Disulfiram

What is disulfiram?

If you’ve given up alcohol, disulfiram is a medication you can use to help prevent a relapse.

Disulfiram is a medication that makes you feel unwell if you also drink alcohol while you’re taking it. If you’ve given up alcohol, disulfiram can help you to prevent relapses by giving you a reason not to drink.

When you drink alcohol, your body produces enzymes to break the alcohol down. Disulfiram blocks these enzymes, causing unpleasant side effects. These side effects can include: a flushed face, headaches, nausea and vomiting, trouble breathing, sweating, blurred vision, low blood pressure, dizziness and confusion.

How is disulfiram prescribed?

One of our recovery workers and someone from our clinical team will give you a full health and wellbeing assessment. If the assessment shows disulfiram could be good for you, we’ll prescribe it. You’ll need to have a blood test to check how your liver and kidneys are doing before you can be prescribed disulfiram.

If you’re on an ongoing prescription, this will be looked after by either your local service or your doctor.

Why choose disulfiram?

Some people suffer with cravings after stopping alcohol use, and these may continue for many months. This can lead some people to relapse and start drinking again. Because disulfiram makes you unwell if you drink alcohol, it can help convince you not to start drinking again.

Taking disulfiram

Disulfiram comes as a 200mg tablet which you swallow with water. You’ll usually take 800mg on the first day, 600mg on the second day, 400mg on the third day, 200mg on the fourth and fifth day, and 100-200mg daily after that.

If you drink alcohol and notice the disulfiram has no effect, we might increase your dose. It’s really important that you haven’t drunk any alcohol for at least 24 hours before taking your first dose. Usually, people start taking disulfiram after a 7-day detox.

How long will it take to work?

Disulfiram-alcohol reactions often develop within 15 minutes and may last for several hours.

There’s no standard amount of time for taking disulfiram. How long you take it for will depend on your specific circumstances. Usually, people take disulfiram for between six months and one year.

Other notes about taking disulfiram

• Extra support and counselling from groups like AA can be really helpful when you’re trying to stay abstinent. Disulfiram works best when you use it as well as these other options.

• Disulfiram causes a reaction to all alcohol containing products, such as some liquid medicines, foods and toiletries (e.g. mouthwash, perfume).

• The reaction to disulfiram following alcohol consumption can be so severe that in rare cases it is fatal.

• Disulfiram can cause liver damage and you will need to have blood tests every 6 months to check the health of your liver.

• All medication must be kept out of reach of children and animals. Please ask your worker for a lockable box to store your medication (free of charge). Children should never be given your medication. They have no tolerance and it could kill them. Always call 999 if you think a child has swallowed your medication.

• Read the information leaflet which will be given with your medication.