My current doctor will not prescribe me klonopin and put me on Buspar instead. Compared to taking 1mg klonopin 3 times daily to 15mg twice daily of Buspar. Does it stand a chance?? I'm sceptical.. Confused and frustrated...
Klonopin v Buspar?
Question posted by HOPEless87 on 19 July 2011
Last updated on 25 May 2021
Added 19 July 2011:
I'm 24 and thats why I shouldn't be this way? Its very REAL to me!
Added 20 July 2011:Just started the buspar yesterday. I slept almost 11hrs, woke swollen. Took another dose and was irritated, hot, and nauseous. Fell back asleep for 4 hrs, deep sleep. My boyfriend couldn't wake me and i'm usually a light sleeper. Woke with swollen feet and hands, and face. Are these normal??
9 Answers
WildcatVet
25 May 2021
Klonopin and the other benzodiazepines mask the symptoms of anxiety by sedating you but don't address the root causes. Dependency occurs quickly even at prescribed doses and studies have shown that they can cause severe long term side effects.
Buspirone is specific for anxiety and although it's not fast acting it's very effective and if taken regularly can prevent anxiety/panic attacks before they occur. It also works with minimal to no long term side effects.
WildcatVet
25 May 2021
PS, I've taken buspirone for many years and it's eliminated my anxiety by about 95%.
Benzoaddict
28 July 2013
I have been on klonipan 2mg 2times daily & Xanax 1Mg 3times daily for the last 15years.Doc tried switching me to Buspar 10mg 3times a day &Vistarell 25 mg 2times a day.Big mistake.I was in the hospital for 5 days hallucinating & before I went in I was throwing up for 4days nonstop,which caused extreme dehydration.It was the worse experience in my life!! I am now back on my Klonipan &Xanax and if I have to stay on them the rest of my life,Then that's what I'll have to do.Anxiety is nothing to play around with.I switched Doctors... and won't let that happen again.Ever!
BROKENbones
30 June 2013
Hi, I pretty much have the same problem, to be honest the klopin has been the only drug to help me, after many years, now I too am on buspar, I am having brain zaps, that last about a half hr. I am still taking the 0.5mg of klopin, and 10 mg of buspar, I have been on the buspar a week, it seems to help, but today I was going to try to not take the klopin, but had a rough time. This really is horrible, and wish everyone who suffers, good luck.
Inactive
26 Nov 2012
Hello HOPEless87. Klonopin would be my choice. Buspar will end up at the short end of the stick. Regards pledge
Inactive
26 Nov 2012
Good afternoon Pledge. Have a great day... Mary
Dumpster Diver
26 Nov 2012
Dear Hopeless87, my answer is Klonopin all the way... dd
Dumpster Diver
26 Nov 2012
Dear Hopeless87, Klonopin is a lifesaver drug- for me. Hang in there... DD
slosippa
26 Nov 2012
i too was denied my klonopin and put on buspar. this medication is USELESS for people who have real anxiety issues. it did not help my anxiety at all... just a bunch of yucky side effects.i had to have my pain management dr(which also is a internal medicine dr) treat my anxiety which he did with xanax.in my opinion,buspar like i said is useless.the other drug you referred to "amitriptyline" is used for depression and is very similar to trazodone.it helps me get good sleep but not much else.
Inactive
31 Dec 2012
I have issues like you...
take alprazolam 1mg twice a day..nefazodone 150mg twice a day
There is a theory that people on Benzo's do not do well on Buspar..but you had stopped the Klonipen...
My GP sent me to a shrink..who said buspar only worked in doses of 60 mg a day... I had been taking 10mg twice a day from my gp... I went back to taking this dose..even though it does not mix well with nefazodone... needed a boast for social anxiety
amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant..I believe the preferred TCA for anxiety and sleep is doxepin
I think nefazodone/Serzone and trazodone/Desyrel are very structually similar.. trazodone is helpful for sleep, but in higher doses can leave you spaced out..Have no experience with amitrtiptyline
I used to have panic attacks and xanax stopped them very quickly..I used to take 1mg 3 times a day..for years..now done to 1mg twice a day..I do not think you get as tolerant to xanax as to say valium or lorazepam..Xanax blocks panic attacks without the euphoria Ativan causes..I think it is a very good drug when used under the care of a physician
Buspar takes several weeks to kick in..like an anti depressant... My mom's Doctor gave it to all his patients,,thought it was a great chill pill..and my mom was on Valium..other Doc's think it is useless
I could not handle my anxiety with only Buspar and no Xanax
I guess I am trying to say..use the Xanax in moderation... my shrink complimented me on only taking 3mg of xanax a day..and was pleased when I cut down to 2mg a day... said he would not treat patients who took the 2mg bars 3 times a day..for a 6mg dose
Take care.
Jerry
JoyceLar
7 April 2012
I was put on Buspar 10mg, Abilify 5mg and Librium 10mg x 2:as needed for panic attacks, I was also removed from Klonopin 1 mg and Lunesta 3 mg the exact same day. I ended up in the E.R. from the withdrawn and new side effects. I lasted 9 more days before the side efects were so bad that I was "losing it" I went to see a Psychiatrist specialist (in these meds) who imformed me that what my "regular Dr" did was wrong, wrong wrong! Taking someone off meds and starting ne meds on the same day is just too much to handle, I am only 5" tall and 125 lbs, all of it was overwhelming to me. No matter how many time I stated that I was "over drugged" no-one listened. The Psychistrist changed me back to Klonipin 1 mg with .5 as needed the rest of the day and back on Lunesta as there really are people who have NO sleep pattern and need help seeping. So far I am doing good. The 10 mg Buspar shut me down like a zombie. I took it 2X a day. I hope to NEVER be on that again. Hope I helped.
