| For almost fifty years, disulfiram or TETD, has been a | | | | might be as much as 3,000 mg. While it worked in |
| staple for alcohol addicts trying to quit. It is estimated | | | | keeping them off the bottle, it also caused some nasty |
| that about 200,000 people use the medication regularly | | | | side effects. More experiments were carried out and, |
| to help them stay sober. In this article, and two more | | | | since the 1960's, the normal does has been something |
| coming the next weeks, we will take a closer look at | | | | like 500 mg a day. The dosage depends on several |
| disulfiram and alcoholism treatment. | | | | factors, including how severe an alcohol addict the |
| The History Of Disulfiram | | | | patient is. Doctors have refined their techniques for |
| Disulfiram or TETD was originally a chemical used in | | | | prescribing TETD since the advent of its use. |
| the manufacture of rubber in the early 1900's. In 1937, it | | | | The Clinical Use Of Disulfiram |
| was discovered that workers who were too closely | | | | The first step to treat an alcoholic is for him to stop |
| exposed to TETD developed a reaction if they drank | | | | the alcohol drinking. Next, he must be detoxified, |
| alcohol. If one of these workers consumed alcohol, his | | | | followed by a period of being sober. This period is |
| face would turn red and he would suffer from | | | | mandatory in order to restore his brain chemistry to |
| unpleasant symptoms like hypotension and | | | | normal. Disulfiram is most effective early on, helping the |
| tachycardia. This was noticed by a physician, and he | | | | patient to simply avoid drinking. Furthermore, it may be |
| suggested that disulfiram might be effective for getting | | | | good to keep taking TETD for the next year as a |
| people to stop drinking. As it often is with great | | | | safeguard against relapsing. Friends or family members |
| inventions, nobody listened to him. | | | | can help to make sure the patient is taking the |
| Experiments with disulfiram continued. In the 1940's, two | | | | medication regularly. |
| scientists who were experimenting with using it to see | | | | Like alkaseltzer, disulfiram is dissolved in water. After |
| what effect it had on the respiratory system of lower | | | | drinking it down, another glass of clean water should |
| life forms made some important discoveries. In the | | | | drunk next. It is best for the patient to take the first |
| spirit of science , the men took a dose of TETD | | | | one in the doctor's office, under the doctor's |
| themselves to see what would happen. What did | | | | supervision, more than 12 hours since the last alcohol |
| happen was that they couldn't even go near a drop of | | | | drink. This is very important. It helps to do it in the office |
| alcohol without getting sick. Through this, it was | | | | so that the patient isn't tempted to have one last one |
| discovered that disulfiram or TETD has an effect on | | | | on his or her way home. |
| how we metabolize alcohol, and in a short time, | | | | For the alcohol addict to stop drinking, just taking the |
| doctors were prescribing it to alcoholic patients. | | | | TETD pills isn't enough. The patient should attend |
| In the early 1960's, this drug fell out of favor. This was | | | | Alcoholics Anonymous or another alcohol addiction |
| because, since its discovery, doctors had been | | | | support group. They should go to the group meetings |
| prescribing doses that were too high, which caused | | | | on a regular basis, and they should also keep up their |
| their patients having severe reactions. Sensibly enough, | | | | medication as the doctor has prescribed. I will follow up |
| they figured they needed a high dose in order for it to | | | | with a new article about disulfiram soon. |
| interact with alcohol. In the 1950's, a common daily dose | | | | |