How Long Does Antabuse Last?
How long does Antabuse last, and what happens if you have a drink when the drug is still in your system?
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What Is Antabuse?
Antabuse is the brand name of a prescription medication that is sometimes incorporated into treatment for people who have alcohol use disorder (alcoholism).
The drug does not eliminate cravings or block any other symptoms of alcohol addiction. Instead, its purpose is to serve as a deterrent by causing a severe reaction if a person drinks while they are using it.
The primary active ingredient in Antabuse is disulfiram, which was first synthesized in 1881 and initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1951.
Two quick notes before we go any further:
- The brand name of Antabuse has been discontinued, but the drug continues to be available in generic form.
- We’ll be using the name Antabuse in this article because that’s how many people continue to refer to this medication.
Today, treating alcohol addiction remains the only approved clinical use of Antabuse. However, according to a March 2023 article in the journal Antibiotics, research suggests that disulfiram may also be beneficial for people who have:
- Cocaine use disorder (cocaine addiction)
- Bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections
- Inflammation
- Cancer
- Neurological concerns such as Alzheimer’s disease
- Lyme disease
How Does Antabuse Work?
Antabuse is designed to cause a variety of highly unpleasant symptoms if a person consumes alcohol while the medication is in their system. As described on a page that was posted by the National Library of Medicine, the effects of combining Antabuse with alcohol include:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Facial flushing
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Excessive perspiration
- Difficulty breathing
- Sensation of being choked
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle weakness
If a person drinks while they have Antabuse in their system, they will begin to feel these effects within about 10 minutes. The effects usually last about an hour.
Because of how powerful these effects can be, patients are advised to abstain from alcohol for at least 12 hours prior to their first dose of Antabuse. Patients who develop severe withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit drinking will need to wait until they’ve completed detox before they can start to take the medication.
How Long Does Antabuse Last?
The question of how long does Antabuse last can have multiple correct answers. To understand why this is true, let’s take a look at a few possible scenarios.
Daily dose
Antabuse is designed to be taken once per day, with typical recommended daily dosage levels ranging from 125mg-500mg. If a person who takes the medication were to be asked how long the drug lasts, it would make sense for them to say that one dose lasts about one day.
Continued effects
Of course, prescription medications don’t stop working precisely when it’s time for a person’s next dose. So a question about how long Antabuse lasts could actually mean, “If I stop taking the drug, how long will it continue to work?”
Most sources recommend waiting at least 14 days (two weeks) after ending your Antabuse use before you can drink again without experiencing the unpleasant effects that it’s designed to cause. So in this case it would be accurate to say that Antabuse lasts about 14 days.
Detection in system
A third scenario involves asking how long traces of the drug will remain in your body. Even after a prescription medication ceases to produce effects, its often possible to detect small amounts of it in a person’s system.
In the case of Antabuse, it can take almost a month before the drug can no longer be detected. Here’s why:
- The half-life of disulfiram can range from 60-120 hours.
- It usually takes four to five half-lives for a drug to fall below what experts consider to be a clinically significant amount.
- This means that Antabuse may remain in your system from ten to 25 days.
So, depending on how the question is intended or interpreted, potential correct answers to, “How long does Antabuse last?” include:
- About one day (if referring to the expected duration of a typical dose)
- About 14 days (if referring to how long residual amounts of the drug can continue to affect you after you stop taking it)
- Up to 25 days (if referring to how long it may be detectable in your system)
Are There Alternatives to Antabuse?
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), disulfiram (Antabuse) is one of three medications that have earned FDA approval specifically to treat patients who have alcohol use disorder. The other two are:
- Naltrexone (Vivitrol, ReVia), which was approved as an oral med in 1994 and as an extended-release injectable medication in 2006
- Acamprosate (Campral), which was approved in 2004
Though these meds are used to treat people with alcoholism, they don’t work in the same ways.
Naltrexone interacts with the same nerve receptors that are activated by alcohol. This prevents the intense cravings that are common in early recovery.
Experts believe that acamprosate rebalances levels of brain chemicals that were disrupted by heavy alcohol use. This can also ease cravings.
Find Treatment for Alcoholism in Massachusetts
If your life has been impacted by the compulsive use of alcohol or other substances, Lake Avenue Recovery is here for you.
Our rehab in Worcester, MA, offers three programming options: a high-intensity outpatient program (similar to day treatment or a partial hospitalization program), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and an evening IOP.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.