I have been prescribed Antabuse by my Dr (at my request) but they have been sitting in my bedside cabinet for the past 4 months ... Having read what they can do to you if you accidentally consume alcohol, I am very nervous about taking them. However if I don't, I know I am harming my body quite seriously and will do myself more harm.
Has anyone any experience/advice they can share. I really must start tking them as my drinking is getting dire.
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You seem to be well aware of the potential damage you are doing to your body with the alcohol. Have you tried support to tackle your drinking? Perhaps actually getting support from the likes of AA or other such group will help you better than the antabuse.
There is lots of support out there if you seek it out - your medical team should be able to point you in the direction of local help.
Katie
I am receiving support.
You should have had some sort of counselling before being prescribed Antabuse because as you know it’s extremely nasty and can be dangerous. If you’re still drinking and addicted, you obviously mustn’t take the Antabuse.
Can I ask what happened? Did you go to your GP and they prescribed Antabuse or have you seen your GP before about this?
There are other drugs which are less severe and can control your cravings, which Antabuse won’t do. Go back to your GP and ask.
I think you already know you have to stop drinking and not just cut down as you’re clearly addicted. Tell your GP you want to stop. There are counselling and other drugs available to help.
Your dr should not have prescribed you anti abuse without you going through an alcohol programme, very dangerous of your dr to that you should be at least 3-4 weeks abstinence and also monitored before you take anti abuse
Fizzy water did say it was requested by himself that his dr prescribe it. Docs are often put in difficult situations... dammed if they do dammed if they don't. At least fizzywater hasn't taken any which proves he does have willpower which now needs focussing on the alcohol .
Please do not assume I am not in therapy and receiving ongoing support. Can we stay on topic please. If you have nothing positive don't make assumptions it is very frustrating. I have asked advice from those that have had experience with this drug, not a finger wagging from those who jump to conclusions.
OK, fair enough. Sorry if it seemed unhelpful. I used to be a heavy drinker so can understand. My GP prescribed Campral via a counselling service. That helped me for a few weeks, and then I quit on my own. They were reluctant to prescribe Antabuse.
' accidentally consume alcohol' is a strange statement.
I definately think councelling will be a more beneficial and safer way to help cure your alcohol addiction.
It will also help to find a new interest or take walks during the times when you find you want or need a drink. It's about breaking the habit and routine. But as you have said you are already getting support, you have probably been told that and much more.
I wish you every success with quitting. It's not easy for many, I understand that.
Laura
Accidentally as in vinegars, sauces, and such with hidden alcohols .....
Is the minute amount of alcohol in those products really going to cause a problem? I dont know but if so I certainly would not be taking any kind of anti alcohol abuse medication. I would use therapy and councelling. Having said that If you have any kind of liver damage, processed foods, salts, sugar and vinegar should be avoided anyway. It sounds as though you also need some assistance with your diet, your liver specialist can refer you to a liver nutritionist/dietician.
Yes is the answer from medical experts. If you’re taking Antabuse, don’t even use alcoholic hand cleanser.
So antabuse should be avoided completely. Some alcohol products such as these cant be avoided.
It’s a last resort drug. If someone won’t give up drinking by other means, Antabuse might have to be the answer as nasty as it sounds.
At the end of the day both are dangerous then .... guess you just have to take your pick.
I wouldn’t have taken Antabuse either, but the fact it exists and is still prescribed after all these years shows it has its uses and that some people have very severe alcohol dependency which hasn’t been cured by other means.
A GP in the U.K. won’t prescribe Antabuse without counselling.
I dont think fizzy water / hiddens dr would have prescribed it if he had not requested it.
All my late hubby needed was being told he would lose me and his kids if he didnt get off the booze. He did it with 1 to 1 councelling alone and he was far more seriously ill with liver and kidney failure and pneumonia but he only survived for 3 months after councelling began. You have to WANT to quit and have a reason to.
Agreed. None of the paths will work without will power tho. These stop drinking aids are useless if a person doesnt push themselves to strive toward the goal. That part is something people certainly need to address within themselves. Its just simple logic on that front. Determination ultimately is what brings a person past the the threshold of success. Without it no drug aimed at getting people off booze is going to succeed. I didnt use any of these aids so I cant comment personally on them and I dont knock anyone who does use them but again with or without them the person wanting or needing to quit has to push to that pinnacle. Also they need to learn how to live without the aid at some point as well and keep in mind its a temporary stepping stone. No use in trading one crutch for another or one dependency for another.
Well put Phoenix xx
Pity that “hidden” left the forum. He wanted advice on Antabuse but didn’t get it. He had counselling already. He said so and wanted experience of taking Antabuse.
He was given advice about whether to take it. Was given plenty of advice. Can't do more than that, up to him to decide in the end. Some people dont like it when they dont hear what they want to hear
If you say so 😶
So you dont think anyone gave him any advice do you?
Or he got the advice he sought and left the forum? Not everyone comes here to stay. Many people come to get an answer to what they asked and then leave. The poster asked for advice on Antabuse and everyone gave their advice on it. What am I missing here?
He asked for advice about the effects of taking Antabuse.
A GP won’t prescribe Antabuse without counselling having taken place. “Hidden” said he’d had support. He knows he’s drinking to harmful levels which is why he’d sought support previously. Therefore, he would’ve known of the health risks of drinking excessively. He’d made that first step into sobriety by seeking help.
Did anyone answer his question about the effects of Antabuse?
