Antabuse and Rash: What Users Say

• Dog...
• March 28, 2016

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Since I have started on this medication, I have felt very few cravings to drink. It is great as a deterrent, so I have not even bothered to test any reaction to drinking. The thought crossed my mind just to try, but the thought of being horribly ill just to see if I would be didn't seem like the brightest idea! Anyway, my main reason for posting this is to say that unlike many of these posts, I have suffered some side effects. I've struggled a little with sexual performance and have had some rash and acne issues. I will visit the doctor to see what can be done about these because I don't want to stop this medication. It works great. I am forty-two and have been abusing alcohol for at least twenty years or so. Almost seven weeks clean!"

• AJ6...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 29, 2016

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I don't see a lot of posts on this, but if I can reach 1 person, then it's well worth it. I was a heavy drinking alcoholic for 10 years. Went to detox and was on 250mg for 102 days. Had to stop taking as a precaution for knee surgery. 5 days later I figured, why not see what happens. Passed the ethyl alcohol on skin test. Passed the use regular mouthwash for 3 days test. At the end of day 5, I cracked a beer on an empty stomach and sipped slowly. After 1/3 of the beer in 10 minutes, I could feel my face flushing and could see the itchy red hives on my forearms. That was enough for me. Poured the rest down the sink and will start taking again after the surgery. Alcohol destroyed my life once. No way I was going to let it happen again."

• Tes...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 18, 2020

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I’ve been on and off Antabuse for the past 5 years. I’ve been a blackout drinker for most of my 20s, and in my 30s managed it a little better (no blackouts at least) with the help of the drug. I am shocked by the messages from people whom it hasn’t affected when having a drink! I guess everyone’s different, but I wouldn’t trust everyone out there who says they have been taking it. We drinkers can be great at deceiving. I like Antabuse because it stops the obsession, and the longest I’ve been sober was about 18 months. Now I’m playing with fire a bit - I might binge on the weekend, regret it, take an Antabuse Tuesday, then stop taking it and try drinking on Friday. Every time I get an incredible red rash all over my body, including my face. I get heart palpitations and strong flu-like symptoms, blocked nose, and banging headache. Just after one pill. So, I recommend don’t play around with it!"

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 21, 2020

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Antabuse is fantastic in many ways, but taking away the mental obsession has to be my overall favorite. It's unfortunate that it's so highly priced and its availability is so scarce in Australia considering how high our rate of chronic alcoholism is. I am unfortunately one of the few people who do get the skin rashes and acne, but hey, I'm still more attractive with a bad rash than I ever was blind drunk and blacked out somewhere. Thank God truly for Antabuse, no other alcohol medication worked for me or took away the mental obsession. I have a 2-year-old child whose life is amazing and normal thanks to her mother's sobriety."

• Mic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 1, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I have been taking Antabuse on and off for about a year now. Off because my addiction is powerful, and I would mentally relapse before actually doing so. I was originally on 250 mg. I would only get a mild to somewhat severe rash, which could be subsided with antihistamine. And most recently, even after two weeks of consistent 250 mg, I drank… and nothing. No rash, no vomiting (never did). Absolutely no reaction. I opened a new bottle. Took it for a week, then drank. Again, nothing. This concerned me a lot because I wanted that violent reaction. I recently went up to 500 mg. I have been taking that for a week. No reaction to hand sanitizer or even rubbing alcohol. I took a shot of vodka to “test” it. Nothing. I felt a buzz, and my lips and ears tingled. That was it. I am terrified. My psychiatrist is, of course, skeptical that I’ve been taking it because she has never heard of it not working. Especially originally having some side effects and then just none. I am being 100% honest."

• NEA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2024

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Antabuse is good, but it has its limitations. The first two weeks I started taking it, I did not drink at all and felt great. This is not the first time I try this medication. I am now drinking again while taking Antabuse, but not to the same extent as before (all-day drinking). Of course, a couple of drinks at lunch and 3 or 4 drinks at dinner. For me, it works in two ways: I get a really bad skin rash when I drink (which is visible not only to me but also to everyone around me) and get extremely tired while drinking. I hide when drinking as my friends know I am trying to quit; it is clearly a deterrent but not the perfect solution. If you feel like drinking and are taking Antabuse, you can, but will suffer 'minor' discomfort. I am going to continue taking it but also buying books about alcoholism that I hope will give me even more willpower to cut down on alcohol. My main goal is not to give up completely but to become a social drinker and stop being an alcoholic."