Buspirone and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 5)

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

For Anxiety "Prescribed buspirone 10 mgs - 3x day, but I started by breaking them in half and taking 5 mgs - 3 times daily. The first 3 days, maybe a little tiredness and slight headache, but extreme diarrhea (may have been a virus). The 2nd week, I felt great! I kept thinking, where was this wonder medication the past 10 years of suffering. Week 3, probably the worst anxiety of my life. I had the feeling of a constant panic attack for 3 days straight and led to the body flu. I stuck it out and by week 4, started to feel better. I decided to up the dose to 20 mgs a day. Let me tell you, the 10 mgs was probably too much. I couldn't even remember if I dropped my kids off at daycare and still had anxiety. Week 7, upped to 25 mg. 10 mg in the morning and evening, and 5 in the afternoon. This lasted only 3 days, because I was so dizzy after taking the night doses, I had to close my eyes and fall asleep immediately. I am now on week 9, 15 mgs daily and feel pretty good.... Might even try 10 mg total."

• Jam...
• March 7, 2015

Buspirone for Panic Disorder "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."

• Kan...
• October 14, 2017

For Anxiety "This is my second day on Buspar 5 mg once a day. My provider's (psych) instructions were 5 mg 3x a day, but she went out of town, so I called the pharmacy asking other questions, and I was told to start with 1 a day, then after 5 days to move to twice a day, then a few days later go to full dose of 3x a day. I have anxiety and panic disorder. I’m also currently on 15 mg of mirtazapine, and I’m slowly weaning off it (1/10th the dose every 45 days). Mirtazapine never helped me but made me feel much, much worse. Evil POS drug. What I found interesting is an hour after the first dose of Buspar yesterday, I felt the fear and anxiety go away, nearly completely. It was amazing. But today after taking it, I feel the same as I did before ever taking it."

• Kan...
• October 14, 2017

For Anxiety "This is my second day on Buspar 5 mg once a day. My provider's (psych) instructions were 5 mg 3x a day, but she went out of town, so I called the pharmacy asking other questions, and I was told to start with 1 a day, then after 5 days to move to twice a day, then a few days later go to full dose of 3x a day. I have anxiety and panic disorder. I’m also currently on 15 mg of mirtazapine, and I’m slowly weaning off it (1/10th the dose every 45 days). Mirtazapine never helped me but made me feel much, much worse. Evil POS drug. What I found interesting is an hour after the first dose of Buspar yesterday, I felt the fear and anxiety go away, nearly completely. It was amazing. But today after taking it, I feel the same as I did before ever taking it."

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2017

For Anxiety "Have been taking 5 mg twice a day for the last 4 days, stopped taking it today. It was like I had drunk 6 Red Bulls. Jittery, sweating, dizzy, nauseous, twitching. The Wellbutrin I take is awesome, not a single side effect, but needed something more for some anxiety. But I had to stop taking this, just way too gnarly even for a bigger guy like me."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2018

For Anxiety "My psychiatrist prescribed 10 mg twice daily. I was so irritable on this medication. I was mad at my family for no reason. The littlest thing would make me so angry I would start to cry. I wasn’t me on this medication, plus it brought on more anxiety. I continued to take the medication for about 4 weeks to see if that side effect would subside, but I couldn’t take it any longer. I haven’t been able to find any other person with that side effect. This medication does work for a lot of people, so don’t get discouraged!"

• Wil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "I always have a lot of anxiety, and was optimistic about BuSpar. Lately, I've been taking 10 mg 4 times a day (as well as Ativan and Seroquel to help the insomnia), and I feel depressed and no less anxious. Last night, I dreamt that one of my cats fainted. I'll be talking with my doctor about getting me off this. I feel no benefit whatsoever."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2016

For Anxiety "I am on 5 mg of Buspar 2x a day to start, and I hate it! I feel very nervous, jittery, and wired, like I drank a bunch of coffee. My ears are ringing... actually, it feels like my whole head is buzzing. My throat and skin hurt. I told my doctor this made me feel this way in the past, but she didn't care. I feel worse like this than I do when I have constant panic attacks. I am also on 30 mg Remeron. I can't sleep for more than 3 hours, and I can't eat. I am 5'7'' and under 100 lbs. I have tried Trazodone and ended up in the hospital. I can't handle these drugs. I am going through hell right now because of a life stressor, and I know the doctors are only trying to help, but these drugs are bad for me!"

