Oxazepam for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 2)

• Ser...
• November 7, 2009

"I have taken this drug over a long period of time to help control my panic attacks caused by my agoraphobia. It worked when I started it, and it still works, although I should caution that increasing the dosage without your doctor's approval can cause increased tolerance and the need for more. Also, it can be taken to help one sleep, as others have noted. I stay on the recommended dosage each day and now lead a very normal life."

• Jud...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 21, 2018

"I am now 65 years old, and at the age of 16, I was prescribed Valium for anxiety. My doctor continued to increase the dosage and eventually put me on Serepax (oxazepam). I was addicted to both of these medications, and it took me at least 10 years to come off these, suffering huge withdrawals. When my daughter died in 2006 in a fire, I was offered tranquilizers, which I refused, knowing my addiction to them. I was later refused any compensation by the Melbourne Medical Board because I refused any medical help in the form of antidepressants. Be very careful, don't take any of these drugs because they might seem great at the time, but you will pay for it in the long run."

• Cat...
• January 25, 2018

"I was given this to replace Xanax for panic attacks because Xanax is so addictive, apparently. Unfortunately for me, who only takes it on an as-needed basis, oxazepam does not have the same ability to quell panic attacks instantly once they have started. Instead, I have to take this in anticipation of an event happening, which I don't really like to do, because I'm never sure. In general, though, it does calm me down if I plan ahead before certain panic-inducing events (like plane trips), but doesn't help for unexpected panic attacks."

• Hiy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2019

"Absolutely worse when you hit tolerance after 4 years! As with all benzos, not worth it. I see all the good reviews and think I feel sorry for these people when they don't address the underlying issues and pop a pill that is ohhh so fantastic until one day, bang! It just won't work. I was prescribed these and never abused them. At my worst, I was taking a massive dose just for 4 hrs sleep. Please think twice or do research. Unfortunately, not much comes up about oxazepam, but the withdrawals are like any other benzo and hell."

• Anonymous
• January 19, 2011

"Ten years of being put on literally dozens of medicines for anxiety and panic disorder, the past six years this medication has finally helped me the most out of all of them. It's a sigh of relief to just drive and do simple errands with no harsh side effects of other medicines. I agree with the tolerance some of you have mentioned, and the recent insurance changes trying to take away the only medicine that has helped, otherwise, this medication overall has helped me immensely."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

"I have been taking this medication, oxazepam, for the last month and a half. My dosage is half of a 15 mg tablet 3 times a day. I find it has had some unwanted side effects, like muscle twitching, confusion, dizziness (feeling like I'm on a boat even when I'm sitting or lying down), jumbled speech, memory loss, and I seem to wake up and can't get back to sleep. My honest advice would be to use this medication cautiously."

• Bip...
• February 4, 2019

"Wonderful prevention of panic attacks. However, serious memory loss! My adult daughter says I always seem 'out of it' or confused. The med is doing what I need it for...preventing panic attacks. Therefore, overall, it's great, except for memory loss."

• Asd...
• January 18, 2018

"It's a strange one for me. I am prescribed them for acute anxiety whenever the bouts come. The thing is, they work. The relief is beautiful, and it's nice to regain what feels like a normal perspective of things, to bring an end to the myriad of worried thoughts. But once it starts to wear off, the anxiety slowly returns, but more so, gets worse. On top of that, I can feel so hopeless for days after taking just one pill, which can turn into depression if I'm not careful. It's a pill that gives relief, but the adverse symptoms are not worth it. I maybe take them a couple of times a year at points where I'm otherwise unable to function at all (I don't like medication)."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2016

"I have drug-related issues for ~15 years. Dope, speed. My 'psychiatrist' diagnosed me with the word 'schizophrenia.' Antipsychotics are very dangerous, they increased my anxiety and stress many times over. Finally, after 15 years, 3 months, no drugs, I have found oxazepam. 5 mg. I read you can take up to 120 mg! At the moment, I think I need about 10 mg a day. I am doubting whether I have 'schizophrenia' at all. I am down to 1/2 minimum dose, tablet of dangerous Latuda. So-called 'treatment' with antipsychotics is criminal."

