anybody improve their sleep by taking Oxazepam 20 mg?

@gamesjr I don't know anything about Oxazepam so I just googled it. It seems to be primarily for "Oxazepam is used to treat anxiety and also acute alcohol withdrawal". I do take an occasional lorazepam. Part of the description for that includes "Taken at night, benzodiazepines can lead to next-day drowsiness and sedation. ... In practice, many of the benzodiazepines used for treating anxiety — such as lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax) — are also used to induce sleep."
I take a very small dose of it and that seems to be adequate to help me sleep when I am anxious about something, and with a small dosage, I do not feel effects the next day. It sounds as if the dosage of your Oxazepam might be able to be decreased. You should speak to your doctor about that, and assuming it is not a capsule you can get a pill splitter and take half a pill.
I hope this helps you. Let us know if you do cut back and if that solves the problem.
JK

My doc switched my sleeping medicine from Lunesta 1-2 mg to 20 mg Oxazepam and I have tried it three nights and sleep excellently maybe too many hours , 8-10 hours and I felt knocked out all day long after.those nights . Anybody have any luck with Oxazepam? Anybody have any results good or bad with that drug? is it really for sleep help or is it a tranquilzer for anxiety? It ,may be a mistake for me.

Hi, @gamesjr - You'll notice I moved your other post that gives further background about your move from eszopiclone (Lunesta) to oxazepam for sleep to this discussion. I will also list this thread in the Depression & Anxiety group so those participating there can also join in.

Sounds like you got more sleep and sleepiness than you had anticipated with the oxazepam. I'm glad you connected with @contentandwell about this dilemma, and I agree that your doctor should be updated on the effect this medication had on you thus far and consulted for next steps. A few other members I'd like to invite into this discussion are @tundra @annesj @lorena1egas @stulerner @lioness. They may also have some input as you try and get the medication working at just the right level to get some sleep but not more than you were looking for. They can also share whether this medication improved their sleep, for those who have taken it.

Here is some Mayo Clinic information on oxazepam https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/oxazepam-oral-route/description/drg-20072267

@gamesjr - so, while on this new medication what would be the ideal sleep for you (how long to get to sleep, for how many hours you'd like to sleep)?

Thanks. 20 minutes to get to sleep and 6 1/2 to 7 hrs sleep with one wake up B/R stop is my desired sleep. i will go back to see my MD and either get a very small dosage of oxazepam or go back to my previous occasional use of 2mg of Lunesta. ( Maybe!)

thanks and if you remember how small in mg is your very small dosage of Lorazepram?

@gamesjr I just checked the bottle, it's 0.5 mg. My PCP gives me about 10 a year, I only take it very occasionally. I suspect if I took it regularly I would build up a tolerance and need a larger dose. It apparently is addictive though and my PCP is very conscious of this, as I am, which is why he prescribes such a small # of pills. From what I saw when I googled last night it sounded as if lorazepam may be more addictive than oxazepam, so that may be why oxazepam is preferred. I do know people who take lorazepam daily for anxiety though, obviously under a doctor's care.
JK

I have been taking Zolpidem (generic for Ambien) for 30 years. Most times I sleep too much and then when I wake up, I am groggy for about two hours. I take 10 mg and sometimes only 5 by splitting the tablet into two. However the 5 mg becomes not enough after 2-3 days and I have to go back to 10, sometimes even 15 to make up for the decreased usage. I would love to get off this controlled substance.

@kahilll1918 It sounds as if these pills can be a blessing and a curse. I think it's good that you are trying to cut back, but have you spoken to your doctor about that? He/she may be able to suggest some strategies for cutting back.

Regarding going out of town. I ran into that dilemma in the fall when we were going to Colorado to visit our son for a week. My immunosuppressants were going to run out. There are ways the drug store can get an override on the coverage to give you the prescription early. Also, I get mine at a Walgreens and they said I could pick it up at a Walgreens in Denver. I think the drug store here would have to handle that transaction, but it is comforting to know that as long as I am this country, if need be I can get the prescription at a Walgreens elsewhere. As it turned out our flight was not until noon and they could give me my prescription just in time for me to pick it up on our way to the airport.
JK

@contentandwell Thanks. I tried cutting dose in half with only one capsule, it worked well as I slept a good 8 hrs but still too tired all day. Because cant get smaller dose with pill cutter am droppingOxazepam but have been sleeping 7-8 hrs with no med so maybe it was a good transition off of lunesta. Thanks.

@gamesjr I am glad that is helping. I hope you did speak to your doctor about it, if your doctor considers it to be an essential medication. My pills were tablets, not capsules, so even when I had a higher dose I could easily cut them in half.
JK