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2016

For Anxiety "I am on 5 mg of Buspar 2x a day to start, and I hate it! I feel very nervous, jittery, and wired, like I drank a bunch of coffee. My ears are ringing... actually, it feels like my whole head is buzzing. My throat and skin hurt. I told my doctor this made me feel this way in the past, but she didn't care. I feel worse like this than I do when I have constant panic attacks. I am also on 30 mg Remeron. I can't sleep for more than 3 hours, and I can't eat. I am 5'7'' and under 100 lbs. I have tried Trazodone and ended up in the hospital. I can't handle these drugs. I am going through hell right now because of a life stressor, and I know the doctors are only trying to help, but these drugs are bad for me!"

• jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2021

For Anxiety "I have been taking this a week now at 7.5 mg twice a day for anxiety, and the side effects are awful. My short-term memory is declining, I'm even more anxious and depressed, have major brain fog, and bouts of bad anxiety. Hopefully, just strong side effects that will go away soon, but I'm in major doubt. I don’t recommend taking this medication at all, absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had."

• jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2021

For Anxiety "I have been taking this a week now at 7.5 mg twice a day for anxiety, and the side effects are awful. My short-term memory is declining, I'm even more anxious and depressed, have major brain fog, and bouts of bad anxiety. Hopefully, just strong side effects that will go away soon, but I'm in major doubt. I don’t recommend taking this medication at all, absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2018

For Anxiety "This medicine may work well for some people, but I wanted to share my experience because it wasn’t pleasant. After 2 weeks of taking buspirone, I thought I was going to die. One morning at work, I noticed heart palpitations, then got extremely dizzy and almost passed out three times before a coworker brought me to urgent care. I stayed very dizzy with severe anxiety/panic attacks that lasted for a week. I had to miss several days of work. This was the first time I had experienced anything like this."

• Xpi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2019

For Anxiety "Been taking buspirone 10 mg 3x daily for 3 weeks. I've had no positive or negative effects. Doesn't seem to work for many people. I've also tried Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Prozac, Remeron (this is the worst), trazodone, and benzos. SSRIs cause weird side effects and also cause sexual dysfunction. Benzos are awful as they make your anxiety worse in the long run, and the withdrawal is never-ending. Buspirone seems like garbage right now."

• JJa...
• January 14, 2017

Buspirone for Anxiety "Went into anaphylaxis after the third dose. Increased anxiety. Had to go to the emergency room via ambulance. Mouth, tongue, and throat were swollen, chest was tight, severe all-over itching, and itching throat. Found out this only works 50% of the time. That it's a hail Mary drug. It works on half of the people, makes the other half worse. Be very cautious with this one. Because it's a 50/50 chance."

• mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2022

For Anxiety "I've been taking Buspar for a month now, and it's helped me so much. The first couple of weeks, I felt awful. I had brain zaps and anxiety, was pretty foggy-headed, and had some bad insomnia. I'm so glad I stuck with it, though, as it is helping me so much with my anxiety. All the little things that caused anxiety before don't bother me nearly as much anymore. I started out taking 10 mg 2x daily, but I needed it to be in my system longer during the day, so I started taking 5 mg 3x daily, and that did the trick. I'm still struggling somewhat and unable to drive yet, so my doctor raised my dose to 7.5 mg 3x daily. Taking buspirone, along with talking to my counselor, really helps me. The only persistent problem I'm having is a bit of insomnia. It's gradually getting better. This is why I'm giving this med a 9/10. Otherwise, I'm very happy with buspirone."

• Kan...
• March 29, 2018

For Anxiety "I've been on Buspar for 5 months. My doc gave me 15 mg. After a week, I couldn't even describe how great it felt not to be so constantly worried about everything. I did end up getting depressed (but that had already started due to other things), and my anxiety seemed to get a bit worse for a couple of months. Doc then put me on 150 mg of Wellbutrin, which takes 4-6 weeks to kick in. During that time (1st 4 weeks), I was VERY depressed & anxiety & panic attacks were very bad (had my worst panic attack ever), but then she upped my Buspar to 25 mg, which helped calm down the anxiety and panic attacks. 4 weeks after starting Wellbutrin, she upped that to 300 mg. In a week, depression disappeared & anxiety calmed down and it's been 4 weeks since. I think it takes the right dose and combo of meds as well as continuing for a bit through the rough patch that sometimes comes with new meds while trying to get the dose right. Don't give up too soon."

