What is the difference between diazepam and oxazepam

While the half-life of oxazepam averaged Differences in Diazepam and Oxazepam. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Coronavirus Resource Center. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy Continue. Twitter Facebook. Drugs with short half-life also create their effect more rapidly. These characteristics make these substances more attractive to recreational drug abusers.

Benzodiazepine drug abusers often prefer short-acting, high-potency benzos, such as lorazepam or alprazolam, due to their fairly rapid and intense high.

Though not prescribed in the United States, flunitrazepam Rohypnol is sold illicitly on the streets. Used as a date rape drug, Rohypnol is a high-potency benzodiazepine with a relatively long half-life. Benzodiazepine medications are sedative-hypnotics, meaning they create calming or tranquilizing effects. Because of this, these drugs are prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia, panic and seizure disorders, and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Certain ones may also be used as muscle relaxants. The same actions which make these medications valuable within treatment also make them enticing to drug abusers.

Benzodiazepines take several forms, including as an extended-release long-acting capsule, liquid, tablet, or orally-disintegrating tablet. Any of these forms may be abused to create a sedated effect or euphoria.

When abused, benzodiazepines are taken orally in doses larger and more frequent than would be prescribed. The medication may also be crushed so that it can be snorted, smoked, or injected.

Diazepam was associated with a more rapid onset of effect than was oxazepam, and this rapid onset was repeatedly cited by subjects in poststudy written comments as being a desirable feature of the drug effect. In choice tests, 80 and mg of diazepam were preferred to mg of oxazepam on In choice tests between placebo and drug, placebo was never preferred to diazepam; however, placebo was preferred to oxazepam on When starting oxazepam, you shouldn't drive or perform any other potentially hazardous activities until you know how you will react to the medication and even then you should practice caution.

Combining oxazepam with alcohol, opioid medications, or other substances that depress the central nervous system could result in serious complications, even death due to suppression of the breathing center in the brain.

Those with a history of psychosis should not be prescribed oxazepam. An exception, of course, is when the medication is used for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. When oxazepam is used for alcohol, cocaine, or other substance abuse withdrawal, a person should be closely monitored for the duration of the time the medication is used. Benzodiazepines, including oxazepam, should also be avoided entirely in the elderly and in people with dementia.

Oxazepam is significantly safer in terms of toxicity than either Librium chlordiazepoxide or Valium diazepam , two other benzodiazepines. Commonly used doses of oxazepam are less likely than equivalent doses of other benzodiazepines to cause dangerous side effects. Because other drugs in the benzodiazepine family have been shown to cause birth defects, you should not take oxazepam while pregnant. This medication should be stopped as soon as possible in pregnancy, but due to the possibility of withdrawal, this should only be done under the guidance of your physician.

Abrupt discontinuation of oxazepam or any other benzodiazepine, especially after extended therapy, can cause mild to severe withdrawal effects. Because of this problem, you should try to use the medication for as little time as possible, and discuss with your doctor how to taper your dosage off gradually.

Never discontinue the drug suddenly. Oxazepam can be a useful medication for the acute treatment of anxiety or alcohol withdrawal, and since it may have fewer side effects than some of the other benzodiazepines, may be a good choice in certain circumstances. At the same time, it's important to understand that benzodiazepines are strong medications with a potential for abuse and serious side effects, both due to the side effects of the drug alone or in combination with other drugs, and due to withdrawal side effects when it is discontinued.

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