The disulfiram (Antabuse)-Alcohol reaction in male alcoholics: its efficient management by 4-methylpyrazole.

4-methylpyrazole (4-MP), an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, rapidly abolished the accumulation of acetaldehyde following alcohol ingestion both in volunteers pretreated with the Antabuse analog calcium carbimide and in an antabuse-treated alcoholic. 4-MP also attenuated other typical symptoms, including facial flushing and tachycardia, thus suggesting its usefulness in the acute treatment of severe disulfiram-alcohol reactions.