• Sca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2021

For Panic Disorder "Was successfully taking Xanax for hypertension and panic for 10 years. New doctor said Xanax is no good for panic disorder and refused to refill my prescription. He put me on buspirone. After only a couple of days, I became manic. No sleep. Terror, intense fear, panic. Could not think or eat. Found a new doctor who told me to stop taking it immediately. He put me back on Xanax and my symptoms resolved within a few days. He told me never to take an SSRI or a medication like buspirone as it could cause uncontrolled hypertension and mania in me."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2018

For Anxiety "Took for 21 days only, it didn't do anything for my anxiety nor the shortness of breath. In fact, I think it increased my anxiety a little bit more, and I was irritable. Also, no positive effect on depression, and I felt like it was causing memory and sexual problems a bit."

• Mil...
• April 28, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I’m a 40 YOF, 103 lbs. Was given this to take twice daily in replacement of 0.5 lorazepam for panic attacks. My lorazepam was a very low dosage and used maybe every couple of months. I used it the day after I had to drive in the metroplex, as that’s a trigger for me! The lorazepam calmed me back to my normal self. Buspirone was prescribed at 0.5 mg twice a day. I’m now on my third dose, haven’t slept, extremely snappy, angry, and jittery, like I have had far too much coffee! Extreme leg pain and dizziness along with diarrhea. Odd pain in my ears! Had to call in to work today due to complete lack of sleep! A terrible headache and a bit of confusion. Now I can explain being confused due to lack of sleep, please explain my desire to now organize everything in my home. I’m already a bit obsessed about organization, I like things in order. If this is the rubbish I will have to work through or deal with to possibly not have a panic attack, I’ll take the panic attack over this nightmare. I will NOT continue this med."

• Anonymous
• April 26, 2012

For Anxiety "My mind would race like there was no tomorrow. I felt so out of whack that I was in tears almost every day, frustrated with my anxiety/panic attacks, which started about 2 and 1/2 years ago. I am 23 years old and felt my wheels were just turning and turning, stuck in the mud. I couldn't shake it and move forward with my life. I feel I was ruining myself and my relationships around me until I was prescribed buspirone. The crawling-in-my-skin feeling subsided, and I am comfortable for the first time in a long time with my life. I was prescribed a week ago, and almost instantly I felt like myself (not a worrying mess). I am able to focus better and live my life again. I still get that feeling of anxiousness but feel things can only get better from here."

• Hap...
• January 17, 2022

For Anxiety "I started with 5 mg twice a day. The first week was very hard! I had a lot of anxiety and nausea. After the first week, I started to feel better! My mind stopped racing all the time. After a month, I started getting panic attacks again. I then upped my dose to 7.5 mg twice a day. Again, the first week was terrible. My anxiety was so bad. After that first week, I started feeling good again. I still get anxious thoughts, but I can talk myself out of them now. I am more level-headed and do not get panic attacks. This is way better than the citalopram I was on years ago."

• LeA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

For Anxiety "I wanted so badly for buspirone to work for my anxiety. I tried playing with the dosages. From 2.5 x 3, 5 x 3, 7.5 x 3. The first few weeks it seemed like it was going to work, and then after I increased it to 7.5, I took a turn for the worst, and it made my OCD ramp up! I am not saying it can't work for someone else, as for me, it gave me such heightened anxiety I almost couldn't function at work. Use with caution as it made me cry every day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 12, 2017

For Anxiety "Pros: significant decrease in GAD and social anxiety, easier to reach orgasm, less paranoia, felt more 'normal.' Cons: no motivation to finish day-to-day activities, made me irritable, gave me anxiety when thinking about how to reach future goals because it prevented me from pushing myself to take the necessary steps to achieve the things I want. It was costly without insurance, and even though it relieved a lot of my social anxiety, I feel it's prevented me from being as social as I used to be, even with the anxiety."

• It...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2017

For Anxiety "I've been taking Buspar in differing doses on and off for over a year. I was prescribed it and 0.5 mg Xanax for severe anxiety and panic attacks. Taken together, it was helping, only I couldn't function or take care of my daughter while taking both. Since moving to another state, I stopped taking the Xanax and then got pregnant, so I can't take it anyway. My anxiety and panic issues got better after moving to the new state. But getting pregnant again, my anxiety came back. I was started on a slightly lower dose than I was taking before, and it was too much for me, so my OB and I decided on a lower dose, but I upped it due to it not being helpful. I will be upping it again, and hopefully, it helps... It's a good medication if the right dose."

• Cru...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2022

Buspirone for Anxiety "I was on this medication for 4 weeks. I took 7.5 mg x2 daily the first 2 weeks, then 7.5 mg x 3 daily for the last 2 weeks. The first week on this was BRUTAL. Highly increased anxiety, headaches, lightheadedness, and a general feeling of being 'off.' The side effects did get better, but the medicine just never took hold and worked at all for me. Didn’t put a dent in my anxiety. Doctor prescribed me an actual SSRI."