Not directly no and thats because that would be in contradiction to the forums policy. Side effects should be left for a discussion with a doctor. carmik did however tell the poster that her husband used it and still drank anyways. Ultimately dying from alcoholism. So loosly yes it was answered in that it clearly works for some but not others and it was made clear that drinking while on it can be lethal. Self determination being key to its success which was also addressed. . A key not present clearly in carmiks husband which is ultimately why it was not successful. Not sure how it could have better been answered really without going against forum policy and the fact is this: this is a forum where people share experiences so there will always be peoples personnal opinions and thoughts thrown into the mix because it hits home. Thats unavoidable and is quite what this forum is about. This is not a site of counsel and medical advice. That is exactly what the forum is not intended for.
I agree with what you’ve posted. I pretty much always have done. My problem is a couple of posters in particular. Fizzy had already had support/counselling to get any sort of drug. That means he’d already gone to his GP, he would have been referred for blood tests and counselling to have got that far. This is a person who clearly knows they have a drink problem and the associated health risks.
Something is seriously amiss if he’s been given Antabuse and isn’t ready to take it. He needs to go back to his support/whoever prescribed Antabuse and explain his feelings.
He didn’t need a lecture on the health effects of alcohol as he’s well aware of those having gone through all the stages mentioned above.
The only person fizzy attacked for preaching was you
Really? He didn’t say that on his private message, so that narrows it down.
He asked for advice on Antabuse. Do you feel you helped him with that, Laura? Don’t you think he’s aware of the health risks of drinking to excess? I do, because to get to the stage of being prescribed any sort of drug, he’d have had to see his GP, get blood tests and go for counselling. Fizzy needed some support as what he got with his box of Antabuse wasn’t enough. Do you think after all that he needed a lecture on the health effects of drinking?
Coco who ?
I don't think this person has any real contribution to make to this forum as we know about him from his previous posts. and trouble making. No liver disease, no knowledge or experience of things liver. No understanding, no empathy.
Just had a PM from CocoNutWater man. "Don’t read my posts then".
Yes, exactly. I went through the process of trying to get Antabuse and then Campral, and I gave up drinking successfully. I am therefore very qualified to comment on this thread. If you don’t like my comments, please ignore me. I ignore your posts.
Oh and I had fatty liver. Is that not a liver disease? My doctor thought so.
I had to exchange PMs with FizzyWater aka hidden as he felt so uncomfortable being lectured on the main board. Did you help him, Rich man?
Hi Richard, I do sincerely believe that the point being made by coco' about lecturing or bullying the new member (fizzy water / hidden) ... was indeed well intentioned and moreover on balance correct. I hold you in high esteem but feel this thread has fallen short of the best welcome we have to offer. The original question was not only not directly answered but an anxious new member was a little berated with all our good intentions... as a forum not quite as understanding as they ought to be. There are worrying inconsistencies around the treatment of new members with drinkers sometimes hardly having time to share their thoughts before the criticism begins. The aim should always be non judgemental support with natural frustration kept in check for all new members. We can be 'dutch uncles' when we've built a rapport. I hope you take this as I meant but I felt sharing a private message changed this a bit. Chris
I know several people who say Antabuse was a life-saver for them. I understand your fear - you're thinking you might inadvertently get some in a salad, say, with wine vinegar - something like that. The upside of it is that it takes drinking completely off the table. But, you have to really want to not drink, obviously, to take the pill. There are online groups that discuss it ... maybe you could check some of those out. Alcohol is a monster. I quit drinking 6 1/2 mos. ago - not easy, but doable. I get support online from a women's group. Best to you with whatever you decide.
All I can say is that if you carry on drinking your posts will end with you giving your cirrosis experience to people who are in the exact position you are now.for me the only deterrent was being told that I’d die if I had another drink as my liver was in a bad enough state through hepC .so antibuse wasn’t needed. You obviously know what your drinking will do that’s why you’ve got antibuse so don’t do what a lot of people do and carry on regardless.because you’ll end up walking through the gates of hell my friend.i promise you that.do the right thing now because what ever damage you’ve done can probably be reversed. if your not suffering with a decompensated liver that is.do the sensible thing as life is s gift.paul
Well put brother.
Hi There.
My first husband was given Antabuse. He took it as I was told to make sure he took it in front of me.
It still didn't stop him. I could see his Artery in his neck pulsating when he came in. A sure sign that he was still drinking.
He did eventually die from a host of conditions ,mostly drink related, some maybe due to the meds plus the drink. I had already thrown him out and divorced him so there weren't many sentiments on my part at the end.
I am sorry to be so blunt but this is how you could end up. Think now how your family must be feeling. My current husband doesn't touch alcohol but ended with a transplant through something totally unrelated to alcohol. It is not nice watching your loved one slowly killing themself.
Please take the pills and get yourself to AA.
Good Luck keep us posted.
Yep, been through the same with my first husband .... horrible illness, horrible death x
I never saw the point of those tablets, if your an alcoholic and don't want to stop drinking then they will not help because you will just not take them as you have done.
Yes and no.
I took another drug, Campral, for just a few weeks. It probably had little physical effect, but the fact I’d gone to my GP and then a counsellor and then had to pay £8 or so for a box of tablets, it did the trick. It seemed daft to make that effort and carry on drinking so I stopped.
As a recovering alcoholic of nearly 17 years, I am of the opinion that anything that helps must be a good thing. However stopping drinking today and switching to antibuse could cause bigger problems. It should not be done without medical supervision. I never took antibuse or anything similar. I chose the AA route and got all the guidance and help I needed. Antibuse is a short term solution, AA has kept me on the straight and narrow for nearly 17 years.
Ray
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