Complete adverse effect profile including incidence rates and management
Important Safety Information
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any unexpected symptoms. For serious or life-threatening side effects, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
ADVERSE REACTIONS The necessity for discontinuation of therapy due to undesirable effects has been rare.
Transient mild drowsiness is commonly seen in the first few days of therapy.
If it persists, the dosage should be reduced.
In few instances, dizziness, vertigo, headache and rarely syncope have occurred either alone or together with drowsiness.
Mild paradoxical reactions;
i.e., excitement, stimulation of affect, have been reported in psychiatric patients;
these reactions may be secondary to relief of anxiety and usually appear in the first two weeks of therapy.
Other side effects occurring during oxazepam therapy include rare instances of minor diffuse skin rashes - morbilliform, urticarial, and maculopapular, nausea, lethargy, edema, slurred speech, tremor, and altered libido.
Such side effects have been infrequent and are generally controlled with reduction of dosage.
A case of an extensive fixed drug eruption also has been reported.
WARNINGS Risks from Concomitant Use with Opioids: Concomitant use of benzodiazepines, including oxazepam, and opioids may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
Observational studies have demonstrated that concomitant use of opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increases the risk of drug-related mortality compared to use of opioids alone.
If a decision is made to prescribe oxazepam concomitantly with opioids, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use, and follow patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation.
In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of oxazepam than indicated in the absence of an opioid and titrate based on clinical response.
Like all medications, Oxazepam can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes this medication will experience them. Many side effects are dose-dependent and may improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Others may require dose adjustment or medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience signs of: