Drug Comparison
For educational purposes only — a decision-support tool, not a substitute for clinical judgment.
Side-by-side rubric across 96 psychiatric medications. Every rating traces to a verbatim primary-source quote — click any cell to see it.
How to read this tool ▾
Rating scale
– Favorable / lower than class baseline
± Minimal / equivocal
+ Low / uncommon
++ Moderate / common
+++ High / very common
++++ Very high / class-outlier
Frequency vs severity
F = frequency, S = severity. Each gets its own pill colored on the same traffic-light scale: green → blue → yellow → orange → red. Click any cell for incidence percentages and NNH.
Evidence tier
A Network meta-analysis / RCT / FDA label
B Cohort / registry / pooled label data
C Expert review / textbook / case series
Sourcing
Click any cell to see the verbatim source quote and citation. Missing data shows n/a.
Data depth
++ Graded — frequency + severity, primary-source traces
+ FDA label — §6 frequency only (dashed border). Click for sub-types.
Blank — not yet checked (not “absent”)
–±++++++++++ABCF = frequency · S = severity · Dashed border = FDA label only · Click cell for details
1 drug selected — Oxazepam(click to collapse)
1/4 selected
Oxazepam
Serax
Benzodiazepine Anxiolytic (BZD) · C-IV
FDA-approved indications
- Anxiety disorders or short-term relief of anxiety
- Anxiety/tension with stress of everyday life
- Anxiety associated with depression
- Anxiety, tension, agitation, irritability in elderly patients
Off-label uses
- Adjunct to SSRIs/SNRIs during anxiety treatment initiation
- Benzodiazepine taper (switch from long-acting to oxazepam for controlled taper)
- Anxiety in patients with hepatic impairment (preferred benzo due to glucuronidation-only metabolism)
MechanismGABA-A receptor positive allosteric modulator
Half-life8.2 hours (range 5.7-10.9 hours)
Decision GuideWhen to pick each / when to consider an alternative
Oxazepam
Consider when
- Hepatic impairment needing anxiolysis — glucuronidation-only metabolism unaffected by cirrhosis or hepatitis (Shull et al.)
- Elderly anxiety — only benzodiazepine with explicit FDA-labeled geriatric indication; minimal PK changes below age 80
- Alcohol withdrawal in liver disease — FDA-approved; ASAM-preferred short-acting benzo alongside lorazepam for hepatic patients
- Polypharmacy patient — bypasses CYP system entirely (Phase II conjugation only); no CYP-mediated drug interactions
- +1 more
Consider an alternative when
- Rapid symptom relief needed — slow absorption (~3h to peak); alprazolam or diazepam preferred for acute panic
- Parenteral access required — oral-only formulation; lorazepam preferred when IV/IM route needed
- Renal impairment — uniquely prolonged t½ among glucuronidation benzos (glucuronide is renally excreted)
- Once or twice daily dosing preferred — low potency requires TID–QID (30 mg ≈ 10 mg diazepam)
- +1 more
| Axis | Oxazepam Benzodiazepine |
|---|---|
| Boxed Warnings | |
Abuse / addiction liability | |
Respiratory depression (opioid / CNS depressant co-use) | |
| CNS | |
Sedation / somnolence | |
Dizziness | |
| Hepatic | |
Liver enzymes / hepatotoxicity | |
| Discontinuation | |
Withdrawal / discontinuation | |
| Drug-specific / distinctive axes | |
Paradoxical reactions only in Oxazepam | |