Antabuse is a product of Odyssey Pharmaceuticals.

Antabuse known by its scientific name Disulfiram, is a medicine that was approved in 1951 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) for the treatment of alcoholism. It deters the drinker's craving for alcohol by causing extremely unpleasant symptoms upon alcohol consumption.

Danish researchers Eric Jacobsen (1903-) and Jens Hald discovered Antabuse accidentally in 1947. At the Royal Danish School of Pharmacy in Copenhagen, Jacobsen and Hald were studying compounds for possible use in treating stomach infections. One of the compounds was disulfiram. As was common among researchers during those days, both men took a small dose of disulfiram to check for possible side effects. At a cocktail party several days later, both men became very ill after having a drink. Because each experienced the same symptoms at the same time, they concluded that the disulfiram, triggered by the alcohol, was responsible for the illness. They quickly conducted a study to confirm their findings, publishing it the same year.

The first American to use Antabuse for the treatment of alcoholism was New York City psychoanalyst Ruth Fox (1918-), who began treating 50 patients with the drug in 1949. After her patients reported serious side effects under the recommended dosage, Fox cut the dosage and counseled patients on the severe reactions that could result from drinking alcohol. She found that Antabuse was effective in deterring drinking alcohol among alcoholics and went on to treat about 2,500 patients with it.

A whopping 200,000 people take Antabuse daily in the United States. The longer a patient remains on Antabuse, the more sensitive he or she becomes to alcohol. However, Antabuse is not a sure fire remedy for quitting alcohol, and chronic alcoholics taking the drug have a high relapse rate. In addition, a 1980 study reported that alcoholics taking Antabuse could get a euphoric reaction if they consumed small amounts of alcohol, thereby conditioning them to continue their addictive behavior. Antabuse work best in patients serious about quitting.

Note: World-drugs.net sells generic version of Antabuse

2.ANTABUSE FACTS

Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was established in February 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sidmak Laboratories, a leading U.S. - based pharmaceutical manufacturer.

In July of 2002, Sidmak Laboratories was acquired by PLIVA D.D., Zagreb, Croatia, the largest pharmaceutical company in Central and Eastern Europe.

Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is now a wholly owned subsidiary of PLIVA, Inc. The name change from Sidmak Laboratories, Inc. to PLIVA, Inc. took place in March of 2003. There has been no name change to Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

3.ABOUT ANTABUSE MEDICATION

What Is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes four symptoms:

• Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drinking alcohol.
• Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking alcohol on any given occasion.
• Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.
• Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to get high.

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can't just use a little willpower to stop drinking alcohol. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful craving, or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.

Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need assistance. With treatment and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives. 

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:

• Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities;
• Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery;
• Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk; and
• Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.

Although Alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, many effects of Alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics. 

What Are the Signs of a Problem?
How can you tell whether you may have a drinking problem? Answering the following four questions can help you find out:

• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking alcohol?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking alcohol?
• Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking alcohol?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (as an “eye opener”) to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

One yes answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. If you answered “yes” to more than one question, it is highly likely that a problem exists. In either case, it is important that you see your doctor or other health care provider right away to discuss your answers to these questions. He or she can help you determine whether you have a drinking problem and, if so, recommend the best course of action.

Even if you answered “no” to all of the above questions, if you encounter drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or the law, you should seek professional help. The effects of Alcohol abuse can be extremely serious—even fatal—both to you and to others. 

4.ANTABUSE EFFECTIVENESS
(When is Antabuse best taken?

Antabuse is slowly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is slowly eliminated from the body. Ingestion of alcohol may produce unpleasant symptoms 1 or even 2 weeks after a patient has taken his last dose of Antabuse.

Prolonged administration of Antabuse doses does not produce tolerance. The longer a patient remains on therapy the more sensitive he becomes to alcohol.

Pharmacokinetic data are not clearly established; however, it has been shown that 80 to 95% of an ingested dose is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and rapidly distributed to tissues and organs: liver, spleen, adrenals, fatty tissues, and brain. Antabuse is then metabolized to diethyldithiocarbamate or mixed disulfides, one of the end products being carbon disulfide. The unabsorbed fraction is excreted in the feces, the intermediate and final metabolites are excreted in the urine, and the volatile metabolites in the breath. 

5.ANTABUSE EFFECTS ON SPECIAL POPULATION
(How do different people react to Antabuse?)

Pregnancy
Antabuse should only be used during pregnancy if the expected benefit to the mother and foetus is greater than the possible risk to the foetus. It should be avoided in the first trimester. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Nursing mothers
There is no information available about the safety of Antabuse during breastfeeding. For this reason it should not be used by breastfeeding mothers, particularly if there is a chance that it may have a reaction with medicines that the baby is taking. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

6.ANTABUSE EFFECTS ON MEDICAL CONDITIONS
(How does Antabuse affect your existing condition/ailment?)

Antabuse should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.

If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using Antabuse and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Antabuse should not be used by people who are at a risk of suicide, suffer from psychotic illness, severe personality disorders, history of stroke, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure and coronary heart disease.

Antabuse should not be used if you suffer from kidney or liver disease, epilepsy, respiratory disease or diabetes. 

7.OTHER/ALTERNATE USES OF ANTABUSE
(What else does Antabuse treat?)

Antabuse is only used to treat chronic alcoholism. Antabuse is not a cure for alcoholism, but discourages drinking.

8.ADVERSE/SIDE EFFECTS of ANTABUSE
(What are the side effects of Antabuse?)

Neuritis, Peripheral neuritis, Polyneuritis, and peripheral neuropathy may occur following administration of Antabuse.

Multiple cases of hepatitis, including both cholestatic and fulminant hepatitis, have been reported to be associated with administration of Antabuse.

Occasional skin eruptions are, as a rule, readily controlled by concomitant administration of an antihistaminic drug.

In a small number of patients, a transient mild drowsiness, fatigability, impotence, headache, acne form eruptions, allergic dermatitis, or a metallic or garlic-like aftertaste may be experienced during the first two weeks of therapy. These complaints usually disappear spontaneously with the continuation of therapy, or with reduced dosage.

Psychotic reactions have been noted, attributable in most cases to high dosage, combined toxicity (with metronidazole or isoniazid), or to the unmasking of underlying psychoses in patients stressed by the withdrawal of alcohol.