Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs described as sedatives or depressants. They are prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia, and also as muscle relaxants. Benzos are classified as Schedule IV drugs in the U.S. This means that while they do have medical uses, they are also potentially habit-forming. Benzos affect something in the brain called GABA, which is a calming neurotransmitter. GABA is naturally responsible for slowing down overactive neural activity which can lead to symptoms like anxiety. When someone uses a benzo, it increases the effectiveness of GABA. In doing so, psychological disease or physical need may occur. Those are reasons why benzos are usually only prescribed as a short-term medication. A common question people have is how long does Serax stay in your system.
How Long Do Benzodiazepines Stay in Your System?
There are some different reasons people may have questions about how long Serax stays in your system, as well as other benzos. First is because of drug tests, but there are other issues as well. Some benzos are longer-acting than others. Longer-acting benzos tend to have a reduced risk of physical need, but they can also accumulate in the system.
Benzos also lead to psychological disease, and when someone stops using them, they may experience physical and mental symptoms. Knowing how long a substance stays in the system can help time the start of physical and mental symptoms. In general, benzodiazepines can stay in the system and show up in a urine test for anywhere from 2-28 days. Many factors influence this number. The following are some of the things affecting how long benzos stay in the system of a misuser:
- There are variances depending on the specific benzo taken. A short-acting benzo is going to be eliminated from the system more quickly than a long-acting drug.
- How much of a dose is taken plays a role in how long these drugs stay in your system, as does how often someone has misused benzos.
- Overall health and organ function can cause individual differences in how long benzos stay in the system of a user.
- Older people tend to eliminate benzos from their system more slowly than younger users.
- Some chronic conditions can cause drugs to be eliminated more slowly.
How Long Does Serax Stay in Your System?
The generic of Serax, which is oxazepam, is considered an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine. Serax has a slow onset of action. For that reason, it’s more often prescribed for people who have trouble staying asleep, rather than falling asleep. While it takes a long time to have an effect, the half-life and elimination time of Serax aren’t particularly long.
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Peak blood levels of Serax are usually seen around three hours after someone takes the drug. The mean half-life for oxazepam is just over eight hours. The range for the Serax and oxazepam half-life is anywhere from four to 15 hours. Based on these numbers it could take around 30 hours for all of a dose of Serax to be eliminated.
For the most part, the risk of an overindulgence on Serax is lower than with other benzodiazepines. Oxazepam is considered less toxic than other drugs with a similar effect. During the time Serax is effective in the system it is believed to suppress cortisol levels. It also has the slowest onset of action of all commonly prescribed benzodiazepines. Oxazepam is also unique because it is less likely to cumulate than many other benzos, although some storage is possible.
If you have a loved one who is struggling with substance misuse, or you are personally, reach out to us at The Recovery Village. We’re available to provide you with answers or help you get connected with the psychological disease resources you need.
