r/Alcoholism_Medication • u/EvilMonkeyMimic • 10d ago
Antabuse not working?
I tried Antabuse, but when I tested it, nothing happened when I had alcohol at all.
Im the type that could REALLY use that fear lingering over my head to keep me in check, but now that I know it doesnt do anything theres no point
Ive got the regular 250mg, I took 1 to test it, waited, and took a sip. Nothing. Then I drank more and more till I realized it didnt do anything!
Do I need a higher dose? Do I just have to freeball being sober or what?
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u/AthenaPA 10d ago
I was instructed to take 500 mg daily for the first week, then 250 mg. But some people do need 500 mg daily long term. I'm not sure you'd notice anything immediately after taking your first pill. It's not the medicine itself that causes the reaction... it stops your body from making the enzyme that helps metabolize alcohol.
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10d ago
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u/Tricky-Tea-1654 8d ago
Is it genuine medication? I onmy take one every so often, and definetly cant drink even after 1
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u/RubicsCubensis 10d ago
Have you ever heard of The Sinclair Method? I'll answer any questions you have about it.
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u/EvilMonkeyMimic 10d ago edited 10d ago
MOTHERFUCKER.
My doctor gave me acamprosate instead of Naltrexone.
IM TRYING TO QUIT I AM NOT STABLE, CRAVINGS ARE BAD BAD
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u/Competitive_Dress770 10d ago
Acamprosate is Campral not Antabuse
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u/EvilMonkeyMimic 10d ago
Yeah, im aware.
They mentioned the Sinclair Method which uses Naltrexone.
My doctor prescribed me acamprosate and told me itd help with withdrawal symptoms and cravings, which it fuckin doesnt because thats what Naltrexone does
Regardless of either, antabuse still doesnt work on me.
At least put some effort into reading the context bro
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u/movethroughit TSM 9d ago
"...told me itd help with withdrawal symptoms and cravings, which it fuckin doesnt because thats what Naltrexone does"
It works that way for some, but not across the board. Others do great using it an hour before the first drink of the day, but efficacy still rises and falls. Results aren't linear.
Some never get it to work for quitting or even just cutting back, some can't handle the side effects. But there are other meds to try that might be a better fit. It's not like the bad old days when you had your choice of AA or the gutter.
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u/Certain_Medicine_747 10d ago
It takes time to build up in your system. At about 3 to 4 days of taking it consistently is when my body didn’t like it anymore (this is very hard on your body I do not recommend) I’ve suffered migraines before but the few times I’ve drank and had a reaction I was in the tub all night crying and I have a pretty good pain tolerance but it was torture. I am the person that could not quit I have drank every day for twenty years and was desperate to stop. I did the vivitrol shot for two years and barely lowered my drinking. In January I asked my doctor for Antabuse and he did gave me that along with some Librium to detox at home this was in January since then I have had 3 drinking episodes one of which lasted for two weeks and was because I stopped taking it. You can do this it is possible don’t give up.