Buspirone and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

• kni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2013

Buspirone for Anxiety "BuSpar was okay at first. I felt more relaxed and less tense. But I've had high blood pressure and headaches almost every day on this. The doctor is taking me off and going to try something else."

• Cat...
• July 20, 2017

For Anxiety "I've been on buspirone for many years. I also take lamotrigine (Lamictil). I have less anxiety but a lot of social anxiety still. What I didn't connect, until reading a lot of fellow buspirone takers here, is that the faintness I get (feeling like I'll pass out if I don't sit) and also about every 3 months I get the dizziness. Sometimes when I lay down in bed, the ceiling looks like it's spinning wildly. I always have to bring snacks with me everywhere for those times of faintness. I thought they were just how I am normally. I'll have to check with my doctor. I'd have thought she'd have brought that up before :( I don't remember if I had the other symptoms some here mentioned, with the headaches and nausea. Too long ago."

• Ale...
• September 28, 2016

For Anxiety "I took buspirone for three weeks. I quit taking it because the side effects were too much. After I got off it, I had nonstop headaches for two weeks and still going. I have never had these headaches before in my life until I stopped taking this medication. I was so worried that I got a CT scan just to make sure I was fine. The doctor told me everything checked out, but the headaches are still coming."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2016

For Anxiety "My experience with buspirone is that it gave me horrible headaches, but on the occasions I don't get a headache, I REALLY like the way buspirone makes me feel - chill. I was on Zoloft and Lexapro, and all those did for me was make me nauseated. With buspirone, I would break the tablet into .5 and sometimes go up to 15, even with food and water intake. Anyone else who's had this experience with buspirone, please share your story, whether it's similar or different - would love the feedback. And anyone with the same headache side effects, how do you go about treating that? Also, if you've had success with taking buspirone and Xanax together or within the same day, please advise. Xo"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2016

For Anxiety "My experience with buspirone is that it gave me horrible headaches, but on the occasions I don't get a headache, I REALLY like the way buspirone makes me feel - chill. I was on Zoloft and Lexapro, and all those did for me was make me nauseated. With buspirone, I would break the tablet into .5 and sometimes go up to 15, even with food and water intake. Anyone else who's had this experience with buspirone, please share your story, whether it's similar or different - would love the feedback. And anyone with the same headache side effects, how do you go about treating that? Also, if you've had success with taking buspirone and Xanax together or within the same day, please advise. Xo"

• kni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2013

For Anxiety "Worked well for anxiety but got brain zaps and near-constant headaches on 10 mg/3x day. Didn't realize how well it worked for physical symptoms of anxiety until I started weaning to try a different medicine. Now that I stopped, tight chest, racing heart, and sweating are all back. Don't want to leave the house, very irritable. Doc is switching me to doxepin."

• Dut...
• July 27, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "I have used BuSpar, on and off for 8 or more years. I take 15 mgs per day, and it works for me. I would describe its action as mildly sedative. I still take Ativan if things go south. Side effects are slight weight gain, occasional headaches, and some eye twitching."

• 890...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2016

Buspirone for Anxiety "I initially was prescribed this a few months ago at 10 mg 3xd, but it made me headachy and almost made my anxiety worse, so I quit taking it. I cannot take benzos, and recently am having more problems with anxiety, so I'm trying it at 5 mg 3xd. Now I see what others have been talking positively about. It's very subtle, but apparently I was just taking too much for my system before. So far, so good."

• pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2016

For Anxiety "I take this for anxiety, it seems like it calms. Hard to tell. I had to switch the dosage. In the beginning, taking 10 mg was too much, and it gave me a headache, so the doc said to break it in half and take it twice a day. The problem with that is it's hard to tell now if it's working, and I sometimes forget to take the other half. When I would take the whole 10 mg, I could tell the difference within a few minutes. Maybe I will try to take a 10 mg again to see if I still get the headache since it's been over a month now. *sighs* Finding the right medication is not easy!"