• Tel...
• January 19, 2021

"Diagnosed with a rare chronic disease, which simply worsened my anxiety symptoms, as the thought that I can die at any moment (though statistics say otherwise) has taken over my mind, and I cannot function at times during the day. I was prescribed sertraline and oxazepam for as long as it took for the main drug to kick in. Been on this combo for just over a month. Supposedly the sertraline would work for the anxiety, so far I have not seen any meaningful improvement from it, so I still rely on the oxazepam, usually 10 mg in the morning, adding another 10 mg in the afternoon, if needed. Takes 30-45 minutes to kick in and gives you an average of 6-7 hours of clear mind, ability to concentrate, and a normal attitude (i.e., anxiety not detectable). Fully aware of the fact that I have to get off it at some point, but the sertraline has done nothing for me in the last 5 weeks, so far oxazepam is the only thing keeping me standing with some dignity. No side effects, really."

• Anonymous
• January 23, 2011

"I have been on this medication for over 3 years. I finally found a medicine that really takes my anxiety away when I have my attacks. It has greatly allowed me to be myself again. Much better than anything else I have ever tried. My doctor prescribed me this along with 1 mg of clonazepam, and I sleep very well considering my previous condition."

• OCD...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2018

"I was put on this medication a couple of weeks ago. I take medicine for my OCD, and I also take Remeron to sleep. Lately, I haven't been able to control my anxiety/intrusive thoughts and was put on Oxazepam 15 mg one hour before bedtime. It is great - it makes me really sleepy and gives me the munchies - I literally eat everything I can think of 5 minutes before collapsing in my bed. I can see why people would want to abuse this drug. My only problem is that my concentration levels have gotten really bad after taking Oxazepam. I am working daily, and not many people know what I am struggling with (OCD and intrusive thoughts), so it is hard to maintain the 'normal looking me' at work. Hopefully, people will just think I am a bit tired or stressed out, and it will pass soon."

• ver...
• December 16, 2009

"I was just prescribed this medication as my sleeping pill is not working very well due to pain - hopefully this will work! Thank you for your comments, it makes me less anxious about starting a new drug."

• Mac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 14, 2023

"Oxazepam was the first on-label medication I was prescribed for anxiety attacks and GAD many years ago now. It worked well for me with a very smooth onset of action. I felt relief from intense anxiety during peak hours (not sedated or sleepy) and it wore off seemingly slowly (and again, smoothly). I experienced no remarkable negative side effects while on Oxazepam. I think it is a very good potential medication of its kind to try for severe forms of anxiety/anxiety attacks and is unfortunately rarely mentioned much anymore it seems."

• gaz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 4, 2021

"Oxazepam (Serax) is the only benzodiazepine that manages my anxiety and does not turn me into a walking zombie. I have taken Ativan, Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin. These last four make me feel woozy, and it's difficult for me to function in an effective way. I like oxazepam because it begins working for me in 30 minutes and definitely helps my anxiety (which can be so physically uncomfortable). The only downside is that it sometimes makes me overwhelmingly sleepy. I combat this with drinking coffee. If it's nighttime, it also helps me fall asleep without a morning hangover."

• Ter...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 16, 2020

"I use oxazepam only to help me fall asleep, and it does work for me. I tend to take half of a 10 mg tablet (I only took the whole 10 mg tablet a few times in my life as it has too strong effects on me) in the night or early morning after I wake up. So I try to train myself to fall asleep on my own initially in the evening without the drug. But I have big problems falling asleep again (meaning if I wake up between 2-6 AM). When I take it after waking up, just 5 mg, I tend to fall asleep within an hour again. I used to take it only twice a week or so, but I am doing an experiment in taking it daily (during the night) for about a week now. I feel good, waking up rested, though a bit drowsy. I think that any drug works for me in small quantities. Even the 10 mg would be too much. And I can't believe that there can be even stronger dosages than 10 mg. I would be so drowsy if I took that. I need to catch up on sleep before I want to withdraw from taking it."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2023

"Exactly two weeks ago, I had a panic attack followed by a mental breakdown. Two days later, on a Sunday, my mom called a doctor and explained the situation. They gave me Oxazepam 10 mg, which I took twice a day for the first few days and only one since then when I wake up. I've been dealing with anxiety/panic attacks for over 6 years and have lost almost everything besides my family. Dealing with it for such a long time really isn't easy. Today, I had another panic attack at the supermarket, and as I'm writing this, I'm going to take the second pill of the day. It works very well, but I think my mistake was thinking I couldn't have panic attacks anymore as long as I took 10mg a day and resumed an active life right after, which was just too much. - Marlon, a 33-year-old male."

