Purata is oxazepam, a Schedule 5 benzodiazepine sold in South Africa as 10 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg tablets. It is prescribed for short-term relief of severe anxiety and tension, and sometimes to manage alcohol withdrawal. All three strengths are the same medicine — only the amount differs.
What is Purata?
Purata contains oxazepam, a benzodiazepine. The South African Medicine Price Registry lists it in three tablet strengths — 10 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg — all Schedule 5, meaning it is prescription-only and subject to tighter control than an ordinary Schedule 4 medicine.
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of GABA, the main calming signal in the brain. The practical result is reduced anxiety, muscle relaxation and sedation.
Oxazepam has two features that distinguish it from others in the family. It is relatively short-acting, so it is less prone to leaving a hangover the following day than long-acting relatives such as diazepam. And it is broken down without needing the liver’s oxidative pathways, which is why it is often chosen for older people and for those with liver problems, where other benzodiazepines can accumulate.
If you have been given Purata where you expected a different benzodiazepine brand, that is ordinary substitution within a class — but the strengths are not interchangeable milligram-for-milligram between different benzodiazepines, so never convert a dose yourself.
What is Purata commonly used for?
Purata is prescribed for:
- Severe anxiety and tension — where symptoms are disabling rather than everyday stress, and usually for a defined short period.
- Anxiety associated with depression, generally alongside an antidepressant rather than instead of one.
- Alcohol withdrawal — oxazepam is a common choice here, particularly where liver function is impaired.
- Short-term sleep difficulty driven by anxiety, at prescriber discretion.
The searches that bring people to this page are usually about strength — what 10 mg, 15 mg or 30 mg is “for”. The answer is that they are the same medicine at different doses. A prescriber chooses the strength based on how severe the symptoms are, your age, your liver function and how you have responded before. A lower strength is not a different treatment.
What Purata is not for is long-term management of ongoing anxiety. Benzodiazepines lose effect over weeks as tolerance develops, and dependence can follow. Where anxiety is a persistent condition, the treatments that work over time are antidepressants such as an SSRI and psychological therapy — with a benzodiazepine used, if at all, as a short bridge.
How Purata fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Benzodiazepines | Oxazepam (Purata), diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam | Rapid short-term relief of severe anxiety; dependence risk |
| SSRIs / SNRIs | Fluoxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine | First-line long-term treatment of anxiety and depression |
| Tricyclics | Amitriptyline (Trepiline) | Depression, some anxiety and pain uses |
| Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics | Zolpidem, zopiclone | Short-term insomnia specifically |
| Buspirone | — | Anxiety without benzodiazepine dependence risk; slower to act |
Purata sits firmly in the first row: fast, effective, and deliberately short-term. See the mental health and neurology medicines hub for the wider category.
What to check before using Purata
Do not drink alcohol with it. This is the single most important check. Alcohol and benzodiazepines both suppress breathing and consciousness, and together the effect is more than additive. The combination is a common cause of preventable deaths.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:
- Take opioid painkillers — tramadol, codeine, morphine. Combining opioids with benzodiazepines significantly raises the risk of dangerously slowed breathing, and needs a deliberate decision by your prescriber.
- Take other sedating medicines — antihistamines, sleeping tablets, some antipsychotics, muscle relaxants.
- Have breathing problems, particularly sleep apnoea or severe COPD.
- Have myasthenia gravis or severe liver disease.
- Have a history of dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines or other substances.
- Are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Are older. Benzodiazepines increase the risk of falls, confusion and fractures in older adults, which is why the dose is usually reduced.
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you. Drowsiness and slowed reactions are expected effects, not side effects.
Follow the prescribed dose exactly. This page does not set doses.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Dependence is the defining risk. With regular use over weeks, the body adapts. Two things follow: the same dose does less (tolerance), and stopping suddenly causes withdrawal — rebound anxiety, insomnia, tremor, sweating, and in severe cases seizures. This is why courses are kept short, typically two to four weeks including the taper.
Never stop a benzodiazepine abruptly after regular use. If you have been taking Purata daily and want to come off it, ask your doctor to plan a gradual reduction. Stopping suddenly is genuinely dangerous, not merely uncomfortable.
Common effects include drowsiness, unsteadiness, confusion, dizziness and reduced concentration. Less commonly, some people experience the opposite of what is intended — agitation, irritability or aggression. This is more likely in children and older adults, and should be reported.
Seek advice promptly if you notice memory gaps, marked confusion, worsening low mood or thoughts of self-harm.
Get emergency help for very slow or shallow breathing, extreme drowsiness or unresponsiveness — particularly if alcohol or an opioid has been taken as well.
Contact your doctor if anxiety is not improving, if you feel you need more than prescribed, or if the course is nearing its end and no plan has been made for what comes next.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Purata used for? Short-term relief of severe anxiety and tension, anxiety with depression, and alcohol withdrawal. It contains oxazepam.
What is the difference between Purata 10 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg? Only the amount of oxazepam. They are the same medicine; the prescriber chooses the strength based on symptom severity, age and liver function.
Is Purata addictive? It can cause dependence with regular use, which is why it is Schedule 5 and prescribed for short periods. Used briefly and as directed, the risk is much lower.
Can I stop taking it when I feel better? If you have taken it only a few days, usually yes. After regular use, no — ask your doctor to plan a gradual reduction, as stopping suddenly can cause severe withdrawal including seizures.
Can I drink alcohol on Purata? No. The combination dangerously suppresses breathing and consciousness.
Is it a sleeping tablet? It is an anti-anxiety medicine that causes drowsiness, and is sometimes used for sleep difficulty driven by anxiety. It is not primarily a hypnotic.