Oxazepam

[SilentNinja]

I'm hoping someone can help me here please, first of all i was prescribed propranolol for my karatre grading this weekend, i go away Friday to Sunday and have to deal with a lot of people.
It said do not use use you have asthma, so i went back to my Dr because i have had breathing problems for a while and he said just as well i didnt take those meds, as i did have asthma, and i now have an inhaler.

I have now been given Oxazepam for the weekend, i read it makes you very sleepy, so my question is.. if i take these meds will it effect me in my grading, its an hour grading and i need to do my very best.
it also days do no use if you have personality disorders... why would it say that? I was given them for my AvPD. ( i also have schizotypal )

please can someone help?? I go away this Friday and im scared to take them.

Thanks!

 

[MHealthJo]

Is there any way you could ask (or get someone else to ask) your pharmacist (or any pharmacist) these questions?

Pharmacists are super helpful when you are unsure of the ins and outs of taking medication. I always find they answer my questions very easily when I phone them, and they are easy to get hold of too.

Hope you find the answers you need!

Edit... Also I guess if you have enough of the medicine, you could try taking one before the time comes, just to see the effect on you beforehand, to get the timing right...

 

[SilentNinja]

i couldnt ask lol ive asked on another forums though but i guess its something people cant really answer. But this grading is so important to me, and im scared these meds slow me down or slow my reactions down.
Thanks for your reply Jo

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Oxazepam is a benzodiazepine (tranquilizer) used to treat anxiety. I have no idea where the comment about personality disorders comes from but you can safely ignore that.

If you've never taken it before, yes it might make you feel a bit sleepy. It's probably best to take a dose before the tests to see how it affects you. If it does make you sleep, you can always try taking just half a tablet, or even a quarter. That may help to reduce your anxiety without the sleepiness.

What is the dose and what how were you instructed to take it?

 

[MHealthJo]

No probs! Yeah, wasn't sure if maybe you have someone in your family who might be able to call and ask for you, or not....

There are also online places you can ask a pharmacist a question.... Like, well, Ask a Pharmacist... heheh.

pharmacist.justanswer.com

Don't know if that's something that could work for ya or not.

Good luck with your grading too SilentNinja... I'm sure you'll do great though. Remember to breathe deeply, tense your thigh/butt muscles, and then feel the blood flowing through them as you breathe deep.... Helps with feeling more relaxed and in control.....

Hmm actually, sometime you should also tell us what the martial arts world teaches about focusing and mental clarity and all of that... that'd be interesting. Is that a part of ninja, or do not all martial arts have that? I've never studied any martial arts or stuff like that.... it sounds cool.

 

[SilentNinja]

they are 10mg and ive to take one twice daily if required. Ive got 56 of them, but its just for the weekend i need them.
it says on the leaflet that came with them Use in caution with personality disorders. I was wondering why it said that.
I dont think id fall asleep while i was fighting someone in my grading lol, but do you think it would effect my speed, reactions, and things?

thanks for the link lol i can talk fine online because im typing, but face to face id die lol

and thanks for the good luck ive been training for months for this day. I feel sick right now thinking about it lol

 

[MHealthJo]

Stressful isn't it, no matter how ready you are for something or how hard you've worked, the 'significance' of something still makes it feel stressful!!

You'll be awesome though.

In your mind, think of yourself being awesome...

Even if the bad thoughts try to come in, just think of yourself being awesome instead.... even if it seems weird or doesn't seem like "you" or something... haha.

Make sure you post and let us know, after you ace it.

 

[Retired]

Oxazepam is a short acting benzodiazepine, and is in fact the predecessor to Ativan (lorazepam). These two medications share many characteristics, including their safety when prescribed with other medications, in that both do not interact with other medications.

When used as prescribed both are safe and I too am surprised at a caution in connection with personality disorders, as this warning does not appear in its product monograph.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

they are 10mg and ive to take one twice daily if required. Ive got 56 of them, but its just for the weekend i need them.

I dont think id fall asleep while i was fighting someone in my grading lol, but do you think it would effect my speed, reactions, and things?

