Antabusе Implant - Disulfiram implant for Alcoholism
Antabusе implant, bold and radical, yet not the safest solution for alcohol dependency treatment.
Antabuse causes increased, extremely unpleasant sensitivity to alcohol. It's being used to help people with severe alcohol misuse problems to stop drinking altogether.
Disulfiram (Antabuse) was invented in 1948 by scientists from a Danish pharmaceutical company. Their discovery for solving alcohol problems was almost accidental because they were trying to make another medication,
Hoping to find a cure for parasitic infections, researchers have developed Disulfiram. This drug's anti-alcohol effects soon became apparent, therefore it was marketed as an aid to stop alcohol habit.
Sold under the brand name Antabuse®, disulfiram is considered an anti-alcohol drug because of its strong response to the presence of alcohol in the system.
How does Antabuse (implant) work?
Disulfiram works by inhibiting the production of an enzyme in the liver that breaks down alcohol; it also prevents the dopamine neurotransmitter from breaking down properly.
Therefore, if a person consumes alcohol while having Antabuse in the system, a severe reaction usually occurs. The reaction is caused by the concentration of inhibited liver enzymes in the blood, the result is often acute, almost instantaneous. Reaction to Disulfiram may last from half an hour to several hours.
List of symptoms
The body reacts in several ways to the combination of Disulfiram and alcohol in the system.
- The first symptoms are usually skin redness and a rapid heartbeat.
- Quickly, these symptoms may develop into dizziness, vomiting, vision, and hearing difficulties.
- In some cases comes to headache, confusion, and, in extreme cases, circulatory problems.
- Drinking alcohol while having Disulfiram may cause harmful cardio-vascular complications.
Given all the above, we consider Antabuse implant as a last resort when all other methods have failed. We consider Naltrexone to be the drug of the first choice. It reduces the pleasure of drinking and the need to drink. For motivated patients, this is usually enough to completely stop drinking alcohol because there are no pleasant sensations. And most importantly, there are no risks to health and life.
Antabuse implant - Decision Making
Patients taking Disulfiram tablets either Antabuse implant are strongly advised not to take the drug if they have consumed alcohol in the previous 12 hours. The reason for this is that Antabuse builds up in the system not giving time to the body to develop a tolerance for it. In fact, over time, its influence only intensifies. Patients who have stopped taking disulfiram have found that the drug can remain in the system for up to 14 days after the last intake.
Disulfiram is made in 200 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg tablets, once a day. Most patients have been prescribed 500 mg as a single daily dose for two weeks. After two weeks, the doctor will usually adjust the dosage as needed to establish a healthy daily dose for regular intake. Many patients prefer Antabuse implant because tablets can be “forgotten”, skipped, and the implant is always there.
