Experiences with Buspar?

[madscientist]

Hi everyone, I am curious if anyone has taken Buspar (or its generic) for anxiety and what your experience was/is. I just started taking the generic a few days ago and I'm still in the side effect adjustment phase.

I've been on Effexor XR for a few months, and it seems to be helping with my depression, just not so much with anxiety, so the Buspar has been added in. I'm hopeful that it will help to take the edge off the anxiety.

-ms

[historyteach]

Hi, madscientist;

I was on BuSpar years ago. I did very well with it.
I wish you the best!

Shalom!

[scarlati]

I've been on buspar for about 6mo and love it. I used to take lexapro but switched to buspar cause lexapro had some side effects I didn't like. Buspar works great for me and I haven't noticed any side effects at all after the first couple weeks. When I started on it I did get some brain zaps for a week or two. Since then, though, I feel like a perfectly normal person.

[butterfly19]

madscientist,

Hi! I'm so glad you posted this question. I, too, was recently started on Buspar for my anxiety. Initially, I was started on 5mg twice a day. This was about 3 weeks ago. I couldn't tell anything at all, no better, no worse--felt like I wasn't taking anything at all actually. I told my psychiatrist about this, and he went ahead and bumped the doseage up to 10 mg twice a day. That was last Monday, and already I can tell a significant improvement in my anxiety and my mood!

How much are you on right now? It can take weeks before you achieve the full effect of the drug b/c it has to get into a steady state in your system. I think I noticed such a big improvement b/c I had already been taking the 5 mg for several weeks when it was increased to 10 mg.

It is a good drug, with relatively few side effects. I hope you'll notice an improvement soon. I have even noticed that I'm decreasing the use of my Ativan which is a great thing as well! Hope you get some benefit from it! Keep us updated on your progress!

Love,

butterfly19

[GaryRN]

Sorry Guys, but I give it a big thumbs down. This stuff made my anxiety worse. I felt better for the first two weeks, then all of a sudden my anxiety came back and was much worse than before starting the buspar. I was on 15mg three times/day. I was on it for a month. Coming off of it was even harder. Google Buspar withdrawal and you will see the effects are similar to coming off a Benzodiazapine. Buspar has a huge impact on the release of Serotonin. Maybe it sent me into Serotonin syndrome, not sure. Be careful with this drug. I have read great things about this med and also stories such as mine. Toss up the coin and call heads or tails ..............GaryRN

[exbartender]

I tried to take Buspar only occassionally for anxiety, mostly for public speaking in front of a class (of adult software professionals who I figured knew more than I). The stuff gave me wierd head rushes, so I stopped taking it after a few times.

[madscientist]

Hey everyone, I wanted to give an update on how the Buspar has been going for me. I've been on it for a few weeks now and have slowly increased the dose to what my pdoc recommended. I'm currently taking two 5mg and one 10mg dose per day.

I've been experiencing intermittent side effects with it the whole way through, mostly feeling lightheaded and tired.

Overall I think it has helped some with my anxiety, though I wouldn't label it as a magic bullet solution. It seems to be softening the outer edge of the anxiety so I don't trip over into complete meltdown mode as often given the same level of anxiousness. It has also helped calm down the ever-present feeling of anxiety resulting in that 'rock in your gut' feeling. It's pleasant to have that less often.

Hope everyone is well.

[ForeverTense]

I tried this med briefly a few years ago for my GAD but did not give it a fair shake I think.
I was looking for instant gratification I suppose like you get with the benzos. I got my pdoc to prescribe it again. I just need the edge taken off my anxiety. I am also meditating and I am trying to exercise moderately. Try to steer clear from the BZD's if you can. They are great to use in a crisis but don't use them daily for more than a few weeks unless you are critical. They are highly addictive & extremely difficult to detox from after you have been on them long-term. Tolerance also will eventually set in and you will have to keep upping the dose to just fight off the W/D's from the benzodiazepine you are taking. IOW, you will eventually get stuck with your original problem and W/D's from the benzo. The detox is worse than any heroin or alcohol W/D IMHO...

[scarlati]

Hey, Madscientist;

Any improvement? When I started buspar the side effects lasted about 2-3wk. So hopefully you're doing better now. For me, this drug is an absolute life-saver. All the symptoms of my anxiety are completely gone and I feel like a "normal person" for the first time in my life. I hope that it does the same for you, and if not, I hope that you will find something that works for you.

Best Wishes,
Scarlati.

[madscientist]

I'm happy to report that after a few more conversations with my doc I'm up to 30mg daily and it has been working pretty well to curb the anxiety so I'm not crawling up the walls all the time now. Whew.

It was a little weird to have the pharmacy give me an entire unopened bottle (granted it's a small bottle) to fill my prescription for a month.

Hope everyone is well.

[scarlati]

Yeah, I'm on 30mg, too. 15mg every 12hr. I've been on this about 8mo now and it's still working well. I hope your results are the same.

[ForeverTense]

Can you take buspar long-term?

[historyteach]

Yes, there is no time limit, and it is not addictive.

Shalom!

[Overman]

I went to my doc yesterday and asked about Buspar, since I've heard so many positive things here.

Unfortunately, he was convinced that it was'nt very effective (about 50/50) and was very blunt about it. Kinda pissed me off, as I had done research and was basically asking his permission to start it.

He put me on 'Pristiq', basically a purified form of Effexor.

Anyone know anything about it???

[nandm]

Originally Posted by Overman

He put me on 'Pristiq', basically a purified form of Effexor.

Anyone know anything about it???

I have no experience with it by that name but had some horrible side effects when coming off Effexor. Hopefully the purified form does not have that effect or you find it works well for you and you don't have to come off it.