Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
I was taking Antabuse and stayed sober for 6 months. Things happened and I drank. I had stopped taking the pill for a few days and had no reaction. Started taking them again and after a few weeks or so I drank again, this time after only skipping one dose.
Moving forward, I discovered that the antabuse was not working at all. Only some minor flushing in my face.
I saw my doctor and asked to have the dose raised and it was brought up to 500mg. Same thing. Doesn't affect me when I drank.
8 years ago I had a gastric bypass. I'm guessing that the part of my intestines that the antabuse is absorbed in, is the part that was bypassed in my surgery and I am not absorbing the drug.
Very frustrating and depressing. I wish I had never stopped it and drank, which led to me finding out it doesnt work. I have been drinking nearly daily for about 2 months now. I want to stop. I am not happy with my life while drinking. I don't like what it does to my family and to me.
I will see my doctor again this week to talk about the med, but in the meantime I am asking those here who might have experience with Antabuse.
Is there a sublingual form? Does it come in a shot?
Has anyone had a gastric bypass and has had success with antabuse? I wasn't able to find anything about it when I searched google.
For those who have had the surgery, I wonder if I dissolve it in water and drink it, would it absorb better? Or, if I try to dissolve the (huge) pill under my tongue and try to get it in my system sublingually.
I've also did some research on vivatrol, campral and naldextrone. They appear to help with alcohol cravings. I don't feel that I am actually craving, it's more of an obsession. I will get the thought of a drink in my head and I obsess over it until I get that bottle.
Are cravings and obsessions one in the same? I suppose the higgest thing that I need to do..besides not drink..is to learn how to move past that obsession. Turn it into something positive. I have always been an obsessive person in multiple areas of my life. Food, various hobbies and causes. And alcohol.
Forgive me for being a bit long winded, I am just putting this out there to anyone who might have their own experience with this. I am desperate. I don't want this kind of life. I want a sober life.
Thank you so much for reading.
Moving forward, I discovered that the antabuse was not working at all. Only some minor flushing in my face.
I saw my doctor and asked to have the dose raised and it was brought up to 500mg. Same thing. Doesn't affect me when I drank.
8 years ago I had a gastric bypass. I'm guessing that the part of my intestines that the antabuse is absorbed in, is the part that was bypassed in my surgery and I am not absorbing the drug.
Very frustrating and depressing. I wish I had never stopped it and drank, which led to me finding out it doesnt work. I have been drinking nearly daily for about 2 months now. I want to stop. I am not happy with my life while drinking. I don't like what it does to my family and to me.
I will see my doctor again this week to talk about the med, but in the meantime I am asking those here who might have experience with Antabuse.
Is there a sublingual form? Does it come in a shot?
Has anyone had a gastric bypass and has had success with antabuse? I wasn't able to find anything about it when I searched google.
For those who have had the surgery, I wonder if I dissolve it in water and drink it, would it absorb better? Or, if I try to dissolve the (huge) pill under my tongue and try to get it in my system sublingually.
I've also did some research on vivatrol, campral and naldextrone. They appear to help with alcohol cravings. I don't feel that I am actually craving, it's more of an obsession. I will get the thought of a drink in my head and I obsess over it until I get that bottle.
Are cravings and obsessions one in the same? I suppose the higgest thing that I need to do..besides not drink..is to learn how to move past that obsession. Turn it into something positive. I have always been an obsessive person in multiple areas of my life. Food, various hobbies and causes. And alcohol.
Forgive me for being a bit long winded, I am just putting this out there to anyone who might have their own experience with this. I am desperate. I don't want this kind of life. I want a sober life.
Thank you so much for reading.
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Dick Van Dyke’s path to sobriety was a turning point in his life and career. Here’s what happened:How He Got SoberStruggles and Realization: Van Dyke began drinking as a teenager, largely to cope with shyness and social anxiety. Alcohol made him feel more comfortable in social settings, but over time, his drinking spiraled out of control. By his mid-40s, he recognized that he had an addictive...
My belief is there is a difference between obsession and craving. If I have no alcohol in my system I cannot have the physical craving. The obsession is purely in my mind, however powerful the compulsion is.
I hope you find someone to compare notes with who has experience with Antabuse post surgery.
Also, Antabuse does not do anything except block the effects of us getting drunk..so the body goes crazy...blood pressue, etc. I almost DIED waiting a WEEK to drink after my last dose.
But it did nothing for cravings. I would talk to my Dr. and try Naltraxone.
Missy2, I will be asking my DR about naltraxone. I fear that I m ight have the same issue and not absorb it, so perhaps vivitrol (?) the shot form would be more appropriate.
Thank you both for replying.
I too took Antabuse, naltrexone, and many other anti this and that's. The thing is that it does little to treat the disease. I drank to cope. Period.
Today I have learned a bunch of real coping skills. I have learned to work on issues that bother me. I try to cope.
Thing is when I quit drinking the depression magically lifted, I also had the anxiety just sort of vanish.
Don't stand on a crutch, heal the injury...
1is2many
I haven't looked into hypnotherapy but certainly would be willing to add it to my toolbox. Thank yfor the suggestion.
I agree that a multifaceted approach to treating our alcoholism can be very effective and life saving.
Goodness knows I used every tool AA had to offer, but it alone did not prevent me having two full blown manic episodes in my first 8 years of sobriety ending up on locked psychiatric wards both times, although AA helped immensely in me getting through that period without drinking. Since the time of my last full blown manic episode (1995) with the meds and counseling as the additional final piece I haven't had to be in locked wards.
Everybody's experience is different. Some have their mental conditions vanish completely after stopping drinking using various methods to stop drinking and learning helpful coping mechanisms. Others have those mental conditions go into varying degrees of remission only to have them surface down the line, sober. Still others experience no respite from their mental conditions, but need to stop drinking to best treat/manage the mental condition.
If this sounds like pyscho-babble so be it. But remember there are those too that suffer from grave emotional conditions and we have come a long way on improving their chances if one has an honest commitment to sobriety. I am so fortunate to be alive now rather than 1939 when my chances at sobriety would have been less than average.
Just my opinion. A mental obsession for alcohol is a craving that we entertain and it takes time to learn skills, perhaps with the additional help of medicine, to help minimize entertaining cravings to the point of mental obsession...
End of "rant"...
All my best in finding the combination of things that help you to break free of alcohol, and leads you to a better life.