Buspirone and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2025

Buspirone for Anxiety "Started at 5 mg for 10 days and then 10 mg for 12 days. The whole time I was on it, I felt quite ill. Nervousness, anxiety, and depression became worse, and I did not have one good moment. I couldn’t handle the side effects, and today I decided to stop cold turkey. So for me, it made me feel worse."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2025

Buspirone for Anxiety "Started at 5 mg for 10 days and then 10 mg for 12 days. The whole time I was on it, I felt quite ill. Nervousness, anxiety, and depression became worse, and I did not have one good moment. I couldn’t handle the side effects, and today I decided to stop cold turkey. So for me, it made me feel worse."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2023

For Anxiety "For me, buspirone made my heart pound so much, it felt like my anxiety was worse. It didn't help. Once I went off of it, I started feeling better."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2023

For Anxiety "This medicine caused me to have tremors, increased anxiety, insomnia, and worsening depression with suicidal ideation. Never. Freaking. Again."

• Sab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2023

For Panic Disorder "Absolutely horrible!! Only took this for 4 days, and I’m immediately stopping it. I was only prescribed 5 mg too. The first 2 days I didn’t feel anything, but the next days I felt horrible around 15 min after taking it. I felt extremely disassociated, stressed, and sad out of the blue. It led me to have an anxiety attack, which is crazy because it’s supposed to help with anxiety. I personally would not recommend this and would never take it ever again. I felt horrible, and I’m glad I’m finally feeling myself since I stopped it."

• afr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2023

Buspirone for Anxiety "Had a really bad existential crisis that led to a severe panic attack and landed me in the hospital. I was prescribed 15 mg daily of BuSpar. Upon leaving the hospital before taking my first dose, the panic had subsided already, and I felt perfectly fine but decided I should take the medication anyhow to prevent another attack. This made my anxiety fifty times worse. I would wake up five times a night in absolute panic, I couldn't leave the house at all for three weeks. It sent my mind into a spiral of overthinking, which caused crazy anxiety and depersonalization. I would finally calm myself down only to be unable to remember what I thought to calm myself down and re-panic. I legit felt like I was losing my mind. If you want to know what hell feels like, then take buspirone."

• nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2022

Buspirone for Anxiety "Second time trying BuSpar and it's still awful. My doctor is convinced I didn't give it a fair shot. This doctor didn't listen to what I said happened, only assumed. So here I am again, taking it 10 days straight and am having awful attacks. Taking one 15 mg tab every night before bed, still I couldn't fall asleep, it wired me. I am just stuck awake with worse anxiety than ever. I was told it 'would help with panic attacks, anxiety, and my sleep issues.' Instead, this makes my head feel like a balloon and makes my thoughts go into overload, resulting in more anxiety and panic attacks. I can't believe my doctor would make me try this crud again. I have called them explaining it's making me feel worse, and they say, 'got to give it time.' I just told them, look, I'm done. 10 days and previous trial. I don't want nasty side effects. You said call if I have issues, I did. I need a med that relieves panic attacks, not one increasing them!?' I'm going to find a real doctor or go to Mexico."

• BuS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2022

For Anxiety "I started taking buspirone for anxiety, and within a few days, started experiencing worse anxiety attacks, dark existential thoughts, and feelings of impending doom. I genuinely felt that the world was ending, and intrusive thoughts about death took over my mind. I would cry for hours, have panic attacks, and would wake up multiple times a night in extreme panic and fear. I stopped taking buspirone after a week and started taking lamotrigine. These feelings went away about three weeks after discontinuing the medicine. It has been two years since, and I have continued to have less anxiety with lamotrigine. However, I still fear that I will have the same awful experience when I take any new medications. I know lots of people have positive experiences on the medicine, so this review is not meant to scare you, but rather to share my experience with those who felt similarly on this medicine."

