Buspirone and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Why...
• January 16, 2017

Buspirone for Anxiety "I started BuSpar because I was having anxiety with the horrendous pain from gallbladder attacks. I started out at 7.5 for three days and then was supposed to advance to 15 mg. During the week of starting this, I had to have an emergency surgery for my gallbladder. When I was finally able to take this consistently, I found that I suffered from insomnia, felt restless and nervous, dizzy, and downright horrible. I have taken it less than a week, and I have an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow. If I stop taking this, will I have withdrawal symptoms? Or should I do this gradually? My gallbladder symptoms are gone, and my body feels great after the surgery. Any suggestions?"

• chi...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 11, 2013

For Panic Disorder "I was having heart issues of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter along with my other medicines. I was giving this to calm me down when I went into atrial fibrillation or had anxiety, palpitations. It has made life better for me. Before this started, I thought I was having panic attacks."

• Fem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2017

Buspirone for Panic Disorder "Drug is prescribed for the 18-64 age bracket. Seniors experience drugs differently, just like teens. I tried BuSpar to replace Xanax. BuSpar builds in the system. The first month, I noticed a slight calm effect. My NP was getting me off another SSRI, also not good for seniors. During the last two weeks, I have noticed shortness of breath, which has increased. That increased my anxiety and hyperventilation. I know it is early, but I already feel better this evening, not having taken my three 5 mg doses. Xanax has a 6-hour shelf life and works better for me, and I have learned to regulate the doses. I will wean off on the 2.5 half tabs of BuSpar. My system is just like it used to be."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2019

For Anxiety "It has literally been the worst experience of my life going on this drug. I went from feeling normal to all of a sudden having what felt like low blood pressure, shaking, and jittery. I hope others out there that are feeling like that know that it's the medication and not their body collapsing."

• xfr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2022

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Buspirone to help with anxiety, and it did absolutely nothing for my anxiety, it probably made it worse, actually. I get migraines a few times a year, but on Buspirone, I was getting migraines every single day. My psychiatrist said migraines weren't a side effect and it should actually help with migraines -- it was definitely giving me serious migraines every day. It also made me restless, more anxious, more nervous, caused diarrhea, and exhaustion. I stopped after one week because the side effects were so bad."

• xfr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2022

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Buspirone to help with anxiety, and it did absolutely nothing for my anxiety, it probably made it worse, actually. I get migraines a few times a year, but on Buspirone, I was getting migraines every single day. My psychiatrist said migraines weren't a side effect and it should actually help with migraines -- it was definitely giving me serious migraines every day. It also made me restless, more anxious, more nervous, caused diarrhea, and exhaustion. I stopped after one week because the side effects were so bad."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2021

For Anxiety "I started taking 5 mg daily about a month ago. I had an increase in my anxiety and had heart palpitations. Since this happened, I took 5 mg twice a day. I only took it twice a day for two days because I could not handle the anxiety it gave me. I tried to go to work after taking my daily dose, and I could not function. I had an overwhelming rush of anxiety and had to leave shortly after. Since then, I have contacted my doctor and stopped taking my medication. The first couple of days without it, I felt much better. I know this medication works for a lot of people, and I assume my reaction to it is a rare one. If you are taking this medication to treat anxiety and have a similar reaction, I recommend calling your doctor and asking to stop taking it."

• Lop...
• November 19, 2016

For Anxiety "Was on this for a month... I went mental!! I was less anxious, but the side effects were really... really bad. I was extremely depressed and aggressive! I was itchy all over, but no rashes, and I had an awful headache that tramadol couldn't even touch!!! Went to a wedding and spent most of the time in the bathroom just to avoid people. Personally, if a GP suggests this drug to you, I would say no, GOD NO! But this is only from my own experience. I'm now on Prozac and diazepam because it messed me up so much. Looking forward to some normality in my head!"

• Adr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2021

For Anxiety "I was experiencing such high levels of anxiety that my adrenal glands actually stopped functioning. When I took the in-office anxiety test, my doctor said that normally he would calculate my score to see where I fell on the anxiety scale, but that he felt confident that I had acute chronic anxiety. It wasn’t until he asked me the questions that I realized it was as bad as it was. I started taking buspirone two days later (I couldn’t take it the day that I picked it up because…anxiety), and I had worsening anxiety for the first three days of taking it. I read online that that can happen, so I pushed through, and by day five, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. I felt like the filmy fog of anxiety that I’d been shrouded in had finally lifted and I could see and think and speak clearly and with logic that had been eluding me for years. It’s been six weeks now and I could NOT be happier with how it’s working for me."

