Disulfiram (Antabuse) for Alcoholism Treatment
Disulfiram
Disulfiram is used to treat alcoholism. It produces horrible effects when even tiny volumes of alcohol are ingested. These effects include facial flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, weakness, blurred vision, mental confusion, sweating, choking, difficulty breathing, and anxiety. The symptoms of the so-called Disulfiram Ethanol Reaction start nearly 5-10 minutes after spirits enter the bloodstream and last for hours depending on the person’s weight. Disulfiram is not a cure for alcoholism but discourages alcohol consumption.
Antabuse/Disulfiram is the most popular treatment for alcoholism, and alcohol abuse is a big challenge to society nowadays, and the issue is going worsening day by day.
Disulfiram is widely prescribed To help alcoholics to overcome alcoholism and to stay free needs more than a coping strategy, talk therapy, counseling, support, and self-help group. A viable and proven treatment for alcoholism is the use of Disulfiram, also known as Antabuse. One of the oldest pharmaceutical therapies available since the 1940s, Disulfiram has helped many people to overcome this strong and stubborn addiction. Even though the drug cannot cure the disease all in itself by ingesting it, it can serve as a powerful incentive to discourage alcoholics from consuming liquors and staying sober.
What is Alcoholism? – causes of alcoholism and Symptoms of alcoholism
Millions of people in the United States ruined their lives with the only addition of alcohol. Alcohol addiction really affects people's lives, and our generation is in danger. Alcoholism and abuse are also a big challenge for the government also. Alcoholism, alcohol dependence, and alcohol addiction are the same things, all are caused by some factors, and all are having the same outcomes. The physical and mental dependence on alcohol is called alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is the most genuine type of drinking problem. Alcoholism can be successfully treated at the Philadelphia Addiction Center, where Implant Therapy for Alcoholism is the ultimate treatment for alcohol addiction.
Are alcoholism and alcohol abuse the same?
No. These terms are different, and let us explain this difference briefly.
Symptoms of alcoholism
- Feeling tired, unwell, or irritable when not consuming alcohol
- An inability to say no to alcohol and to control drinking
- Anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems
- Need to drink more to achieve the satisfaction
What is Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse is an old psychiatric determination in which there is the repeating destructive utilization of ethanol despite its negative results. At the point when there is binge drinking, then it is a circumstance of alcohol abuse. Drinking excessively without worrying about the results of drinking is called alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is ordinarily overwhelming consumers who keep drinking without taking care of the results of that binge drinking. Abusers of alcohol may not drink consistently, and they can’t declare to be alcohol addicted or dependent.
Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse
Though the symptoms of alcohol abuse and alcoholism are quite the same. Some of these symptoms are stated below:
- Inability to control the drinking and drinks more and more.
- If a person is not having involvement in extracurricular activities
- Hangovers symptoms in the morning.
What is Antabuse/Disulfiram meant for?
Medical fitness examination must first be guaranteed before a person begins disulfiram treatment. This examination is carried out to determine the state of the heart, liver, kidney, and other vital organs to establish body fitness. The complete medical history of patients will also be required to determine these indices and needs full cooperation from the patient.
An unfit person who takes Disulfiram medication stands the risk of skin rashes, liver damage, cardiovascular problems, convulsions, respiratory difficulties, coma, or even death. The fitness examination helps to determine what suits you.
Disulfiram-Ethanol Reaction (DER)
Antabuse reaction takes effect 10 minutes of taking it as prescribed by the doctor. This dose may adversely react to alcohol for as long as two weeks or more. For a starter, a vulnerable feeling to relapse may set in after, but weighing the consequence such as vomiting, nausea, and headache will deter you from giving in to such.
The sequence of a reaction of taking alcohol when on Antabuse medication is as follows:
- Flushing of face
- Followed by Headache
- A drop in blood pressure
- Faster Heartbeat
- Convulsions
- Shaking
- Dizziness
- Nausea and
- Vomiting often with blood.
Some people show even stronger reactions than these, and it is advisable to do a quick test to determine your sensitivity to Antabuse. This can be done by rubbing some alcohol on the skin and seeing if the skin begins to flush. This test determines how sensitive you are to Antabuse and cautions you against deliberate or non-deliberate ingestion of alcohol once treatment starts. Deliberate ingestion involves taking alcoholic drinks, while non-deliberate is the use of items that have high alcoholic content, such as cosmetics, medicines, and household cleaning items that contain the spirit. Caution must be taken to avoid these items from causing an unpleasant reaction in your system.
Antabuse medication must be supervised by a doctor. This will help in the safe treatment of patients to affect changes that may be necessary, such as dosage due to strong drug reactions. A physician does recommend that patients on Antabuse treatment wear a special ID card or form of identification always to help in case of emergency.
Do’s and Don’ts for Antabuse / Disulfiram
- Ensure you wait for not less than 24 hours after your last consumption of alcohol before starting Antabuse.
- Confirm a more accurate time to wait from your doctor before starting because this varies with the amount of alcohol taken and your body weight.
- Antabuse must not be taken by a pregnant woman or anyone trying to be pregnant.
- Avoid some cough syrups and desert with uncooked alcohol in them
- Avoid Antabuse if you have recently taken metronidazole or paraldehyde
Pros and Cons of Disulfiram treatment
Disulfiram has its pros and cons both for usage and whom to use. It is not meant for everyone as it requires seeking and guaranteeing medical fitness from a physician before taking this treatment.