• Jes...
• March 18, 2016

Buspirone for Anxiety "I suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This medicine has proven to be a great alternative over a benzo. Being non-habit-forming is the best part. I do get headaches and fatigue, but it is better than the side effects associated with benzo. I recommend this to anyone looking for a non-addictive alternative to Xanax."

• fin...
• September 30, 2012

For Anxiety "Well, I've been having severe anxiety attacks. Certain noises, arguments, and even scary scenes in movies would bring these on. I started taking buspirone about 3 days ago. I have had some side effects such as fatigue, headaches, and belly aches, but I have noticed my anxiety level has lowered so much! I don't really feel nervous or have worried thoughts. So I am thankful for that. My doctor told me that it would take about 2-3 weeks to get into my system and for my body to recognize it. So I have hope! I will let you guys know how it goes!"

• red...
• September 23, 2011

Buspirone for Anxiety "I've been taking BuSpar for about a week and a half now and haven't really seen any dramatic results so far. I started out taking a 15 mg pill in the morning and a 15 mg pill in the evening, being a total of 30 mg total. This gave me awful headaches, and I started experiencing lightheadedness. I bumped my dosage down to half of that now and am currently feeling better when it comes to the side effects. Hopefully, by the 3rd or 4th week, I will get the full effect from this medicine."

• Coz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2024

For Anxiety "I have been taking buspirone for 2 weeks tomorrow. At first, I felt a slight feeling of relief and something equivalent to a benzo. My anxiety is terrible, and I've been having panic attacks. I could go through the trouble of explaining how my anxiety is, but just trust me, it's debilitating. I've had depression/anxiety since high school and used to buy Xanax to cope. It wasn't until after my stint with Clonazepam that I've been waiting for a drug like Buspirone. I am a schizoaffective/GAD/PTSD person, and I can tell you that Buspirone is worth a try. I've had a headache from this medication, but every time I take the medication (still not fully kicked in), I can do more and more. Hopefully, in the upcoming weeks, I experience more of what others have described."

• van...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 29, 2023

For Anxiety "Buspirone helps with my GAD. I've not had any side effects but headaches in the late afternoon. I've taken it with Quetiapine (for bipolar 2) for over a year. My NP added Vilazodone recently, and the headaches have become more frequent, but still manageable. I have noticed I'm anxious the first few hours of the day, but it subsides fairly quickly. It is the most expensive med I take, $20 for 90 days I think. Overall, buspirone is a good anxiolytic."

• Sou...
• December 26, 2019

For Anxiety "I've been taking buspirone for over a year and a half. The first 6 weeks were a nightmare. I was going to quit taking them many times. But I invested so much time on the side effects that I stuck through it. I got constant headaches, nauseous, confusion. I had night terrors. But I stuck through it. I had severe anxiety and panic attacks. But I'd have to say it was worth it. I still get anxiety, but not as much. I can go to work now, and I go to therapy. It's not a miracle drug. But it does help a lot. I'm glad I didn't stop taking it. I started off with 15 mg a day. But now I take 30 mg a day. One in the am and one at night. I do get dizzy and nauseous still after I take them sometimes. So I lay down after I take them, and after an hour, I'm fine. I get little confusion every now and then. My advice is stick it out for a while, and hopefully it helps you like it helped me."

• 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."

• Bin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2017

For Anxiety "Only been on it for about a month, but so far, it's really helped. Had me on Paxil as well at first, and I hated how I felt on that - lots of headaches and sweating. Doing much better on the Buspar alone."

• Win...
• December 19, 2016

For Anxiety "I started buspirone last week. Prescribed to take one 7.5 mg twice a day. I'm not big on pill taking, so with my doctor's consent, have only taken them when needed. The first day was... a unique one. I was extremely lightheaded and dizzy, as if the entire room was spinning, but at the same time, I had this unbelievable sense of relief from my anxiety. There are no words for the sense of relief and calm that I felt. With each day I've taken them, the dizzy spells have gotten weaker and weaker. I do have a dull headache afterward, but it passes with time and Tylenol. I'm hoping that goes away as well. But if I have to choose between minor dizziness and a slight headache over the chest-pounding, agonizingly severe panic attack... I choose the buspirone."

