Buspirone for Panic Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Ros...
• January 16, 2020

"I was prescribed Buspirone, which is the generic for Buspar, and I do not recommend this 'medication' for anyone with panic disorder. Because of Buspirone side effects, such as increased heartbeat, which increased my anxiety significantly. And the dulling of my senses just made things worse. Please do your research if you are debating starting Buspirone. I didn't and paid the price. One dose was enough suffering for me."

• Atl...
• November 25, 2017

"I'm convinced I must be taking a placebo. Maybe the doc and the pharmacist secretly communicate to dispense a placebo rather than real medication. I started with 5 mg twice a day, next appointment it was upped to 3x daily, appointment after that 10 mg 3x daily (the max) and STILL have severe attacks and ongoing GAD symptoms. To be fair, I usually remember to take once or twice daily, even at that dose I expect notable improvement, but no. I have to dig deep for a possible compliment for it...maybe fewer overwhelming attacks. I can't complain about any side effects, there's nothing. I must be taking sugar pills! Docs are too terrified to prescribe the proper EFFECTIVE meds for patients in desperate need of them because abusers are out there."

• Mic...
• February 13, 2015

Buspirone "My panic disorder started very gradually. At first, it was a slight panic that lasted for a min or two when I was driving, then it slowly intruded into my life. At some worst points, I was unable to sleep for a week. I might be able to doze off for an hour or two, and then I'd wake up with a racing heart. BuSpar helped at first, I was only on 5 mg for five months, never went up in dose. After about 5 months, stressful events like job interviews pretty much made this med ineffective for me. I really liked this med as it had no side effects for me. No dizziness or nausea or 'brain zaps.' My doctor put me on Paxil instead. Just started it, but it seems to be working. My pulse is still about 20 beats above my normal rate, but it doesn't bother me."

• gam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2021

Buspirone "This is medical torture in capsule form. It does not treat panic disorder and chemically isn’t intended to. Had more panic attacks since starting the BuSpar than I did in order to get a prescription for it. The dizziness when you take it could be bearable if it was helpful, but I’ve also had two grand mal seizures since starting, even after almost two months entirely seizure-free before this. Truly miserable."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2019

"First off, I don't even know how this is legal, and it's a full-blown lie that this drug is known to not have its 'side effects.' I took this drug for three days, 5 mg twice a day, and could NOT handle the side effects. Every time I took it, suicidal idealizations came about. I could barely walk on it nor keep my head up. The headaches or brain zaps were ridiculous. I finally called my doctor on the third day and asked him what to do, and they told me to stop IMMEDIATELY. Holy cow, the evening that I stopped was the WORST experience that I have ever had. I was only on this drug for THREE days, and the withdrawal symptoms were brutal as well. It's been three days since I stopped, and I still feel the aftermath. It left me worse than before."

• Cae...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2013

"I was put on this after having a very bad panic attack that sent me to the hospital. I have been on it for about a month or so now at 15 mg a day, two times a day. I think the absolute worst thing for me is the 'brain zaps' and the dizziness. Sometimes it feels like the Buspar isn't working, and I have to take some Ativan to calm me down-especially in public. However, the anxiety has decreased for me substantially when it comes to being home alone (which used to be a huge source of anxiety for me); now if I can just get rid of the dizziness and the brain zaps."

• Bus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2022

"I wanted to treat my general anxiety/panic disorder, and I had friends who took buspirone and considered it a mild drug. I’ve learned my lesson — this was the worst. My doctor prescribed me 10 mg (two 5 mg doses a day), and I started on just 5 mg at first. After a week, I felt okay, not better, not worse, so I upped it to 10 mg. That’s when things took a downturn. Never in my life could I relate to someone who experiences ADD/ADHD/mania until I took this drug. My brain was a stream of constant thoughts that didn’t connect to one another. I was literally buzzing around half-starting tasks and then getting distracted by another task. I was in a constant state of panic. I had the worst insomnia of my life. I couldn’t eat. My heart was racing. Once I stopped the med, my symptoms were gone. Doc wrote it down as an intolerance for me."

• Bha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2016

"I just took 2 dosages of 5 mg in the night and in the morning. It has made tightness in my chest as if I would collapse. Shortness of breath and so tight in my head that I couldn't continue, although that went away in about an hour both times. I know its effects come in a long time, but what I was feeling was unbearable."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 23, 2019

"Absolutely useless medication. Started on buspirone 5 mg 2x daily and moved the dose up to 20 mg 2x daily for over a month. Absolutely no change in anxiety or anxiety symptoms. No side effects. Nothing. I feel like I was given a sugar pill."