Disulfiram is often medically prescribed and taken orally once daily to encourage abstinence, a relapse, or to help failed attempts in staying free from alcoholism. Disulfiram is often medically prescribed and taken orally once daily to encourage abstinence, a relapse, or to help failed attempts in staying free from alcoholism.
It works when alcohol is consumed by making you sick and uncomfortable. It works against the notion that the certainty of an unpleasant reaction will discourage the user from going ahead to taking alcohol. This, in turn, over time reduces the longing for alcohol and eventual abstinence. Initially, the craving remains strong, but when dutifully and sincerely followed through, it wears out gradually, yielding the expected result.
PROS | CONS |
| Disulfiram Ethanol Reaction starts as soon as 15-20 minutes after consumption of alcohol-containing products. | The patient may intentionally skip daily intake of Disulfiram to avoid the reaction while consuming alcohol. |
| Disulfiram Ethanol Reaction makes consumption of spirits almost impossible | The patient should maintain a recommended level of Disulfiram in his/her bloodstream |
| When the family is involved in addiction treatment, and the patient takes Antabuse regularly, this treatment approach becomes very effective | Disulfiram is an extremely toxic ingredient and, if taken longer than 6 months, can lead to liver and kidney diseases, heart attacks, and even strokes. |
If disulfiram is used in the form of an Esperal implant, all cons mentioned above become obsolete.
- The patient can’t skip daily intake of Disulfiram
- The patient shouldn’t maintain the level of Disulfiram. It is infused into the patient’s bloodstream when the alcohol blood level goes above the predetermined boundaries.
- As long as the patient doesn’t consume alcohol, Disulfiram is not in the bloodstream. It is stored in an isolated container and released only when alcohol is consumed. That guarantees zero toxic effect of Disulfiram.
How to make Antabuse treatment more effective and less harmful?
Philadelphia Addiction Center is prestigious for helping an individual in quitting alcohol, by which they are getting the chance to live their lives more amusingly and full of enthusiasm.
Antabuse / Disulfiram Treatment for Alcohol abuse is considered a nostrum treatment and has successful results and is widely used all over the world for alcohol abuse.
The new French Disulfiram-based ESPERAL implant virtually resolves all Cons listed above.
The Esperal implant consists of a thin film microchip and micro ampoule. Five tiny crystals of highly concentrated Disulfiram are isolated in the container and have no contact with the patient’s body. The microchip checks the alcohol level in the patient’s bloodstream and does nothing as long as it is within normal limits. This means that a patient who doesn’t drink will never intake a single dose of Disulfiram and his/her body systems are intact.
If, however, the level of alcohol in the bloodstream rises above 0.1 mg of alcohol/100 ml, Esperal drops one crystal of Disulfiram into the capillary system, and the reaction starts. The reaction caused by Esperal is much stronger than the reaction caused by Antabuse pills. Usually, pills of Antabuse prescribed by a physician contain 250 or 500 mg of Disulfiram, but every single crystal of the same ingredient from Esperal holds 15,000 mg.
Antabuse/Disulfiram Treatment using Esperal Implant
Esperal Implant is the nascent approach for implant therapy for alcoholism. The main component of Esperal is Disulfiram.
Disulfiram is known for its reactive properties to alcohol. When alcohol is consumed
amid taking the Disulfiram treatment, then it causes severe reactions that are extremely uncomfortable for the patients. Antabuse treatment is the most successful treatment for alcoholism and alcohol abuse because of the unpleasant and severe outcomes for the patients. Some of the side effects of Disulfiram on a human body when even a small amount of alcohol is consumed are
- Severe chest pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breathing becomes quite difficult, or there is choking
- Blurred vision and weakness
- A lot of sweating even in winters
However, when Antabuse/Disulfiram is used in the form of Esperal Implant, the addict’s body has no contact with the chemical unless alcohol is consumed. That means that most of the patients (in our practice, 99.9%) never experience Disulfiram Ethanol Reaction aka DER, and any toxic effect of this drug is virtually impossible.
Is Antabuse treatment is completely safe?
This is the question that people are generally having in their minds. Though Disulfiram has many side effects on human bodies, as discussed above then, also it is a safe treatment subject to be done under the watch of a qualified and experienced physician. It is highly recommended to use Antabuse under the surveillance of a physician. Otherwise, it may lead to acne, impotence, headaches, skin rashes, drowsiness, etc.
Esperal Implant resolves this issue and is hundred percent safe. Check our article about Esperal and become an educated patient before deciding on your future treatment approach.
Antabuse-based Esperal implant is a valuable component of the treatment program for alcoholism.
Overcoming addiction to alcohol comes with a great sense of fulfillment and a price to pay. Seek help using a combination of not only pharmaceutical therapy but other therapies in combination. Don’t do it alone and if you follow the instructions given, you will be free.
At the Philadelphia Addiction Center, our goal is to help you get to the roots of your addiction to achieve a full and lasting recovery. We work hand in hand with you to help you take back control of your life.
Our evidence-based approach to treatment for alcoholism utilizes disulfiram therapy, behavior therapy, and support building for a holistic means of recovery.
Contact our center to schedule your appointment with Dr. Tsan or use our online booking application.
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