• ren...
• March 9, 2022

For Anxiety "I've been on this for a month, and let me tell you, it's the scariest thing I've ever experienced on meds. I feel so out of it, like dissociating, hearing things, feeling paranoid, shaky, and I cannot concentrate for the life of me. I took some Xanax that was prescribed to me and woke up still feeling the same, just less panicky. I'm happy it works for others, but it did not for me, and I hope I can feel normal again. I thought I was going insane and had to go to the ER."

• TTa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2020

For Anxiety "I've been taking Buspar for about a month to deal with anxiety issues. I take 7.5 mg in the am and again at night. We are now increasing to 10 mg twice a day. At first, I think it made my hands really jittery, but that seems to have subsided. I still find myself occasionally waking at 4 am with panic feelings about different stressors in my life. The stress is still there. So far, I think that it has helped a bit to ease my anxiety a little bit. Hoping that at the higher dose, I can be even more functional, able to sleep better, etc."

• wee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 18, 2022

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and I'm taking 20 mg buspirone daily for months now. Still anxious, still angry, still impulsive with insane mood swings. I tried to leave it, but without buspirone, I became suicidal. Now I'm trying to replace it with lamotrigine."

• Mar...
• June 10, 2018

For Anxiety "I have started this medication, generic from manufacturer Mylan, and had bad reactions by 10 fold, but I had stuck it out hoping it would work. Then I had received my next prescription from a different maker - came in a bar form and, to my surprise, this was a totally different feel of medication. 'How is this possible? More of a sedative feeling instead of such anxiety over the top, which worried me so much that I decided I have to stop this medication and wean off. It's disturbing to think you want to get better, but how can you if the generics you are prescribed are different from each other? I go through Kaiser and, so far, disappointed with how things are all handled. Stick with one manufacturer, not multiple different manufacturers of a medication, as they are different..."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2021

For Anxiety "My experience on it was: I was on 7.5 mg two times daily for almost 4 weeks. I'm about 3 ½ weeks in. The first week was fine. The second week I got increasingly more anxiety with symptoms of really bad restlessness, nervousness, and sleeplessness. The third week still more of the same symptoms. I can't function in the mornings through all the way until evening. I took the medicine at 9 am and then at 7 pm. I couldn't sleep. She tried a third dose on me, but those symptoms fired up all my nerves and my mind. I know these are common symptoms, but if you can't handle this past the third week, stop the medicine. I'm stopping as of today after an ER trip. I do also have hyperthyroidism I am treating, but these symptoms got worse the more I took buspirone."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2021

For Anxiety "My experience on it was: I was on 7.5 mg two times daily for almost 4 weeks. I'm about 3 ½ weeks in. The first week was fine. The second week I got increasingly more anxiety with symptoms of really bad restlessness, nervousness, and sleeplessness. The third week still more of the same symptoms. I can't function in the mornings through all the way until evening. I took the medicine at 9 am and then at 7 pm. I couldn't sleep. She tried a third dose on me, but those symptoms fired up all my nerves and my mind. I know these are common symptoms, but if you can't handle this past the third week, stop the medicine. I'm stopping as of today after an ER trip. I do also have hyperthyroidism I am treating, but these symptoms got worse the more I took buspirone."

• bet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2016

For Anxiety "I've been on this going on four months, and I am a big fan. It has greatly reduced my anxiety, at only 10 mgs a day. I rarely have to take an Ativan. I've always been anxious, but things got much worse when I tried different stimulants for my ADHD. Even with a low dose of Lexapro, I started to have dramatic panic attacks. It was awful. I went off both with the help of Ativan, but I didn't want to become dependent on the benzo, so I took them as infrequently as possible (1/2 or 1 per day). I was still really suffering and asked my doc about Buspar. I am so relieved that something works, and that it isn't something I'm afraid of."

