| Key to ratings for buspar: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken and Dosage | Date Added | |
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| 4 | Anxiety | This is a great drug for anxiety. It has definately taken the edge off and I'm much more calm. No panic attacks at all here! I do experience ringing in my ears sometimes as well as brain zaps but it hasen't been so bad that I felt I needed to discontinue use. I noticed many of the negative feedback comments are coming from people that only took it for a few days or weeks and at very low doses. You have to be patient and give it about a month to start working for you. Also, you have to work your way up to 40-60mg per day which is the minimum effective dose. | M | 37 | 3 months 20 2X D | 8/23/2010 | 3 | Anxiety | Dizziness 15 minutes after taking it. Some fatigue and not sure if some depression. Helped with anxiety. | This has helped me with some side effects. My doctor started me off VERY slowly since I am extremley sensistive to meds and was petrified to take this, but my anxiety had rocketed out of control. He started me on 2.5 mg per day, working up to current 15mg. I can't take all 15mg at once, so I take 5 mg. when I start breakfast, 5mg. when I'm done with breakfast and 5mg. at lunch. My doc advised me not to take it too late in the day since, for me, it got me sort of "revved up" and it was hard for me to sleep. I still don't sleep very well, but I have noticed this has taken me back to my "normal anxious" self. I'll never be a laid back person, but this has allowed me to feel more like myself. Perimenopause has really affected me in so many ways, and one of them was having my anxiety go off the charts. I have noticed some weight gain, but not sure if this is due to Buspar or menopause. On occassion I take a half a Xanax if my anxiety is really off the charts. Nothing is as effective for me as Xanax, but I'm very wary of being on that for any extended period of time. Was on Xanax when this all started for about a month and was getting rebound anxiety. None of my docs are fans of Xanax except for true situational reasons for very, very short periods of time. | F | 50 | 365 days 5mg 3X D | 8/21/2010 | 5 | GAD | weird numb/electric feeling in face, lips and hands at first and sometimes now if I somehow double my dose- this feeling was helped by breaking the doses up. Headache and some blurry vision at first and sometimes when I forget a dose. | Helps my GAD immensely. Can't say enough good things. Just woke up in the middle of the night with that "pit of stomach" fear feeling that I get- took 5mg and am now feeling quite sane and unafraid. Even after all this time I'm amazed at how this med takes the edge off. Not in a bennie type of way where I feel major relaxation, tired, spacey, etc- just takes that pit of stomach feeling away. The bennies give me a hangover feeling- this doesn't. I really don't think that this drug is for people that have panic attacks though. Seems to work best for those of us that are just plain, non-stop worriers. It's no cure but it DEFINITELY has helped me with the worry and fear. I do break it up though- no more than 7.5 mg at a time -because I get sides effects if too much at once. For those only on it a month or so- give it more time. However, if you have panic I really don't know if it will help you much. | F | 48 | 5 years 5mg 4X D | 8/18/2010 | 5 | GAD, ADD, BPD | slight cough, enhanced sense of taste (not necessarily a bad side effect!) | This drug has given me so much relief! I have 2x in my life been prescribed other medications - Serzone (1 year), Mirtazapine (1 year). I found very little effect or relief from those - probably because I don't think I suffer from depression at all. With my own research, and MD/therapy help, I pretty much have concluded that I have GAD and ADD, and at stressful times in my life, a version of boderline personality disorder. Buspar has changed so much of that for me. I have calm thoughts, slower and clearer, no crazy or angry or fly off the handle reactions. I rarely worry anymore, or get obsessive in my thinking. My problems in my life have not been seriously debilitating - but over the long term they have been keeping me from being my best self. I hate to admit that a drug could get me back to feeling more like my real self - but Buspar seems to be doing that. It really has taken the edge off, and I feel like I can navigate through life more confidently and with so much less stress. | F | 42 | 2 weeks 10 MG 2X D | 8/17/2010 | 5 | ANXIETY & PIT-IN-THE-STOMACH FEELIN | The first week was like I was getting the flu-type feeling. I think because the 10 mg 2 x a day, was too high to start out with. After one week it went away and I felt good. The dr. upped it to 15 mg. 2 x a day. But, I get too sleepy during the day. So, will ask the dr. if I can take the 30 mg before bed and 5 mg during the day to take the edge off. I also feel very sleepy for about 40 mins. to an hour after taking a 15 mg. dose. The only other thing for me, is a pressure headache if I am late taking a dose. One thing I'd like to say to anyone just starting...start slow and be patient. You get nothing for nothing. Things take time. I noticed too many newbies as they say, give up too quickly. And who ever thinks Buspar is a placebo, has got to be misinformed. By no means is this a sugar pill. It does work! | The pit-in-my-stomach is