in to the cravings and drink if you had to wait a long time to get to your Antabuse supply (e.g. if you left it at home and were at work or out shopping when cravings hit). I always try to remember to carry some in my wallet.

Antabuse works even better when taken along with something to reduce alcohol cravings, and also with medication to address other problems like anxiety or depression that could make you want to drink as self-medication (if that's part of your problem). Even counseling, therapy, AA, etc could be a back-up to Antabuse...anything that reduces desperate desires to drink.

[Greg]

Antabuse and Campral success

spacebebe01;1240878 wrote: Thanks Greg, Im around 3 months AF now and I am not getting cravings for alcohol at all . I do think about drink, and sometimes I think I want a drink but due to the antabuse I take I know I cant have a drink and the thoughts just go away. At first I was pretty miserable and was getting strong cravings for AL but I think that lasted maybe a couple of weeks or so. I know what you mean tho about getting cravings for something, anything, My problem now is that I have used chocolate and spending to satisfy this and I know that niether of these things are in any way near like allcohol in harm and descruction of my life and thoses around me they are still not good so I want to start on working on getting rid of those.
My doctor here in UK gave me a script for diazipan for over the christmas period and I found it very helpful but he wont give me any more in case I become addicted and sue him, (My doc is terrified of being sued for malpracticei in fact I think he has a problem with it, it seems more like a phobia than just being carefulk with him he wont even prescribe me my antabuse in case I take it then drink loads and die and my family sue him!). Do you get your valuim of your doc or buy it on line?

I'm glad to hear how well you are doing. Great effort! I really need to start taking my Antabuse every day too, as my once or twice a week method makes it too easy to be tempted to drink again once it has worn off. As for habits like eating and spending, I have heard a few stories of naltrexone and baclofen having helped people with things like this (even gambling), and Dr Ameisen even said baclofen stopped his shopping addiction.

Doctors are often very scared of getting into serious trouble prescribing drugs that can be addictive or otherwise very dangerous. Valium and Antabuse are both difficult to get here, and I had to look around for doctors willing to prescribe them. I have never even tried to buy Valium online, because it is a controlled/restricted drug and customs officials would be on the alert for people importing such drugs. This is viewed as a much more serious matter than importing drugs that are prescription-only but not controlled. Online sites offering things like Valium would be very suspect in my opinion, although I must admit there are underground sites offering all sorts of illegal drugs...it's far safer to find a doctor who will continue to prescribe. Also, yes be very wary of becoming dependent on it!!

[caper564]

Antabuse and Campral success

hi all,
I take my antabuse daily. i have found in the past when i take it every other day its easy to miss a few doses then start the drinking process again. so now i take it everyday to remind myself that i cannot drink. its like a daily affirmation more than anything. i also take Ativan to help me sleep. i found sleeping the hardest thing to do sober. after years of passing out in bed every night, getting to sleep sober was a challenge. so the ativan helps immensly.

hope this help
caper

[Greg]

Antabuse and Campral success

It worked best for me when I took it daily, and that was even just 1/4 of a pill (50 mg) daily, taken around mid afternoon. I have done some foolhardy things with substances in the past, but drinking on the same day as taking Antabuse is something I have never been game to try...my fear has even usually kept me from drinking for several days after taking only low doses of it! It's said to be like a massive hangover, and I have had some mild headaches and nausea (but no red face) when drinking even a few days after a 50 mg amount. It's the ultimate deterrent to drinking really.

(P.S. Drinking alcohol when Antabuse is still working can also be potentially deadly ,or at least a person could be severely ill).

[Cinders]

Antabuse and Campral success

tea;1240900 wrote: Can you just take antabuse when you are craving or do you have to take it daily to build it up? Thanks
Tea, As Greg has alluded, Antabuse does not deal with cravings at all. It is just a mental deterrent to not drink as you will become extremely ill. If you are considering Antabuse, please consider another tack for the cravings, be it AA, counseling, Baclofen, etc.

The two-pronged approach may be very effective: Deterrence and alleviation of cravings.

caper564;1241394 wrote: hi all,
I take my antabuse daily. i have found in the past when i take it every other day its easy to miss a few doses then start the drinking process again. so now i take it everyday to remind myself that i cannot drink. its like a daily affirmation more than anything. i also take Ativan to help me sleep. i found sleeping the hardest thing to do sober. after years of passing out in bed every night, getting to sleep sober was a challenge. so the ativan helps immensly.

hope this help
caper

Caper,

I find it takes five to six weeks of abstinence before my body gets back to a true, normal sleep pattern. As you approach that amount of time completely AF, you may want to try reducing and then eliminating the Ativan altogether. Ativan is addictive, too.

Cindi

[caper564]

Antabuse and Campral success

Cinders;1241449 wrote:
Caper,

I find it takes five to six weeks of abstinence before my body gets back to a true, normal sleep pattern. As you approach that amount of time completely AF, you may want to try reducing and then eliminating the Ativan altogether. Ativan is addictive, too.

Cindi

hi cindi,
yes that is my goal... i take a whole pill for now then 3/4 then work down to 1/2 then none. i don't want to replace being an alcoholic with being a drug addict. like you said hopefully after 5-6 weeks i will be back to normal.. (whatever that is) lol
caper

[MWOLady]

Antabuse and Campral success

Hi Space!!! so good to hear that you are doing sooooo welllllll! Keep it up. And as for the chocolate!! You bad girl!! But I love sweets too. I try to stay eating very low carb, don't keep sweets in the house and use l-glutamine to keep the sweet tooth quiet. Works pretty well. Have a great day!

[spacebebe01]

Antabuse and Campral success

As I mentioned I take Campral to help with the cravings, Im glad to hear Greg that your thinking of taking the antabuse daily, for me I also think that is a daily commitment to not drinking, Im not sure why but when I started taking 200mg every other day I didnt feel the same resolve as when splitting the tablet into 2 and taking 100mg every day, maybe it is just the psychological resolve is stronger or maybe something elso I dont know, but I will be sticking to everyday.

[Greg]

Antabuse and Campral success

spacebebe01;1241516 wrote: As I mentioned I take Campral to help with the cravings, Im glad to hear Greg that your thinking of taking the antabuse daily, for me I also think that is a daily commitment to not drinking, Im not sure why but when I started taking 200mg every other day I didnt feel the same resolve as when splitting the tablet into 2 and taking 100mg every day, maybe it is just the psychological resolve is stronger or maybe something elso I dont know, but I will be sticking to everyday.

I have definitely done much more poorly since taking Antabuse only on certain days. Daily was best for me, and I do think it's about reinforcing the mental commitment to stay abstinent. Otherwise all the old excuses to drink again start to flood back in, especially "I feel so bad that only a return to alcohol can make things bearable". I have just started daily use of 100 mg.

[Running4life]

Antabuse and Campral success

Hi:
Just jumping in here. I take Antibuse daily, two pills a day. Not sure of the strength but I know I would not want to experience drinking on it. I used to get one into me and then let it wear off. That was just stupid and I would just start drinking again. The doctor told me to take two a day if I was really serious about quitting so I did and here I am on day 67. I agree, it needs to be taken every day. I know that it would take at least a couple of weeks to leave my system before I could drink so it is just not worth it.
I am enjoying my sobriety.
Take care and good luck!
R4L