I took some antabuse 2 days ago which had been ordered from the internet. I have just drunk about 2 units of alcohol, - within the last hour, as so far have no ill effects. I really was just checking if it was the real thing, which I thought it was. My doctor wont prescribe me it. Has anyone else taken any antabuse which didnt really work?
Where did you get them from on the internet? Don't give me a link, as the post automatically gets moderated, just give me the name. Having ordered stuff off of the internet myself, I'm fairly good at sussing at out ligit sellers.
I actually dont know. My husband ordered them and persuades me to take them. I dont really like doing it, but he does it in front of our son, so I feel I have no choice. He crushes them up and mixes them with juice and watches me drink it, as Ive pretended to take them in the past, then gone out and got hammered.
I do understand his concern but I dont think I can really stop drinking properly if its not my free choice.
Anyway this stuff seems quite weak. Hubby and son are away, so I'm worried I'll just keep drinking. Hopefully, I wont do anything daft....
Have you any idea how dangerous it is to drink on Antabuse?
That is the whole point of the medication - it can make you seriously, seriously ill if you drink on it.
PLEASE stop drinking immediately.
Whether it is real or not isn't the concern at the moment. What is the concern is your wellbeing.
Ok. I'm not drinking anymore. I have got a bit flushed, but its getting better. Obiously I know its stupid. I have ended up in A and E before a few times, but I really dont want to again.
Thank you, I feel better for you now.
Remember that when a physician prescribes a medication for you, he/she takes on the responsibility for doing so. Did you doctor explain why he/she wouldn't prescribe you it?
There could be a number of reasons - most likely that it really should only be prescribed by a specialist in alcohol issues. However, it could also be that your doctor doesn't believe it is the right treatment for you - as proven right by the fact that you have drank on it.
I would suggest another appointment, with both you and your husband if possible. You need to be party to an informed discussion about all of the available treatments out there and then be party to making a choice about which YOU feel is suitable for your circumstances. Your doctor may suggest that you are refferred to alcohol specialists for this discussion as it can be very involved.
One of the main things is that you must be fully engaged in the recovery process. That means that you find an option that you can commit to following fully and completely.
Good luck and I wish you well!
Thankyou.
My husband hasnt got any faith in the alcohol professionals, as we have begged for help in the past when I've been rushed to A & E after drinking and collapsing on antabuse, and was very ill, and they offered no follow up support. They just wont prescribe antabuse to me anymore, so my husband has bought it from the internet for a few years now. It doesnt really work, because the more he pressurises me to take it, the more I just try to think of ways around it, and want to drink, so no I'm not committed to stopping. My problem has been binge drinking and then getting into risky situations and getting hurt or arrested, not drinking consistently every day. I'm not an addict in that sense like alot of people I know. I just find that life without alcohol is flat and meaningless with no highs and alot of lows - all this talk of feeling so much better the longer you dont drink - nope, havent experienced that.
Throw them away and NEVER use them. They can KILL with alcohol. These are still available on the NHS which I think is scandalous since they have no effect on cravings, just cause a nasty reaction, which can, in extreme cases be fatal
Oh, I hadn't seen your reply before I posted mine, Joanna 
We clearly both feel the same about this old-fashioned and horrible method of 'treatment.'
Okay, then perhaps spend 5 minutes reading this link on this very website.
https://patient.info/health/sinclair-method-for-alcohol-use-disorder
Antabuse obviously isn't working for you. So, do you spend the next 'x' amount of years pointlessly doing the same thing, and seriously risking your health in the process or do you both take it upon yourselves to do your own research and find an alternative?
There are many options for help but sometimes you need to look after yourself and do a little research for yourself first. You've already started by posting on here so don't stop now 
And yes, now I can understand why your doctor will no longer prescribe you Antabuse. With your history of drinking on it, the next collapse could kill you. If I was a doctor, with that possibility, I wouldn't prescribe it to you either! It simply isn't helping you and the worst case scenario is that the next time you are rushed to A&E they can't save you...... I don't mean to try and scare you but that really could happen if you continue to drink on antabuse.
Hate it with a vengeance, Paul. It does nothing to solve the AUD problem and is SO dangerous.
Glad you posted too, I was hoping you would. Thank you.
You are much more experienced in this type of thing than me, but I really felt I had to step in quick to try prevent further drinking on it.
In addition, ursulauc62, here is something else to discuss with your husband.....
Antabuse was discovered in the 1920's.
Let's put that in perspective for a moment.... it's nearly 100 years old now. That's older than Alcoholics Anonymous!! Imagine how many scientific and medical discoveries we have had since then. Do we still treat cancer using a medication discovered in the 1920's?
