Definition: Antabuse is a medication which helps people stay sober by increasing their sensitivity to alcohol. If you have taken antabuse, and you have an alcoholic drink, you will experience intense negative effects of alcohol, similar to a hangover, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and shortness of breath. It is used to help people maintain abstinence from alcohol by pairing these unpleasant symptoms with alcohol, thus deterring recovering alcoholics from drinking, and developing negative reinforcement for drinking. Because the effects of antabuse are so intense and unpleasant, it is usually only considered an appropriate treatment for people with severe alcohol dependence, who have been unable to maintain abstinence with other treatments.
Pronunciation: ant-a-byoos
Also Known As: disulfiram, antabus
Examples:
Joan took antabuse to help her maintain abstinence from alcohol.
