Links to other pages within Patient UK which are related to this topic:
Experience | News | Products | Other

Print options:

Other options:

(what's this?)

Disulfiram

You must not drink alcohol during or for 1 week after stopping treatment.
If you drink alcohol while taking disulfiram, a flushing reaction occurs.

About disulfiram

Type of medicine	Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor
Used for	Used to treat drinking problems
Also called	Antabuse 200
Available as	Tablets

Disulfiram works by interfering with the way the body breaks down alcohol.

Before taking disulfiram

Before taking disulfiram make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows:

If you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breast-feeding.
If you suffer from heart failure.
If you suffer from heart disease.
If you have high blood pressure.
If you have experienced mental health problems.
If you suffer from porphyria (a group of disorders of certain enzymes relating to blood)
If you have liver or kidney problems.
If you suffer from diabetes mellitus.
If you suffer from epilepsy.
If you suffer from lung disease.

How to take disulfiram

Disulfiram is usually given in hospital or in a clinic.
You must not drink alcohol during or for 1 week after stopping treatment.

Getting the most from your treatment

Disulfiram is usually started in hospital/clinic and then it is supervised by a specialist.
If you drink alcohol while taking disulfiram, a flushing reaction occurs.
In addition, you may feel or be sick, your heart rate may beat faster, you may feel dizzy or get a headache.
These symptoms, known as the disulfiram-alcohol reaction, vary in how bad they are from person to person.
Certain foods, liquid medicines, toiletries, perfumes and aerosol sprays may contain enough alcohol to cause a disulfiram-alcohol reaction.
Low alcohol and "non-alcohol" or "alcohol-free" beers and wines, may cause a reaction when taken in large enough quantities.

Can disulfiram cause problems

Along with their useful effects all medicines can cause unwanted side effects, which usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side effects continue or become troublesome.

Common side-effects - these affect less than 1 in 10 people who take this medicine	What can I do if I experience this
Feeling or being sick	Eat little and often. Stick to simple foods such as dry toast. If you are sick, drink plenty of liquid.
Drowsiness	Make sure your reactions are normal before driving, operating machinery or doing any other jobs which could be dangerous if you were not fully alert.

How to store disulfiram

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.

Important information about all medicines

Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
Make sure that the person prescribing this medicine knows about any other medicines that you are taking. This includes medicines you buy and herbal and homeopathic medicines.
If you buy any medicines check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take with your other medicines.
Before taking this medicine tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction after taking any medicine.
Never take more than the prescribed dose. If you suspect that you or someone else has taken an overdose of this medicine go to the accident and emergency department of your local hospital at once. Always take the container with you, if possible, even if it is empty.
If you are having any treatment like an operation or dental treatment tell the person carrying out the treatment which medicines you are taking.
Always read the printed information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
This medicine is for you. Never give it to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.
Never keep out of date or unwanted medicines. Take them to your local pharmacy which will dispose of them for you.
If you have any questions about this medicine ask your pharmacist.

DocID:
3347

DocRef:
dils2334

Last Updated:
19 Apr 2007

Date of Next Review:
18 Apr 2009

Version:
22

The authors and editors of this article are employed to create accurate and up to date content reflecting reliable research evidence, guidance and best clinical practice. They are free from any commercial conflicts of interest.

Find out more about updating.

(what's this?)

Related pages in Patient UK

Your Experience (^ top of page)

Please add your experience about this condition / medicine

View Patient Experience for 'Disulfiram' (12 there)

Patient UK Newspaper (^ top of page)

Latest Health News

View current health news

Other - Useful resources (^ top of page)

Pictures, diagrams, photos, images, etc.
Evidence based medicine
Online textbooks and journals
UK Guidelines
Online Videos
Medline
Other good health sites

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Information Leaflets which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Support Groups which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Medicines & Drugs which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of diagrams which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of PatientPlus (detailed reference) articles which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of UK Guidelines which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of other selected websites which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Poems and Stories which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Operations and Procedures which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Online Videos which are related to the topic you are currently viewing

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links through to our interactive forum.
Here you can follow a link to view existing patient experiences on this subject, or to add your own

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to news stories on this subject in our Online Newspaper

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to related products

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to other useful sources of information

Click here to open a printer-friendly version of this document, in a new window, together with the print dialogue box

Click here to open this document in PDF format
This will offer you the usual PDF options i.e. document navigation, search, zoom and formatted print
Note: this is the best way to print the document

Click here to listen to the MP3 audio recording of this document

Click here to download the audio recording of this document as a podcast, for listening to at your leisure

Click here to open our Dictionaries and Glossaries page

Click here to see related products in our Online Pharmacy
Note: this will open in a new window

Click here to add this page to a social bookmarking site of your choice

Click here if you want to find out more about social bookmarking. This link will take you to the Wikipedia explanation
Note: this will open in a new window