MayoMcNasty
1 Feb 2018
It is 2018. I've been on clonazepam since January 2002. It still works! But now it works at 0.5mg a day, when I started in 2002 I took 0.5mg 3x a day. Withdrawal symptoms are severe from clonazepam, but they are far more severe with other benzos. Clonazepam is something that must be withdrawn from extremely slow... by no more than 1/4th mg at a time over a period of at least a year. I found in the past in extreme situations, that benadryl can be somewhat of a clonazepam substitute in emergencies, but it causes drowsiness worse than clonazepam. Now buspar, theoretically speaking, causes side effects I would rather not deal with such as nausea, dizziness, light headedness, etc, all those things which panic attacks also cause. I believe buspar is an experimental brew since researchers don't even know how it works. Doctors these days are avoiding benzos like the plague because of government regulations especially pushed by the democratic party.
I'm an independent so there's no bias here. But I look at it this way, if the drug helps and gives relief, use it. The point is to get through with as little suffering as possible. If you really feel insecure about the length of time you will be allowed on clonazepam, start with the lowest dose... 0.5mg once a day, or at most twice/day, and then ween off in quarters as you find therapy or means of the mind to control or even rid of the anxiety and panic. That's what I'm doing and plan to continue. I've been on the stuff way longer than should have, and the doctor can't believe it still works.
Nightgoat
26 April 2018
I came right out and asked my doc for clonazepam for major irritability and some growing issues with anxiety and he had no problem with it. However, right before he wrote orders to have the script called in he remembered that I am truck driver. He told me the DOT has been all over him in the past couple years about prescribing benzos to truck drivers even though it’s not against FMCSA regs. So, he called in a script for buspirone 10mg twice a day even though I’ve tried it twice a long time ago and didn’t want it, didn’t work. I got ahold of my boss and then the CDL medical examiner who issues my medical certificates to drive a truck and they both approved of it so I went back to my doc and hour or so later and he called in the script for clonazepam and now I have both scripts.
I decided to try the buspirone first and use clonazepam until it kicks in then only when I really need it. Well, I’ve been on it for four days now- cannot take even half a dose (5mg) and still drive my truck cuz it’s like being drunk in a way. So I cut back to 2.5 mg only twice a day and a 10mg at night at bedtime which wakes me up two hours early every night. I can’t tolerate much more of this and am just going to stick with my 1mg twice a day of clonazepam. It doesn’t make me drowsy at all but if I want to take a nap or go to sleep then I can. And I can drive my truck. Can’t do any of that with buspirone and that’s suppose to be the one okay for driving a truck. They don’t have a clue.
LaurieShay
19 July 2011
Hey HOPEless,
Yes, your anxiety is very real. The Buspar is a good medication for some people's anxiety and it is not addictive like the Klonopin. It is not as quick acting as the Klonopin. It will take some time for it to build in your system and begin to work. You may experience some side effects at first. These should subside with continued use. Once you have given it a couple of weeks, you can evaluate with your doctor the desire for klonopin.
It is important to take the Buspar at the same time each day and in the same manner. Either always take with food or always take without food. Being consistent with this is important for the medication to function properly.
Best wishes,
Laurie
HOPEless87
20 July 2011
Thanks. He gave me 2 different ones to try. Amitriptyline also. He said try the buspar first. So I should give it 2 wks to work before I try the other? And I've read on the amitriptyline... It said nothing about anxiety, just depression. ??? I dont know what to do. I need for this to be fine. I can't function. :(
LaurieShay
20 July 2011
Hey HOPEless,
If you are experiencing swollenness of face, feet and hands you need to contact the doctor right away. Explain to him all the symptoms you are having including the irritability. The drowsiness and nausea are common but still need to be reported to the doctor since you need to call hom about the swollenness. Please let me know what the doctor has to say.
Laurie
kelseycallista1986
21 Sep 2011
hi hunn. im on both busbar and xanax and those symptoms definately dont sound normal!! especially after taking it on the first night. maybe its something else that you take?? your symtoms sound more like an opiate withdrawl?? i know that busbar didnt help my anxiety much at all, that is the reason i was switched to xanax, but im not giving up on the busbar just yet. it hasnt been quite 2 months yet, so while i let the busbar kick in for a while longer, i will take the xanax for emergencies like when i have a panic attack. you should talk to your doctor about those symptoms your having because they sound serious. and about it standing a chance against the klonopine? its doubtful. klonopin is fast acting and busbar is not. busbar can help prevent (longterm) panic attacks and anxiety but it does virtualy nothing if you were to have an actual panic attack.
hope this helps :)
Floridaicequeen2011
20 Sep 2018
I have a question I'm on 2mg of Xanax 4 times a day and I'm on 30 mg of Buspar 4 times I have been on the Buspar for over 15 years does Xanax is new to me but on top of it I take 100 mg 4 times a day of Vistaril and that I swear by I've been on that drug for 22 years I'm not going through some Fest of meds I'm on my question is is it better to take the time release Xanax then it would be the Fast Furious release that doesn't last as long to try to cut back on my doses
Related topics
buspar, klonopin, zoloft, depression, anxiety, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety and stress, nervous, doctor
Further information
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.