• CBI...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 24, 2021

Buspirone "Buspar holds a really special place in my heart. It was the first psych med I tried that worked for my anxiety and didn’t give horrendous side effects like all the antidepressants I tried. I took Buspar for several months after my first bipolar depressive breakdown, and it held me over while docs figured out my diagnosis and got me on mood stabilizers, which took many months. I was on the highest dose, split into 3 or 4 times a day. The fact that it helped hold me over while I cycled through manic and depressive episodes says a lot. It started working almost immediately. It definitely was a bandaid medicine, and I was still pretty rocky with my mood swings, but I’m grateful. It calmed me down and lifted the depression a bit. Only downside is that the effects wore off every 4 hours. I was able to stop taking it once my bipolar meds got figured out, but if I ever hit a rough patch with anxiety, I'd go back on it in a heartbeat."

• Pan...
• March 19, 2012

Buspirone "I have had panic attacks for my whole life and tried every med possible. My doctor put me on BuSpar to help with it. I took ONE pill in the morning and was supposed to take another at night. Throughout the day, I couldn't walk, felt drunk, my eyes were burning, my pupils were twitching, and my body was aching. I have a 1-year-old, and I couldn't take care of her that day. I had to call an on-call doctor 4 times that night, call my psychologist, and I was told to skip my nighttime dose. I took my morning one when I woke up barely able to be coherent and went to my therapy appointment. He sent me straight to my doctor, and they took me off it immediately."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2009

"I suffer from severe panic attacks. The primary symptoms being racing heartbeat, inability to think, and sweating. When an attack happens, it comes on rapidly, and often during important work situations. I have been on buspirone for approximately 3 months. The first two months I was taking 10 mg two times a day, once at 9:00 a.m. and another at 2:00 p.m. At this dosage, I would still get panic attacks, but the severity was not as great. So, when I have an attack, my heart races less, my mind is less cloudy, and the sweating not as dramatic. My doctor tells me this is due to the dosage, which we have changed today to 15 mg two times a day, on the same time schedule. My hope is that this change will have the desired effect."

• Vic...
• October 4, 2019

"This is the 3rd day of taking Buspar. I was instructed to take 5 mg, 3X a day. The first one I took was okay for about 30 min... then the nausea hit, dizziness, severe ringing in my ears, and no choice but to go to bed, and then nightmares. So far in 3 days, I've only taken three of the 5 mg, and I'm no better. I've taken Xanax for a severe panic disorder, 1 mg, 3X a day, and that's the only thing that's ever worked for me. I've been on every antidepressant with no results. I'm wondering if I will get better on the Buspar. Any feedback is certainly appreciated because I really would like to get off Xanax, even though it's the only thing that relieves my panic attacks."

• M I...
• November 10, 2020

"Suffered first panic attack today. Went to the doctor, I was truly scared. Gave me buspirone. After reading the reviews, am now truly afraid to take this medication. Have never taken medicine such as these before. Thanks for your reviews."

• Bus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2018

"I have had the worst experience when I took this drug. I don’t recommend anyone to take this drug. I started having disturbing images and dreams in my head when I was on it. I was only on half a pill at 7.5 mg."

• Mac...
• November 4, 2019

"I recently had a head injury and suffered some brain trauma. I’ve never been depressed or had anxiety before, but since my accident, I suffer really badly now. The doctor gave me amitriptyline to help me sleep, but I still suffer anxiety during the day. I was asked if I would like to try an antidepressant. I declined, so the doctor gave me buspirone to try. I took two 10 mg tablets before my usual dosage of amitriptyline. Later that night, I started freaking out, no idea why. I felt like I was on a trip, and I was going insane! Eventually, it calmed down after me making insane calls to my friends, telling them I was losing it! I haven’t taken a single pill since. I still take amitriptyline for sleep, but I’d rather be anxious than go through that night of insanity again."

• Jam...
• March 7, 2015

Buspirone "I was on Buspirone with my Paxil. It worked well with the Paxil. However, it did not work at all by itself. I had to quit taking Paxil due to an interaction with my seizure medicine. The Buspirone made me have anxiety, and every time I took it, I felt like my brain was getting shocked with electricity."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2021

Buspirone "I have panic disorder and anxiety issues. I currently take BuSpar, and for some reason, every now and then, I get brain zaps or an electrical shock feeling from my head to the tips of my fingers. It's a very strange sensation. It wears off after about an hour or so. I've been on it for almost 3 weeks, and I take 15 mg 3x a day, like every 4 hours. When I first started taking it, it was just numbness and tingling in my hands. I thought it would eventually stop, but no, it's almost every other time I take it. It is comparable to brain zap withdrawals from Effexor or Paxil (antidepressants). I still have anxiety and am on the edge of panic, so I don't think it is actually helping me at all. And I also get numbness in my inner calf muscles, which is weird. I can't feel my skin when I touch my legs or shave."

