Antabuse

Antabuse (disulfiram) is a special medication developed for patients battling chronic alcoholism who need help dealing with this condition effectively. You need to make sure you are aware of all the possible effects this drug can have. The following reactions are possible if you drink after taking Antabuse – even during two weeks after the last dose of this medicine: thirst, flushing, dizziness, fast heartbeats, low blood pressure, nausea, and chest pain. The reason these effects take place is simple – Antabuse has been specially formulated to cause unpleasant symptoms if the patient drinks any amounts of alcohol. This «aversion therapy» is not supposed to be used on anyone unaware of the effects Antabuse may have. Never give Antabuse to a person in intoxicated state and make sure the person who is about to take this medicine is warned about the consequences. Even after you stopped taking Antabuse reactions may still occur. You need to be very careful with products that contain small amounts of alcohol, such as cough and cold meds, sauces, vinegars, tonics, vinegars and other products of the kind. Read the label of each product carefully to find out if it contains any amounts of alcohol. Make sure you notify your health care provider of the fact of ever being diagnosed with the following health conditions: kidney disease, seizure disorder, liver disease, mental disorders, thyroid disease, brain damage, or diabetes. In some of those cases you will be unable to take Antabuse or a lower dose of this medicine may be required. This drug can have some mild side effects that you are supposed to be aware of. The following ones are possible: tiredness, mild drowsiness, sore tongue, acne, headache, skin rash, impotence, and a number of other ones that can be individual and are impossible to predict. The mild side effects mentioned and any other ones that are not too serious and don’t prevent you from doing your everyday tasks and taking part in some activities are not supposed to be reported to your health care provider unless they get particularly bothersome and start to interfere with your life. You also need to know some serious side effects are sometimes possible, such as loss of coordination, dizziness, vomiting, severe diarrhea, dark urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, weakness, and seizures. In case you get any of the serious side effects mentioned – make sure your doctor is notified as soon as possible to prevent them from getting worse. Avoid ever taking more of Antabuse than prescribed. Although an overdose of this medicine is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms, some of them can be quite serious if ignored. Seek emergency medical assistance if you have taken too much of Antabuse and experience dizziness, loss of coordination, nausea, tingling, vomiting, seizures, and numbness. Tell your health care provider if you think you need a dose adjustment, but never adjust your dose yourself, as this can cause a number of unpleasant side effects rendering you treatment less efficient.