Yes it could affect reaction times, etc., especially in the beginning when you're not used to taking them. Again, try them out in advance.

One option is to take one tablet (or half) the night before rather than on the day of the test. By the next day it will have started to leave your system so it could still help with anxiety but have less impact on physical reaction time.

 

[SilentNinja]

i was to affraid to try one out tonight when i was training. i feel sick thinking about the weekend I feel like punching a wall so i can feel something,

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Tonight would be a good time to try one then, so you know how it affects you. And it sounds like you are feeling stressed out so what better time to do it?

 

[SilentNinja]

i just saw this message, i'll try half of one tonight because i didnt sleep last night. I am really really stressing out.. we go away tomorrow, i feel sick, and im crying, i just wish i could be alone. I found out today i will be sharing a room with someone i dont know, I am thinking of quiting karate, its not worth all this anxiety.

If i was one of your patients, would you have gave up on me now? I cant tell them how bad it really is with words, i dont think they reliase how much this effects me, they just want to give me meds and send me away, but that isnt making me better with my problems, i was on meds and i still couldnt be around people No one gets me, and if i could talk to someone i think i would just talk out UFOS lol

 

[MHealthJo]

Poor Ninja, yes its definitely soo hard for someone without this extreme version of social anxiety to anywhere near comprehend it...

I once read the biography of Charlotte Bronte. She had anxiety and social anxiety pretty bad. At one stage, she would run and hide in the curtains if she found out too late that a stranger or people she didn't know well were coming.

But there were some things that she decided were really important to do and experience. She knew at those times, she had to face her fear and get through it somehow, in order to do or experience those important things.

She also made sure she rested when she needed to, in-between those hard moments. And she kept telling herself that it was important and positive, what she was doing, and drew strength from talking about things through letter writing.

By telling herself it was important and positive to do this hard thing and that it would be very scary and uncomfortable but that she would survive, she was able to do those important things. And they did become easier.

She also tried really hard to turn her thinking in a positive direction, realising that anxiety and low feelings come with unrealistic, untrue thoughts. She really struggled with this. But she knew how much worse it would get if she isolated herself too much. She knew the thoughts would get darker and darker and seem truer and truer.

Reaching out helped her keep some contact with people, and prevented her staying too long in the worst feelings. And she realised that even though people seemed scary, being in a world all alone was worse.

Are there anxiety-management or distress tolerance techniques that you have been told about Ninja?

There's a lot of good stuff in the Anxiety section here. You might also find stuff under ACT or DBT....

Thinkin' of ya....

 

[Andy]

No one gets me, and if i could talk to someone i think i would just talk out UFOS lol

Well SN, as you know I do understand this, so if anything someone DOES get you.

As I mentioned before and am not sure whether you had said if you tried this or not...have you tried to do deep breathing? I know for myself, if I am in a situation causing anxiety, going off to the washroom or finding somewhere quiet for even 5 minutes and focusing on slowing my breathing and breathing from my stomach kind of helps calm my anxiety if only for a bit. I know thats not the answer for it all and in the moment its not easy to remember to do it all the time but it has helped me and then when I need to I do it again.

It takes a lot of practice to just remember to even do that but, I seriously think it does help at times.

Good luck with your tourney.

 

[SilentNinja]

i took one of the tablets 20mins later ( now ) im fighting to stay awake, i must be weak if that little pill is making this drowsy lol i feel all weak
I dont have any techniques jo i wasnt really told any!
Andy great to see you!! I know you understand me, i hae tried that and ive downloaded a paul mckenna relaxation CD lol gonna try that

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Next time try half a tab and see if that reduces anxiety without making you feel you need to sleep.

 

[SilentNinja]

i'll try that thanks. apart from wanting to fall asleep.. i think its made me calm

 

[Mari]

Good-luck SN and when you step on the mat be fearless :2thumbs:

 

[SilentNinja]

Can this med cause black stools? Plz tell me coz i think i better stop taking them? Cant get a good signal here so ill get the reply via email

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Not that I ever heard of. That likely has more to do with diet.