This website was created for all the patients, their friends and families who are looking for fast and effective support in their fight against alcoholism addiction. It allows you to familiarize yourself with the most reliable and relevant information concerning disulfiram (antabuse) treatment.

The main goal of our team is to help those affected by alcoholism. We consult, qualify and perform outpatient procedures under local anesthesia. This kind of treatment supports curing alcoholism – implantation of disulfiram

Implantation of disulfiram

Implantation of disulfiram (alcohol tab) is one of the most widely used methods of pharmacological treatment of alcoholism.

Disulfiram (esperal) is the oldest drug approved in Poland by the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products used in this type of surgery. In contrast to the new drugs for the treatment of alcoholism, which either block the effects of alcohol or the cause of its reluctance to drink, disulfiram (esperal) induces severe and generalized symptoms of alcohol poisoning. Those syndromes are called disulfiram reaction which is characterized by: headache, flushing, malaise, dyspnea, palpitations and vomiting. In addition, patients may also suffer from hypotension and tachycardia including cardiovascular collapse. On rare occasions deaths cases were recorded. Still severe side effects are quite rare.

Other side effects not related to the alcohol consumption may also rarely occur. These include peripheral neuritis, seizures and psychosis. Very rare are: drowsiness, nausea, anorexia, depression, headache, and impotence.

The method is based on insertion (implantation) of sterile disulfiram implantable tablets. The procedure was introduced more than 20 years ago in France. At present, it is widely practiced in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union countries. Implanted drug dissolves slowly, passes into the blood circulation to reach the appropriate concentration for a period of from 10 to 13 months. Research shows that effective treatment is between 93 and 95 percent of patients undergoing the treatment.

Disulfiram should not be implemented within 12 hours of drinking alcohol. After local anesthesia (injection of lidocaine), the surgeon places between 4 to to 6 tablets of sterile disulfiram between the subcutaneous tissue and fascia (elastic membrane) covering skeletal muscle. The precise location of tablets depends on the surgeon decision. The most common are the upper outer quadrant of the buttock, subscapular area and inguinal area. Skin cutting length is generally from 1 to 1.5 cm. The intersection is closed with stitches.

Antibiotics as well as antiallergic drugs (antihistamines) may sometimes be prophylactically prescribed to prevent infection as well as to reduce the risk of inflammatory response.