At the time, it was the thought to be the best solution (and it may well have been) but it does nothing to help curb the cravings or stop the compulsion to continue once you start, which is why it is so dangerous.
Things have changed since then and not only do the scientists have a better understanding of how AUD acts in the brain, but we have newer, safer and more effective medications than Antabuse.
Ursula -
I'll vouch for the method that Joanna linked to. I'm using it myself with the US analog to Selincro, it's called Naltrexone. Used per NICE guidelines, Selincro can help you get your drinking under control. If you search on Sellincro here on Patient, you'll find topics posted by people who use it.
Using Naltrexone, I've cut my drinking from 12 beers per night to 5 per night, tops. I've been drinking daily for 30 years and it's really made a big difference in how much I drink and how I feel.
People that don't have Alcohol Use Disorder just don't understand that it's not something you can address with logic or reason. That's not the part of the brain it happens in and it literally cannot be accessed with those tools. Taken properly, Selincro can access that area in the brain and help you bring it under control, which will diminish the cravings. I have begun to lose interest in alcohol and that's exactly the effect that the drug is intended to have. I really haven't had to put much effort into it beyond that.
Well, then you have no idea what you are taking, hopefully it is just a compound of innocuous substances. Worst case it could be something bad for you.
If it isn't making you feel unwell whilst you continue to drink, it is unlikely to be Antabuse. And to be quite honest, I've never read a good word said about Antabuse.
You are playing with fire...it may have just not built up in your system enough yet. And believe me you do not want to get sick from this medication. You will end in hospital....
This happened to me...and it was almost fatal...not only because I drank on it...but because it built toxic levels in my system and my feet were numb for 6 months...almost to the point of disabiling me from walking at ALL.
Yes, Missy. I can't believe it still hasn't been banned.
Ok thanks. I have heard of naltrexone, and even been offered it by the people at Lifeline, the alcohol and drug use centre I have gone to. I didnt take up the offer because basically I just dont want to drink every day, or even particularly every week, but when I do get a craving its very strong. Its often - but not always - a reaction to stress. The problem is convincing my husband that I dont need the disulfirum, because I have created so much disruption to our family in the past through my drinking that he is paranoid about me drinking again. I dont blame him. I still feel really guilty for some things I did - the dissapearing off for days so he reported me missing, and then turning up many miles away in an awful state, being attacked, ending up with some really doddgy people who robbed me, etc. He just wants me safe. I didnt just want the alcohol - it was more complex than that - it was about running away from things I didnt like in my life as well. It hard to convince him I dont still feel like that.
It might be good to get the alcohol under control, then see what's left over after the dust settles a bit. It sounds like you've been abstinent in the past and had some underlying issues to deal with, but the drink will only make that worse, as I'm sure you've seen.
It sounds like you're somewhat familiar with the idea of using Naltrexone on an "as-needed" basis rather than taking it daily to stay abstinent. The latter doesn't work very well in the long run, there are 2000 studies and reports that have found this. Using it on an as-needed basis has a different effect, as you take it only when the cravings are present. Used in this manner, your brain learns that alcohol no longer provides what your brain was looking for and you begin to lose interest.
For those who have relapsed multiple times, the origin of the cravings lies in a section of the brain that you can't reach with logic or reasoning or prayers. You have to show it that drink no longer provides the endorphin rush that it seeks. Until you do that, the cravings will return again and again and each relapse will likely be worse than the one before. The solution is fairly simple and is laid out in Dr. Eskapa's book. If you like, go to the CThree Foundation website and click on the link for the Options Save Lives forum. Someone there can get you a free copy of the book. You can also read the stories of people, daily drinkers, bingers, maintenence drinkers and how they responded to this method of using Naltrexone. It's mainly about getting back your choice of when and how much you drink, if you decide you want to drink at all. Some decide to stop drinking entirely, some drink only a few times a year, some just keep it below harmful levels. They're in the drivers seat, they decide.
I think once you get the overpowering haze of booze out of the picture and your husband sees that he doesn't have to worry about your drinking anymore, there won't be so much to run from and you'll have a much easier time sorting things out.
Ursula, it's not your fault that you drink the way you do. It's not about personal weakness or lack of conviction on your part. We're different from people that can simply put down the glass and stop. The problem needs a different approach.
There. I've had my say, the ball's in your court. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance, I'll be more than happy to tell you what I know.
Paul..you have been on the site for a long time I assume...
And we are tied at 6 stars....lol
I must post ALOT.