Is Antabuse addictive?

NO. Antabuse is not addictive. In fact, Antabuse is used for treating patients who suffer from chronic alcoholism. We review what Antabuse is made of and its other properties, here.

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NO. Antabuse is not an addictive medication.

It belongs to a group of medications called “antidisotropic medications” which are designed to have an anti-drinking effect. When taken in combination with alcohol, Antabuse produces severe and unpleasant reactions: lowered blood pressure, vomiting, and nausea. The main goal is to develop an aversion towards alcohol and help people suffering from chronic alcoholism quit drinking for good.

Read on to learn more, as we explore the issue of alcohol addiction and explain the mechanism of action of Antabuse and its usefulness in treating this disease. At the end, we invite your questions and comments.

What is Antabuse used for?

Antabuse – the brand name for disulfiram – was the first medication to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcoholism. It is prescribed to alcoholic patients and is meant to be used in conjunction with other types of treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, counseling sessions and support groups. It is used as an alcohol deterrent so that when you take Antabuse, you get physically sick if you drink alcohol.

Antabuse works by interrupting the normal alcohol metabolism in the body, resulting in increased blood levels of acetaldehyde and produces many negative effects. Some of the side-effects experienced from mixing disulfiram and ethyl alcohol include:

  • a drop in blood pressure
  • flushing
  • increased heart rate
  • nausea
  • sweating
  • vomiting

Medical professionals believe that these effects play an important role in preventing a relapse, thus promoting recovery and abstinence from alcohol.

What is Antabuse made of?

The active ingredient contained in Antabuse is disulfiram, which is an alcohol antagonist drug. Each Antabuse tablet is intended for oral administration only and contains 250mg or 500mg of disulfiram. Other ingredients present in Antabuse pills are colloidal silicon dioxide, anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, and stearic acid.

Antabuse is not a controlled substance or listed in the Controlled Substances Act, simply because it has no euphoric properties. People who take Antabuse don’t develop dependence or addiction to disulfiram. Further, no withdrawal symptoms have been associated with discontinuing Antabuse.

Alcohol dependence and Antabuse treatment

Alcoholism is a specific type of addiction. A wide range of biological, psychological, socio-cultural, and spiritual reasons help us to understand why people become addicted to alcohol. Alcoholics have an impaired ability to limit alcohol use because they rely on alcohol to function normally and feel physically compelled to drink. Usually, they continue with their habit despite being aware of the harmful and dangerous consequences or long-term, chronic alcohol use. Antabuse makes drinking an extremely unpleasant experience and instead of getting all the good feelings from alcohol, only the toxic reactions of acetaldehyde (a metabolite of alcohol) are felt.

For many alcoholics in recovery, Antabuse has proven to be very helpful. Antabuse is effective in increasing the number of sober days and can help patients quit drinking successfully. However, this medication only deters patients from drinking; positive outcomes in sobriety greatly depend on an individual’s commitment to the recovery process and to continued change through behavioral and psychological therapies.

Antabuse questions? Leave them here

If you are curious about the treatment properties of Antabuse for yourself or for a loved one and would like to know more, feel free to ask us. You can post your questions in the section below the article and we’ll try to get back to you with a personal and prompt response. We also appreciate your feedback and would like to know about your experiences with this medication, if any.

Reference Sources: NCBI: Incorporating Alcohol Pharmacotherapies Into Medical Practice: Chapter 3-Disulfiram
Med Safe: Antabuse (disulfiram) Tablets-Data Sheet
Medline Plus: Disulfiram
NIDA: Alcohol-Treatment Medication May Help Reduce Cocaine Abuse Among Heroin Treatment Patients
LiverTox: Drug Record: Disulfiram
Daily Med: Antabuse-disulfiram tablet
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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