• Hal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 20, 2023

Buspirone "I have been on this for almost a year, and it helps, but not enough. I am on 10 mg three times a day. It honestly helps for maybe an hour tops, and then I feel the same again. I seriously hate having to take it three times a day. It really doesn't help that much either, maybe if I was on a higher dosage it would. It also makes me feel tired and groggy, sort of like I have taken Benadryl or something. I might as well just take Dramamine or Benadryl for the same exact effect. It's really not convenient having to take it three times a day either. I have severe anxiety, and it just doesn't do it for me. However, if you have mild anxiety, I think this might work great."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2022

"This past weekend, I was really petrified. I was going through one of my major bouts with anxiety, panic, and wanting to simply die. Although I take Klonopin for sleep, I know it does not work for that particular episode. I had a bottle of BuSpar 5 mg and quickly took one. I swear to you, I couldn’t believe what this pill did for me within a short period of time. The fear and sound of my heartbeat were normal, along with the intrusive thoughts that I could not control. For me, this is a drug (and I’ve taken many) that saved my life. I suppose, however, our brains are wired, it’s worth a try to alleviate pain."

• Rac...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 27, 2022

"This drug ruined my life. I was on 15 mg three times a day with Lexapro 10 mg for 5 years, no problem. Then my doctor wanted to up the Buspar to 30 mg twice a day. Wound up in the ER with serotonin syndrome, which was misdiagnosed as a panic attack. They told me to take more Ativan. I went back down to 15 mg, and now it kept happening every time I take it. Rigid, stiff muscles, super high blood pressure, severe confusion, insane intense fear, headache lasting for 4 hours every time I take it now. My doctor said he didn't know what to do and needed a week to reassess my situation. He upped my Ativan again, which I didn't take because I didn't want to mask whatever was happening. After a week of not being able to function, I called the pharmacist to see if there was a recall of Buspar. She said no and asked my symptoms, I told her my symptoms, and she says that's serotonin syndrome. So I called my doctor to let him know, and he said yeah, Lexapro and Buspar shouldn't be taken together. What!"

• Cat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2019

"I take buspirone 30 mg three times daily, along with 20 mg Lexapro and 20 mg Propranolol for panic disorder. At first, buspirone would make me feel sleepy, now it doesn't do that as much. I also had some weird dreams and a little bit of forgetfulness. It takes the edge off my normal anxiety, but it's not enough to combat my monthly hormonal anxiety (I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, hence the added Propranolol). What I like about it is if I forget a dose, there aren't any adverse side effects like there are with Lexapro. All in all, it's a pretty good medicine to take."

• amm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2023

Buspirone "I was just taking BuSpar to treat my panic attacks 3 months ago as needed. I started taking it every day like 2 weeks ago. I get so mad at little things that I just disappear into myself. I don't talk, see, or move. I feel like I am living in a low-key manic episode. I don't know when I will break. I always feel it in me waiting to come out. It is exhausting. I take meds for most of the symptoms already. I don't think that this is helping. I would rather deal with the anxiety. The feeling of a person about to explode is too much. Not to mention my anxiety level has increased to the point that I am having back spasms, dropping stuff, and having neck stiffness. It is all too much. Going to make an appointment with my new doctor to see what she says. This is no way to live."

• I...
• November 9, 2016

"For years, I've suffered with panic disorder and tried dozens of medications, and my doctor recently put me on Buspar. The first week, I started noticing it was controlling the small panic attacks, but not the big ones. If I stayed in one place too long and moved from that place, I would get extremely dizzy and couldn't get it to go away without laying down for a few hours, so not really up to recommending it to anyone, but it might work for you idk."

• Ave...
• February 12, 2016

"I started getting anxiety in 2012 and have avoided taking medication. I went to therapy, and my symptoms stopped for a couple of years, then they came back. I went to urgent care because I couldn't breathe. Turns out I was hyperventilating. I didn't take any Buspar right away, but a year later, I took half a pill when I had a panic attack. It calmed me down in less than an hour, and I felt at ease. Since then, I have taken it two or three more times, so I use it in emergencies only. Tonight, I used it because I have hyperglycemia and anorexia problems, which trigger my panic attacks in the first place. I took half a pill 1.5 hours before my shift and felt 'normal' 30 minutes later. It's a safe drug and non-addictive."