I just started buspar a few days ago, since then my anxiety/panics attacks feel worse. I am not sure if this is because of stress at home or the medication. Has this happen to any ody else. I hav also noticed that my chest feels like it is racing/pounding and have gotten very nervous just thinking about being in crowds. This is very unlike my. I am not sure if I should continue this Ned or not. This is day four and I feel much worse.
Does buspar make panic attacks worse!?
Question posted by NoFreeRide on 23 Sep 2012
Last updated on 21 October 2018
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
10 Answers
JacobIsrael
21 July 2017
After 2 weeks of buspar i thought i was going to die. So much worse, constant anxiety attacks. Had to go home from work several times. 4 days after discontinuing feel like I'm in heaven compared to before. Worse med ever for Me.
Inactive
21 July 2017
When I started it the same thing happened to me they told me to it takes 2-3 weeks for it to reach a therputic level. I didn't like so I suffer through the 3 weeks then another 5 months it didn't do anything for my panic attacks. I was in bad shape. Thank goodness I didn't have to work at the time. I now take klonopin which is my miracle. It has literally saved my life and helped all my panic attacks to stop completely for 3 years now
AlexTaylor
13 May 2017
I have moderate anxiety. On Monday, my psychiatrist prescribed 10mg of Buspar to be taken twice a day. As the week progressed, my anxiety grew exponentially, and I wanted to jump out of my skin. By Friday, my head was buzzing and pounding, my eye was twitching, and I had a SEVERE ANXIETY ATTACK, which I had not had in years.
My psychiatrist was unavailable so I did research online. I saw that some people had experienced worse symptoms at the beginning, but then found relief ("It gets worse before it gets better."). Others abandoned the drug immediately. Since my doctor was unavailable, I made the decision to stop the meds on Friday. By Saturday, I felt so much better. I will not be giving these another try.
nursecherylm
10 Jan 2017
You are not the only one. It also made me feel that way. My anxiety and nervousness became worse, also. I went to see my doctor and she decreased the dosage. That helped a great deal.
aaronwade
18 Oct 2016
It made my panic attacks worse. I went from having one every few weeks to having them multiple times a day. I couldn't sleep, would wake up in a panic, felt like I needed to go to the ER. I stopped taking it before 2 weeks. Usually doctors try this first before prescribing something better. Let your doctor know it's making it worse.
Inactive
18 Oct 2016
Have you tried taking the very lowest dose of 5mg a day? Or cut a 5mg pill in half and take half in the morning and half in the afternoon? Sometimes a very small amount of a medication can go a long ways towards relief with much much lessened/to no side effects. It's worth a try before giving up if you need relief from anxiety. My body is used to 5mg a day and I have no anxiety whatsoever. It stays in your bloodstream at a constant level even at this low dose and is effective in keeping anxiety at bay. I have no sweating, no panic, no headaches, no tremors, no jitteriness, no insomnia, or any of those other side effects that have been mentioned here, taking it at this dose. It's worth a try. I'd like to hear from anyone who tries this and has a good experience with it?
Elizabeth wulff
30 Dec 2016
You should try something different. Buspar was not the right medication for me. My daughter change mine to Paxiel 20mg and Xanax 1mg. I haven't felt more calm or Happy in my life. Paxiel is the best medicine for anxiety!!!
Chrismkilgore
28 Aug 2017
You mean Paxil
tropicaldaze
18 Oct 2016
I just wanted to thank you for posting this question. I started taking buspar (I think? It's buspirone on the bottle) last Wednesday and have missed work ever since (4 days now) due to anxiety/panic attacks which are way worse than before I started taking this. Also nightmares, shaking, and nausea. I feel much better knowing it's likely the medicine. I thought I was finally totally losing it. I don't have time to wait for this to take effect... it's destroying my life. I was better off before I started it. Anyway, thank you.
Elizabeth wulff
2 Aug 2016
I took Buspar for about a month and it made my anxiety way worse. I felt shakey, irritable, wasn't happy anymore. Wasn't fun with my kids anymore. One day driving to work I had a really bad anxiety attack and turned around and went home. It made me feel light headed also. I haven't took it in almost 2 months. Yes I still have anxiety from time to time, but I can control it and I feel so much better without any medication. It's all about controlling it, don't let it control you. Be strong, tough through it.
Inactive
2 Aug 2016
I love Buspar! I have taken several antidepressants and also several benzos(short term) in the past. Lexapro made my anxiety a lot worse, among other side effects for me. After all these years, my doctor suggested Buspar for my anxiety. I had never taken it! So, I said "Why not?" I have been taking it for over a year, and I don't need another medication for anxiety. I have adjusted the doses though. I started on 5mg twice a day. Then I went to 5mg 3x a day. Then I went to 10mg 3x day. Then I started getting dizzy, headachy, and not feeling just right. I went back down to 5mg 3x a day and felt much better. Dizziness and headaches all gone! Then I went to 5mg twice a day. I feel great at the lower doses. I am actually only taking 5mg first thing in the morning now. No anxiety! NOTE: This is NOT an AS NEEDED medication.