• Tod...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 26, 2022

For Anxiety "Been taking buspirone 45 mg daily (3 x 15 mg) along with Lexapro 10 mg for about 3 years. I was a wreck at first with terrible anxiety, but after about 2 months, I feel great. At night, sometimes take a little hydroxyzine (50 mg) if I’m having trouble going to sleep. Definitely a good combo for me. Beats the heck out of Klonopin, which I took for only 8 months and had to go through a nightmarish yearlong withdrawal and outpatient rehab. But that’s history, I feel great now. No complaints."

• Hon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2017

For Anxiety "Started 3 weeks ago, have stayed on it but awful side effects, can't get through to my doctor without having an even greater anxiety attack than I'm already having. This medication goes right up on the top worst shelf for bad medications I have been on. Shaking inside, dry chalky mouth and throat, upset stomach, vomiting, nervousness, and even more emotional than normal (if that's possible). It feels like everything that's wrong with me has been intensified!"

• Epi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2021

For Anxiety "I've been on this medication for 1.5 months. My doctor took a more aggressive approach and started me on 10 mg twice daily. The first few days were brutal: not only was I just as anxious as before, but I felt like a zombie. These side effects started to disappear around day 4 and completely vanished by day 6. It took about 3 weeks before the buspirone started to work. My GAD-7 score went from 18/21 to 9/21! I'm able to go outside and feel comfortable in my own skin! My friends and family all say that I'm visibly less anxious, and I'm finally calm enough to get started on my grad school application process! For once, I'm actually looking forward to the future! I've been bumped up to 15 mg twice daily to deal with my residual anxiety. Buspirone may not work for everyone, but it is definitely worth a go! My pharmacist said that it may be taken with or without food, but that it must be taken the same way every time. Otherwise, it may not work as well or at all."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2017

For Anxiety "Prescribed 7.5 mg twice a day, to eventually move up to 15 mg. The first dose made me so dizzy and lightheaded that I had to lie down. I tried just one small dose for a few days after, kept getting dizzy spells and feeling faint. Actually increased anxiety because I was so worried about the side effects."

• ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 7, 2021

Buspirone for Anxiety "This medicine has helped me so much. I was first put on Paxil (was allergic to it and didn’t even know), but then my psychiatrist put me on buspirone, and it has helped me so, so much! This medication is the best. I don’t overthink or worry about things as much as I used to. I did have side effects when I got my dosage upped, and it lasted for about a month. I felt extremely nervous and restless, but other than that, it is great."

• Cic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 4, 2020

For Anxiety "About 2-3 years into taking buspirone, I started to experience weird side effects. My judgment was clouded. Very impulsive. My sex drive exploded and wanted to be naked all the time. Anxiety was horrible, I was experiencing panic attacks regularly. It all culminated in me losing 25 lbs and taking a trip to the ER because I simply couldn't eat. I kept getting nauseated all the time! I was also in a mild depression. This lasted until I finally withdrew from it. (Spent 12 days in a behavioral health unit) from trying to manage the withdrawal. It even prompted my septum to deviate, which I'm dealing with now. (Extremely frustrating.) I'm off all psychiatric medication now. I'm the happiest I've ever been, my appetite is the best it's ever been, and my weight is normalizing. My anxiety is normal. I've learned to manage my feelings through sleeping, eating well, and being sociable. This stuff is highly dangerous, it's at the point now where I'm considering a lawsuit over emotional pain and suffering."

• Dou...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 28, 2018

For Anxiety "When my doctor talked with me about this medication, I was a little skeptical about the drug itself. But before I buckled down and decided to go see a doctor, about 2-3 months prior, I’d been dealing with a very horrible life experience. At the age of 23 years old, I had just undergone a horrible, very traumatic experience that involved a wreck in a semi-truck that knocked me out stone cold. I was knocked on the left side of my temple and received cuts on my head. I was having bad anxiety, panic attacks after the wreck, and went to visit a doctor who prescribed this medication, buspirone. I gave it a chance, tried it, and stayed on the prescription a little over a year. It was definitely helping me. I unfortunately couldn’t get the next refill of it. There are days I feel as if I know it would help me greatly now, and I could really use it today, and there are days I know it would help me, 100%."

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2019

For Anxiety "Was prescribed buspirone 10 mg by my Dr for anxiety. Ended up just making it worse by making me feel drunk or high and very anxious. Would not recommend, would rather deal with the lack of sex drive on Paxil."

• Mac...
• November 4, 2019

For Panic Disorder "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."