Disulfiram is contraindicated in patients with which condition?

Disulfiram is contraindicated in patients with which condition?

• A. CAD
• B. Hypertension
• C. Asthma
• D. Diabetes

Answer: (A)

Disulfiram works by blocking acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, so if someone drinks alcohol, acetaldehyde builds up and causes a disulfiram-ethanol reaction with flushing, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, nausea, and chest discomfort. In people with coronary artery disease, this reaction can provoke chest pain, arrhythmias, or even ischemia because the sudden surge in heart rate and blood pressure adds stress to the heart and can reduce oxygen supply to already vulnerable heart tissue. That safety risk makes disulfiram contraindicated in CAD. The other conditions listed aren’t absolute contraindications for disulfiram use.

Disulfiram works by blocking acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, so if someone drinks alcohol, acetaldehyde builds up and causes a disulfiram-ethanol reaction with flushing, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, nausea, and chest discomfort. In people with coronary artery disease, this reaction can provoke chest pain, arrhythmias, or even ischemia because the sudden surge in heart rate and blood pressure adds stress to the heart and can reduce oxygen supply to already vulnerable heart tissue. That safety risk makes disulfiram contraindicated in CAD. The other conditions listed aren’t absolute contraindications for disulfiram use.