You have to keep it at steady blood levels, so it should be taken every day at the same time each day. I love it! It is definitely a great treatment for anxiety. I was so pleasantly surprised at how good it works! G
Sad wendy
29 Dec 2016
I have been taking 10 mg twice a day of buspar. It is day 10. I can feel it helping but I am still so anxious. I am trying to be strong but I don't know how much longer I can. Also can you take this with Zoloft
Khug
11 March 2016
I had the worst panic attack of my life after I started taking buspar but my doc told me at first my anxiety might get worse so I kept taking it. It eventually got better after a month an by about 3 months it was working great. Been taking it 2 years now
Summer_22
14 April 2015
I've been on bus par for about 6 days and I feel very depressed and just being awake makes me feel anxious I feel like it's cotton so much worse. Is this normal or not?
aaronwade
29 July 2015
the same thing happened to me. I took it for a few days, felt horrible (worse than normal), then stopped. The next week I was still anxious and decided to give it another try since i would be out of town and not having to drive for a week (it was making me dizzy while driving, which made me more anxious, which is why i stopped the first time).
So the 2nd time I took it faithfully for a week, 5mg 3x a day, and by the end of that week i felt SO BAD. I mean heart racing, sweaty palms, the whole deal... I went from having 3 panic ATTACKS in a 6 month period to having CONSTANT panic attacks DAILY.
I called my pharmacist and told him how i was feeling and he told me "This drug is not for you." I promptly stopped taking it and have had 1 panic attack daily for the last week, though every day seems to get a little better. I'm hoping by the end of this week i'll be back to normal.
My doctor also started me on Bystolic to help with the anxiety. What i kept coming back to is that I didn't have a "problem" with anxiety - 1 attack every 2 months didn't interrupt my life... once i started the buspar i was in a constant state of panic. Though I know the half life is only a few hours, it can take days or weeks to completely get out of your system.
uniflora
17 Sep 2015
Aaron I'm so glad you posted this. I started taking 7.5mg (up from 5mg which had been working for me) and 3 days after starting the 7.5mg I've been feeling crazy... increased anxiety, I don't want to go outside ever, I don't want to go to work or sleep. Things that used to RELIEVE my anxiety make me feel even more anxious... my doctor told me to go down to 5mg until I can get in to see him (5mg has worked great for me in the past) so I'm really hoping the excess works its way out of my system asap and I don't feel like this... it was very relieving to see that someone else experienced this and that I am not alone. Thank you for sharing.
Kimebarb
30 Nov 2017
Hello my name is Kim descant.. I'm taking 90 Milgram of Bashar.. Is this to much? And I have real bad panic attack? Is it because of taking to much of bus bar?
MJPrincey
21 Oct 2018
I know the comments are dated, but I’m hoping someone responds. I just started 5 mg 2x a day for the past 3 weeks. I go to bed around 20 and can’t sleep past 4. I wake up with racing thoughts of things at work I need to do and other worries. I don’t feel any better. Wondering if I should try another anti anxiety med. I haven’t had a panic attack but have racing heart and thoughts. Help. Thank you.
Inactive
24 Sep 2012
Good morning no free ride ,
My personal experience with buspar when I first started taking it seemed like forever for it to the therapeutic level . However my panic attacks did increase and after 3 weeks they completely stopped.
Hang in there remember this will soon be part of your past and you will be panic attack free.
So hang in there
Inactive
23 Sep 2012
Hello NoFreeRide. Increases in anxiety levels are very common and normal to beginning Buspar. They will ease up and the norm is within several weeks time disappear all together. It will take close to four weeks time for the drug to reach working at its full theraputic potential. regards pledge
Lisa01
23 Sep 2012
Ahh, what would we do without one of our favorite resident geniuses?! Brew up the coffee my friend, it's a chilly 39 degrees here and the (temporary) feeling of fall is in the air! Hard to believe I was fussing with you about it being 106 a few weeks ago!
Lisa
Inactive
23 Sep 2012
Good morning Lisa. Still running the a/c. Our low this morning is 66. Will hit the mid to upper 80's. Then a cold front will arrive here on Tuesday sometime. Have yourself a great day. Football/golf and grilling is in the cards.
Lisa01
23 Sep 2012
Your low is supposed to be our high today and tomorrow. Back to mid 80s in a couple days. But we'll enjoy the open windows for a couple days! A visit with my son and his roommate, home from college, is on today's agenda. Never enough of those for his poor old mom's liking! Enjoy the sports and save a burger for me!
Inactive
23 Sep 2012
Will do. That burger is coming up! :-0)
NoFreeRide
24 Sep 2012
Thanks for the input. I feel like waiting for the med to become therapeutic is worse than the anxiety/panic attacks. It is making me feel agarphobic at this point and ten plus worse with the anxiety. Really considering not taking it any more. And just dealing with the episodes and making major life change issues that need to be done.
Inactive
24 Sep 2012
Tad late in responding. Its entirely as you know, up to you. I understand how you are dealing with the symptoms. Either hold out, wait and see or do as you suggested.
Related topics
buspar, anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, medication
Further information
- BuSpar uses and safety info
- BuSpar prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of BuSpar (detailed)
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