gone! I am more relaxed. My muscles are not tense or tight. When around people, I am much more relaxed and are able to listen, more than talk. Sleep use to be a big problem. I use to take all kinds of natural sleep-aids (valarian, L-Ornithine, L-theanine, etc.). Now, I take 6 mg. melatonin an hour before bed and 30 mg. Buspar at bedtime. I sleep like a baby. That is amazing for me! My doctor says I need to take Buspar the rest of my life. I'd like to know from others, how they are doing after taking it for years. My husband says he doesn't see any difference in me. However, it's the difference I feel inside that counts. When watching suspense movies, I still get sweaty palms and on the edge of my seat feelings...but that's why they made the movie. I try to avoid anything on TV that will make me anxious or upset. Every day I walk for 30 minutes, take my nutrients and drink plenty of water. I feel the Buspar has helped my anxiety and the pit-in-the stomach feeling. I am grateful to the inventor. | F | 58 | 4 months 30 mg 1X D | 8/13/2010 | 2 | Depression / Anxiety | Severe nausea / increase in side effects of Wellbutrin | Was an add on to 300mg Wellbutrin and it was a replacement for 45mg Mirtazapine. First week was ok, slight nausea a lot and infrequent waves of extreme nausea, then the last 3 weeks before stopping constant extreme, then the last 3 days thought I was going to die from it, couldn't eat, sleep or do anything...felt like my insides were going to explode. Stopped taking it 3 days ago and this morning was the first time I only felt a little sick. Doc gave me Ativan to take to help with the anxiety and the withdrawal symptoms from the Buspar - tremors, electric shock feeling, headache, teeth grinding, nervousness etc. The risk of adding this to the Wellbutrin was that it could intensify and possibly bring out side effects of the Wellbutrin..it lived up to it's word. I do have to say it did help a moderate amount with the anxiety up until the last 3 weeks of it, however the bad outweighed the good in my case. Why did I stay on it even though it made me that sick?...tomorrow was always another day and I remained hopeful that in the morning I would wake up feeling better. I'd recommend trying it, but if the nausea starts to get worse instead of better...don't hope for the best - try something else. | M | 40 | 2 months 15 1X D | 8/12/2010 | 1 | anxiety | Sweating that was not normal! | I stop taking it cold turkey because I was only on them for 7 days. I am experiencing sweating and my cheats and clothes are drenched and I also feel tired. How long does this last for? | F | 24 | 7 days 30 1X D | 8/11/2010 | 4 | Anxiety | brain zaps, dizziness i was originally on 15mg twice a day but got really dizziness and went down to 7.5mg twice a day which helps alot. I still get a little brain zap but that is it since i switched to a lower dose | This drug takes about one month to really get the full effects from it.. it has helped my anxiety and allows me to have emotions rather than be so up in the air from anxiety.. and a bonus no sexual side effects. I finally can sleep at night with very vivid dreams.. I also take .25mg Klonipin when i go to sleep to help with waking up and having axiety in the middle of the night..I finally feel like a functional person.. Give this med a chance.. Just go on a low dose if you have extreme dizziness.. 7.5mg twice a day It is working for me | F | 35 | 1 months 7.5mg 2X D | 8/8/2010 | 4 | Anxiety (Bipolar NOS) | Dreams, not scary ones, just plain dreams. Have to be very regular with the time, because otherwise the anxiety seeps in. I started taking this drug when after a car accident I became phobic of driving. This drug didn't reverse that phobia and I'm still unable to drive, the only reason I'm still taking it is because it does make me feel less anxious generally. I'm on 400 mg of Lamictal, 20 mg of abilify, 30 mg Buspar, and 300 mg of Seroquel XR. You can read my blog where I update my experience with drugs and manic depression... | http://anambivalentlife.blogspot.com/ | M | 35 | 3 months 15 mg 2X D | 7/29/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Took the drug and shortly thereafter, began experiencing muscle twitching, especially in face- very unpleasant feeling, that worsened my anxiety! I've never had reactions to any medications before, and this is the only one I had a reaction to. | F | 23 | 1 days 1X D | 7/11/2010 | 2 | Anxiety | mood swings, irritability, suicidal thoughts, depression, insomnia, headaches, severe dizziness 1 to 1.5 hours after taking... | I posted the rating that's 2 down. I had to get off of Buspar because of the crappy side effects. I just couldn't handle it anymore. I woke up one morning with severe depression and suicidal thoughts. I immediately went to the doctor. I wish Buspar would have worked for me, but oh well...on to the next one. My doctor prescribed me Vistaril. So far, it is actually working GREAT! It makes me a little sleepy, but nothing that I can't handle. I've had NO anxiety since I've been on it. Yay! | F | 24 | 2 weeks 15 2X D | 7/5/2010 | 3 | Anxiety, OCD | Bloated (water retention) as well as weight gain, but I started at 45mg. I felt a LOT better, and I've tried at least 5 SSRIs and SNRIs, but this worked great. After several weeks I caught myself just bobbing my head a little. I read that you can develop pseudo-parkinsons. After reading this I abruptly