• Rec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 20, 2016

For Anxiety "Like you, I came to this website in a desperate attempt to find any medication that would help alleviate the mental and physical pain that I was experiencing. I have tried a couple of different SSRI medications in the past at different times but eventually discontinued them after a couple of months due to their limited effectiveness in reducing my anxiety and the side effects they caused (headache, sense of detachment, inability to gain an erection or orgasm, nausea). Buspirone has been very helpful at reducing my anxiety and improving my quality of life. I am currently in week 5 of my treatment of 22.5 mg per day. I take 7.5 mg at 8:00, 12:30, and 5:00. The only side effect that I experience is dizziness 15 minutes after taking."

• jk ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2016

For Anxiety "Been on Buspar for the last week... started with 5 mg in the evening for a few days and now 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg in the evening. There were initial side effects such as dizziness, headaches, and dry mouth... but they are going down every day. I would say this medication is helping me already... feeling less anxious. Even now sitting and watching a game with 50 people in a bar :). That has never happened before. I am feeling more productive, but I have to give it a few weeks before calling it a success... will update in 2... 3 weeks..."

• ora...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2015

Buspirone for Anxiety "I was prescribed BuSpar a few months ago after consistent failures with various benzos. I took 10mg x day for a while and felt nothing, went up to 20mg x day and kind of felt something, and basically I am now on 40mg x day and I can finally feel it working. It has helped significantly with my anxiety and has relieved the sexual side effects from Prozac. I take my second dose of the day at night with my Trazodone, and it has completely eradicated my fluctuating tolerance issues with the Trazodone. I never got the brain zaps, but I occasionally get long-lasting headaches, bouts of anger, and fairly awful nightmares. Other than that, it has helped with my GAD quite a bit and is generally more helpful than not."

• Lis...
• April 1, 2013

For Anxiety "The first few days of taking buspirone, I experienced an increase in irritability and anger. I've been on it for about 2 months now at a steady 10 mg twice a day, and it definitely takes the edge off. The first few weeks on this dosage, I wasn't having panic attacks, I was more laid back about things, but now I feel like either my anxiety is growing or my body has become used to it, and it's not working as much as I'd like. I'm noticing the irritability again. I've had headaches every day. The dizziness shortly after taking the medicine doesn't bother me, it goes away after a few minutes. And I like that I feel functional and not like a robot. It definitely works, but maybe I need a higher dose."

• Anonymous
• November 27, 2011

Buspirone for Anxiety "I've been on BuSpar for about 6 weeks. At first, I had headaches that turned into migraines. After taking 15 mg in the AM, 15 in the PM as prescribed, I no longer have experienced anxiety attacks and handle stress much better."

• Gol...
• October 21, 2011

For Anxiety "I started buspirone two days ago. I have diagnosed social anxiety, and I think I have GAD as well. I felt a difference right away, and a positive one. It's like I had my hand in an electric socket and was able to let go. Like sitting still in an old car with a running motor and being able to finally switch off the engine. The constant fear, worry, and stress are very much reduced. The side effects I have are nausea, dizziness, and a mild headache. They start 10 minutes after you take the pill and go on for about an hour. Not sure if they are permanent or not. But for now, I really feel I need buspirone to get a grip over my anxiety. I am not any more terrified of my boss at work or feel general dread!"

• Med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2023

For Anxiety "I'm going through a rough patch that has caused me crippling anxiety. Talked to a psych, and they recommended buspirone. It has helped tremendously. I was waking up daily after an awful night's sleep with crazy anxiety about what the day would bring. It has stopped the racing thoughts and just generally calmed me down, improved my sleep, and enabled me to focus at work. I had to play around with the dosing a little bit. I started at 5 mg twice a day, then my doctor wanted me to move to 10 mg twice a day after 5 days. I found the jump-up in dose made me kind of lightheaded and detached, so I'm currently taking 5 mg three times a day. Have not noticed any side effects besides maybe a minor headache when first starting out. I noticed some benefits within a few days, but it took about 1.5 weeks for me to notice the full effect. Overall, highly recommended, and it's worth a try if you have anxiety."