Drug Name

Antabuse (Disulfiram)

Drug Uses

This medication is used to help treat alcoholism. This drug is not a cure for alcoholism as well as must be used in combination with supportive therapy as well as counseling. This medication must never be used without a person's knowledge.

How Taken

Take this medication by mouth, usually one or two tablets daily as directed by your doctor. Tablets can be crushed or combined with liquid incase swallowing is a problem. Do not take this medication for at least 12 hours after drinking alcohol. While using this medication, it is extremely substantial you avoid alcohol in all forms including beer, wine, aftershave lotions, mouthwash, colognes, liquid medications. Read labels carefully, including those of nonprescription products, as well as ask your pharmacist about the alcohol content incase you are uncertain.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Antabuse produces a sensitivity to alcohol which results in a highly unpleasant reaction when the patient under treatment ingests even tiny amounts of alcohol. Antabuse blocks the oxidation of alcohol at the acetaldehyde stage. During alcohol metabolism after antabuse intake, the concentration of acetaldehyde occurring in the blood may be 5 to 10 times higher than that found during metabolism of the alike amount of alcohol alone. Accumulation of acetaldehyde in the blood produces a intricate of highly unpleasant symptoms referred to as the antabuse-alcohol reaction. This reaction, which is proportional to the dosage of both antabuse as well as alcohol, will persist as extended as alcohol is being metabolized. Antabuse does not appear to influence the rate of alcohol elimination from the body.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as likely. Incase it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store this medicine at room temperature between 59 as well as 86 degrees F (15 as well as 30 degrees C) in a tightly-closed container, away from heat as well as light.

Warnings/Precautions

Tell your doctor your health examination history, especially: heart disease, liver or kidney disease, psychiatric problems, diabetes, any allergies (especially to rubber or pesticides). This medication causes an intolerance to alcohol. Drinking alcohol while on this medication can cause humorless effects that can final from 30 minutes to several hours. It produces an unpleasant reaction of flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, pounding heart (palpitations), blurred vision or weakness when even tiny amounts of alcohol are ingested. These antabuse-alcohol reactions can occur up to two weeks after the medication has been stopped. Because antabuse can cause drowsiness, take caution when driving or engaging in activities requiring alertness. Antabuse should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks as well as benefits with your doctor. It is not known incase antabuse is excreted into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Likely Side Effects

This medication may cause headache, drowsiness, restlessness, skin rash, acne, garlic-like aftertaste, changes in vision. Inform your doctor incase any of these effects persist or worsen. Unlikely to occur but report immediately: tingling hands or feet, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, powerful stomach pains, not light urine, yellowing of the eyes or skin. Incase you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

More Information

Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not take this medicine for other health conditions.

Incase you will be using this medicine for an extended period of time, be sure to obtain essential refills before your supply runs out.