• Rol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 29, 2023

"I had crippling anxiety that started around 6 years ago when I had a panic attack on the way to work on the train. Ever since, I have been living with panic attack disorder and agoraphobia, making it difficult to use public transportation. Thanks to this medication, I was able to regain control of my life and enjoy it again. It also helped me with exposure therapy, allowing me to use the train and metro again. I can only speak positively about my experience as I didn't experience any side effects. This medication has been a godsend for me. I take 10 mg a day before sleep, and sometimes 20 mg if I'm doing exposure therapy."

• SAB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2023

Oxazepam "I was given 15 mg oxazepam capsules for panic attacks while titrating up on Prazosin. I also take 40 mg of Valium a day for PTSD. Serax is a low potency benzodiazepine with a short-intermediate half-life. I have found that out of every benzo this one takes the longest to kick in, approx. 1 hour on an empty stomach. It's not as 'intoxicating' as Valium is, but it still has a marked anti-anxiety effect. It is very similar to Librium. I was going through a nightmare with panic attacks and depersonalization/flashbacks, and the Serax definitely helped soften the blow."

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2023

"I have previously been taking Xanax for 20 years, but my doctor is trying other medications, like oxazepam, to get me off Xanax and also to find something that's longer acting. I see that this medication has many positive reviews, but that was not my experience with oxazepam. I took 15 mg and it did nothing for my anxiety. 30 mg still was zero help with my anxiety, but it did make me slightly drowsy. I suspect it's because I've been on such a powerful medication for so long. I also had zero negative reactions or symptoms."

• Clh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2022

"I am a 62-year-old female. I have tried so many prescriptions that I've lost count. My psychiatrist prescribed oxazepam 10 mg three times a day. I am extremely paranoid about addiction, so I do not take it three times a day. I am extremely fearful and worried about becoming dependent on this drug and feel I’m only existing and not living my life! I do find myself reaching for oxazepam when I’m really struggling with severe anxiety symptoms. I keep asking my doctor and pharmacist about side effects and receive no answers. While it does work for short periods of time, I don't like taking this drug. Due to previous medications, I have non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, so I really feel the need to advocate for myself health-wise. I’m an absolute wreck and worry immensely about using these types of drugs, but my quality of life stinks. I am existing and not living."

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2024

"Oxazepam helped me as an adjunctive and transitory agent to manage severe and devastating anxiety and OCD while introducing Zoloft. In the past, I used to take 150mg a day of Oxazepam for 3 months, which was successfully removed in the course of a month (by a licensed psychiatrist who gave me paroxetine and olanzapine: do not taper off this medication on your own). One day, I accidentally missed a 50mg dose and experienced the worst 6 hours of my life (extreme anxiety, tachycardia, vertigo, dizziness, panic, agitation, restlessness...). This drug showed efficacy for me in a transitory and adjunctive way, and I'm grateful to my doctor who used it cautiously minding its high addictive effects. Mindful use in a brief period of time along with the introduction of an SSRI was helpful and not detrimental."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 20, 2025

"Have suffered from anxiety since I was a child, but as an adult it completely took over my life to the point I could not function. After trial and error, my doctor prescribed oxazepam. I have been on it now for 2 years, with the occasional break for up to 8 weeks (no withdrawal symptoms). I take 45 mg spread out through the day. It doesn’t take anxiety away completely, but takes the “edge” off so I feel more relaxed and can make decisions. Leaving the house is still difficult, but I’m working on that."

• sto...
• April 9, 2016

"Had suffered bipolar for at least the last 28 years until I discovered lithium, it saved me. I no longer have mood swings or spending money I don't have and then crying for nothing. I read a lot of books until I discovered that I had bipolar."

• Anonymous
• March 12, 2017

"Do not take this medication, it's highly addictive, and coming off it has caused my daughter to have 3 to 4 seizures a day, and she's never had one in her life before cutting back. This drug is evil and should not be prescribed so easily. I myself need to taper off and am terrified of the withdrawals after watching my daughter go through hell. Stay away from benzodiazepines because once you start you can't stop. No warnings are given before you start taking them. Evil drugs."