• BuS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2022

For Anxiety "I started taking buspirone for anxiety, and within a few days, started experiencing worse anxiety attacks, dark existential thoughts, and feelings of impending doom. I genuinely felt that the world was ending, and intrusive thoughts about death took over my mind. I would cry for hours, have panic attacks, and would wake up multiple times a night in extreme panic and fear. I stopped taking buspirone after a week and started taking lamotrigine. These feelings went away about three weeks after discontinuing the medicine. It has been two years since, and I have continued to have less anxiety with lamotrigine. However, I still fear that I will have the same awful experience when I take any new medications. I know lots of people have positive experiences on the medicine, so this review is not meant to scare you, but rather to share my experience with those who felt similarly on this medicine."

• Uni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2022

Buspirone for Panic Disorder "I really wanted to like BuSpar, but unfortunately, both times I tried it, it sent my resting heart rate through the roof, 120s and 130s. It only intensified my anxiety and made me sweat a lot. I understand how these medications work and how they take time, but for me personally, BuSpar is not a good fit. I gave it a trial each time at only 2.5 mg twice a day, only half the recommended dose. I'm happy it has helped others, but this medication is not for me."

• Pat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2022

For Anxiety "Took a half pill of the lowest dose and had the worst side effects ever. It caused brain zaps, and it messed up my mood. I had increased anxiety, and I was just angry about everything. Then I got itchy, prickly skin, which has not gone away. I would use this medicine as a last resort. I do know people that have taken it, and it has helped."

• 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."

• Gai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2022

For Anxiety "I know some meds are not for everyone, but this medication made me feel insane in a way no others have before. It made me feel completely on edge at all times, along with restlessness, anxiety, hopelessness, crying spells, fear of outside, light, and being alone, disassociation, and constant fear. I can't believe a medication can make you feel this way. I just wanted to post my review in case others are going through what I went through-that you need to get off the meds and give it time, unfortunately. I truly felt like I was going insane and went to the ER, my PCP, and psychiatrist, and all of them were surprised that buspirone could cause this, but it was buspirone. So if you are going through getting off this med, just know that you will be okay and that you will not feel this way forever, and it just needs to work its way out of your system. Be careful and don't lose hope."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2021

Buspirone for Anxiety "This medication was a total nightmare for me. I went from having generalized anxiety to, after taking it for about a week, having MAJOR panic and anxiety 24/7, sleeplessness, moodiness - it was terrible. I had to stop taking it after 2 weeks. While I don’t doubt at all that it does work for some (I read these reviews and remained cautiously optimistic) - it DID NOT work for me. Just goes to show how unique and different brain chemistry is for people."

• 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."

• Lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2021

Buspirone for Anxiety "I was prescribed this drug to help my anxiety through a job change. DO NOT take this drug! It doubled my anxiety, insomnia to the point that I hadn't slept in 3 nights, caused jerking motions that would wake me up when I did actually fall asleep, nauseous, absolutely no appetite, feelings of complete depression and hopelessness."

• DJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

Buspirone for Anxiety "Started on BuSpar, I think 15 mg daily (7.5 mg twice daily) in April and had some general side effects with increased anxiety plus nausea. My doctor upped the dose to 3 a day, and that lasted a week. My anxiety went through the roof, so he decreased the dose back down, but I've weaned it further to half a 7.5 mg tab twice a day and will begin coming completely off soon. Since beginning in April (it's now July), I have a marked increase in anxiety, irritability, and perpetual nausea. If you are new and looking to try something new, don't be afraid to try it. This is just my experience with it, there are plenty of others who have been helped by it. I have a prescription for a low dose of clonazepam (Klonopin) that I take sparingly as needed and works for me. I tried BuSpar because doctors are getting skittish about prescribing things like Klonopin and was hoping to find something that would help."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Fru...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2021

For Panic Disorder "Was given this to try, despite voicing that I didn’t do well with antihistamines. Gave it a try and had the worst reaction of anything I’ve tried. Sweating, warm body flushes, itchy head, racing heart, paranoia, anxiety, and a nightmare. NP said it would only cause dizziness, but as you can tell by the low rating, that’s not the only side effect. Really bummed this didn’t work, but I know that everyone is different. I was told to take 5 mg 2x a day but only took it 1 time and then threw it away. Not for me!"