Used as prescribed for muscle tension I had been bothered with for years. Dissolved and I felt more centered, clear, and slightly sluggish while using. It's great for flights, and for sleeping on friends' couches and other less physically comfortable situations.
Oxazepam
Well-documented
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 17 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 17 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Aliases: Serax, Sobril, Alepam, Serepax, Seresta
Summary
Oxazepam is an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine with slow onset used for anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and insomnia. It is the active metabolite of diazepam, prazepam, and temazepam. Oxazepam has a slower onset than most benzodiazepines and is considered less sedating than alprazolam or lorazepam at therapeutic doses.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 5-10mg | 10-30mg | 30-45mg | 45mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Benzo Equivalence Calculator
mg
20.0
mg
Oxazepam
=
—
mg
Diazepam
| Substance | Equivalent Dose | Potency |
|---|
⚠ These are approximate equivalences for educational and cross-tapering reference. Individual response, tolerance, and half-life differences mean actual equivalence varies. Always consult a healthcare provider for tapering guidance.
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 0.5-2 hrs | 30-60 min | 2-4 hrs | 4-8 hrs | 7-8 hrs |
Effect Profile
5 reportsScores (1–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Benzodiazepine
7.3
Strong+
7/10
Strong anxiolysis and cognitive impairment with moderate sedation and euphoria
Anxiolysis
×3
10
anxiety suppression
anxiolytic
muscle relaxation
muscle relaxant
Sedation / Relaxation
×2
7
sedation
drowsiness
muscle relaxation
Motor / Cognitive Impairment
×1
9
motor control loss
cognitive impairment
memory suppression
double vision
Euphoria / Mood Lift
×1
6
physical euphoria
disinhibition
Based on reports from:
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over 1–4 weeks of daily use; hypnotic tolerance faster than anxiolytic tolerance
Reset
weeks to months depending on half-life and duration of use; taper recommended
Tolerance Decay
Full tolerance
14d
Half tolerance
14d
Baseline
~60d
Acute tolerance: develops within a single session — the reset numbers above apply after sustained heavy use, not after one binge. Within-session tachyphylaxis usually resets largely overnight.
Dependence and tolerance can emerge within weeks with daily or near‑daily use; cross‑tolerance extends across GABA-A positive allosteric modulators. Data are mixed and largely based on class-level evidence and clinical practice rather than oxazepam-specific prospective trials.
Cross-Tolerances
Effects
Aggregated from 5 Erowid experience reports
Positive Effects 1
Anxiety Suppression
80.0%
70%
Adverse Effects 0
Combinations
Cross-Check Oxazepam with another substanceCommunity Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, and Bluelight. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance.
Erowid 1 report 1 neutral visit
Pill Identifiers
6
known pill identifiers on record — view imprints, colors, shapes, and images
→
Oxazepam's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
→
Helpful Links
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