Alcohol Antabuse-disulfram, effects and interactions with drugs besides alcohol

[LucidSDreamr]

Does anyone have experience with this medication? Does it have side effects? How does it interact with rec drugs besides alcohol? (opioids, psychs, cannabis and lyrica in particular).

Do you think its worth taking this drug if you are not a full blow alcoholic but just want to stop weekend drinking? Thanks

 

[Scrofula]

It has major side effects. You do not want to fuck with it, basically. It will have interactions with most drugs, is extremely potent (like, don't use cologne), and persists for weeks.

It's really a last-resort medication for when willpower is a total failure around hooch.

Pregabalin is probably one of the few with low risk of reaction, since you mostly just piss it out unmetabolized.

(This is not based on experience, just pharm class learnin' and rehab anecdote.)

Dude, consider: it's investigated for cocaine abuse, because it causes a toxic dopamine metabolite to build, causing intense anxiety and straight killing dopamine neurons. It's bad stuff.

 

[Deemgd]

It's a serious, serious medication. I absolutely would not take it if you aren't a full blown alcoholic, as an absolute last resort. I took it years ago and it was a nightmare- and I was a full blown alcoholic, and it still didn't cure my alcoholism, I just stopped taking it so I could start drinking again.

 

[treezy z]

I wouldn't recommend antabuse. It doesn't treat alcoholism at all, it's just supposed to scare you but if you slip it can be very bad.

I used a drug called campral to help me get off a 6-10 drink a day habit (not hardcore but unhealthy.) It worked pretty well. It is supposed to help cravings (anxiety etc) and make drinking less rewarding, so if you slip it's more "that didn't really do much for me/not worth it" than the "someone get me an ambulance" effect drinking on antabuse can cause.

Really I don't think anyone should take antabuse without a court order or something.

 

[quasimodo21]

It causes a flush with metronidazole.

I was on 250mg antabuse for quite a while. Once I found I could drink through the flush it stopped working. Note: don't do this - it can kill you. Somehow it didn't kill me.

 

[n3ophy7e]

I'm back on antabuse again. I've used it several times over the years. I am a hardcore alcoholic and have tried everything. Antabuse is the only thing that assures 100% sobriety for me. You just have to be really careful about ANYTHING with ethanol in it, including perfumes, colognes, desserts, liqueur chocolates, sauces made with wine or spirits, antibacterial cleaning products. You just have to get used to checking labels for ethanol.

BUT you have to be fully committed to sobriety if you're going to take Antabuse because you absolutely can NOT drink any alcohol at all while you're on it. Even for 1-3 weeks after you stop taking it. So you have to take it seriously, or try something else if you're not 100% serious about being sober.

 

[Thatchick]

Antabuse can be effective with counseling and some type of recovery program. I took it for a bit late last year, I was dedicated to not drinking, so it was a useful tool for me.
The way it works is to make you violently ill if you drink ( think ultraviolence and A Clockwork Orange)Anything containing alcohol should be avoided most common culprits are hand sanitizer, perfume/cologne and deodorant. I sprayed my perfume on my clothes, used alcohol free sanitizer and deodorant didn't bother me. For low level alcohol exposure you may just get a hivey rash or turn flushed.
This med has been around a long time. I stopped for stupid side effects (greasy hair) in reality I just wanted to drink. I now live in a sober living house and take naltroxone. 6 months sober yesterday.