What is Antabuse?

It is the name of a medication containing a chemical called Disulfiram. It blocks the regular metabolism or breakdown of alcohol in your liver. When you drink alcohol while taking Antabuse, a rapid build up of a substance called Acetaldehyde occurs which without Antabuse is normally quickly broken down in the liver. Acetaldehyde causes an extremely unpleasant reaction in your body.

Without alcohol though, Antabuse is relatively non-toxic and causes little reaction. It comes as a regular 4oomg tablet, and the usual dose is either a half or a full tablet (depending on your tolerance) which you take daily in the morning. Most people dissolve it in water and drink the liquid. Side – effects are usually mild and can include headache and an unpleasant taste.

Rarely can it cause liver inflammation: if you suddenly experience a high fever or jaundice (eyes or skin appears yellow, urine becomes dark) or other unexplained changes especially in the first 60 days on Antabuse, then stop it immediately and inform your prescribing doctor. It is prudent to do blood tests to monitor your liver initially and once or twice yearly thereafter.

Some people are scared off by these potential problems, but remember: they are rare and usually minor, especially when compared to the toxicity of alcohol abuse!

Why should I use Antabuse?

It is a very useful tool for those of you struggling with alcoholism, and wish to stop drinking, but who fear that at difficult, stressful, emotional, or tempting moments, you may relapse. If you do choose to drink again and decide to stop your Antabuse, you are forced to wait at least 4 days (and to be safe, up to 2 weeks) before you can drink again without an Antabuse reaction.

This allows you a period of time to think carefully about the implications and dangers for you of drinking again, and gives you a safety period to stop yourself in the process of relapsing.

Antabuse does not stop your craving for alcohol and is not a cure for alcoholism (or any other addiction). Best results are obtained if you have someone close to you that can supervise you taking it daily, or at least remind you to take it.

What happens if I drink on Antabuse?

You will feel seriously ill and may even need medical treatment. Within 5 – 10 minutes after drinking alcohol, you will start feeling hot and flushed and your face will turn bright red in colour. Thereafter you will feel a throbbing in your upper body along with a severe headache. This will be followed by chest pains, difficulties in breathing, sweating, intense nausea and vomiting, a drop in blood pressure associated with dizziness and weakness, and your face may turn pale. This can last for 30 minutes to several hours, and you may need to seek medical attention if the reaction is severe. If you suspect that you will drink on Antabuse and that you are not fully serious about sobriety, then you are not ready to use Antabuse.

What should I avoid with Antabuse?

You need only avoid alcohol, and of course anything else that may contain even small amounts of alcohol (which as a recovering alcoholic you should avoid anyway). Alarming reactions may occur with as little as a teaspoon of alcohol, and you need to be very careful with anything containing disguised alcohol. This may include sauces, cough syrups, mouth washes, aftershave lotions and antiseptics. Remember to tell your dentist, doctor and pharmacist that you take Antabuse.

In general, the cooking process in cooked foods that contain alcohol usually causes all the alcohol to evaporate, and it is rare to get a reaction from such foods. Obviously foods soaked in alcohol such as brandy pudding should be avoided. Antabuse should never be taken if you are pregnant and if you have significant heart or circulatory disease.