stopped treatment. I am back to normal now. Also, I have had sexual problems ever since stopping Prozac 3 years ago. Bu spar helped in this respect too. This is definitely worth a try. Maybe finding the right dose would have worked? | M | 24 | 2 months 45 1X D | 6/24/2010 | 3 | Anxiety | dizziness an hour after taking and slight headache | I am actually starting to see a slight improvement. I noticed at work that I was more comfortable speaking with my co-workers. I have been working at my job for 3 years, and I have always been very nervous talking to my co-workers...like I would turn red during very simple, casual conversation. After going through that for 3 years, it feels pretty amazing to feel that little difference. I am still experiencing some anxiety, but it seems like it is getting a bit better. Hopefully, this drug will just keep helping me more and more! I want this anxiety to completely go away! | F | 24 | 8 days 15 2X D | 6/23/2010 History | 3 | Anxiety | Dizziness, Increased Bowel movements, naseau, stomach aches | Ite helped to take the edge off of my frequesnt anxiety attacks until today...I have had my first anxiety attack while on the medication. I have experienced 1 since I started taking it and I usually attackes once a day. Now I had to take an Ativan today. The Combination is making me exhausted. I think I will to increase the dosage or milligrams or change to something else. Right now my Dr. and I are in a trial and error to see what works best. | F | 29 | 4 weeks 5mg 2X D | 6/22/2010 | 4 | depression, mild alcoholism | Dizziness for about one hour, restless leg syndrome, | This drug has worked much better for me than several SSRIs I have tried (Prozaz, Zoloft, Lexapro). I have more energy and feel much calmer. I do not have the urge to drink or eat compulsively at all. When the thoughts occur, I truly do not want to drink or eat and can go on about my evening doing healthy things like watching a movie, reading, house work without obsessing. I have had no luck with SSRIs, although I would say they improve my mood, the side effects are not tolerable, such as extreme fatigue, indifference, and sexual dysfunction, and none of them helped with the addictions. I'm happy and calm after some seriously stressful events (divorce, raising a child alone on a very limited income). I know I will be okay and can raise my child the way I would like and not by just getting by emotionally. I'm able to see a person in me that I have always hoped was there :) | F | 43 | 5 weeks 7.5 mg 2X D | 6/7/2010 | 5 | Anxiety | This drug completely helped me. I was at the point where I couldn't concentrate. I had no self esteem. I was crying all the time. Within one week of taking this medicine I was much better. I also take Wellbutrin and Topamax (the generics of both) for depression and this medicine has helped me immensely. I was taking Xanax before this but it made me so tired that I would fall asleep at my desk for a half hour after taking my second dosage that I had to switch to something else. At first I did have trouble staying asleep but now I am sleeping through the night. I do hope others can benefit from it like I have. Good luck to all. | F | 47 | 30 days 10 MG 2X D | 6/2/2010 | 5 | Anxiety | Constipation, bloating, diarrhea, wake up really early even with Trazodone | I find that this medication helps A LOT! I have only been taking it for 5 days and I already notice the difference. I felt the difference after the first day of taking it. Currently I am also taking Cymbalta (60 mg/day), Neurontin (900 mg/day), and Trazodone (150 mg/day). I was heavily addicted to Xanax (10-30 mg/day) so my psychiatrist did not want to give me any benzos, of course. I don't even want to take the benzos because they caused my anxiety to get out of control where I became agoraphobic. Taking just the three mentioned above helps with my depression and anxiety but not enough. Now I want to get things accomplished, have no fear of talking on the phone or going out places, asking questions, being straightforward, etc. I think I may have finally found the right combination to help me. | F | 24 | 5 days 2.5 mg 2X D | 5/26/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | I took this medication 1 time. I will never take it again. | I took this medication one time as prescribed. Thirty minutes after I took it, I felt my face having numbness all over it. I became very sick to my stomach, then dizzy, then a seizure was brought on... a very strong on. I was rushed to the hospital with a grand mal. The dr. in the ER said he has seen this happen with Buspar many times as Buspar lowers the seizure threshold. I will not be taking Buspar again. | F | 39 | 1 days 30 mg 1X D | 5/20/2010 | 4 | ptsd, gad with other symptoms | At 1st occasional sypmtoms were headache, dizzy, irritable, insomnia. None now | I felt terrible the first cpl days but I notice now I don't avoid places or activities, no butterflies, no stomach issues, no heart racing.not craving a xanax anymore to take the edge off.also no sexual side effects!!(Yay).. So far its working! May need to experiment with uping it soon only if down the road I see I may want to maybe to 15mg 3xs a day. | F | 37 | 6 days 10 3X D | 5/17/2010 | 1 | for severe anxiety | Slightly increased hunger and dizziness half hour after taking. | This drug caused increased anxiety in the beginning. After that, this drug was no better than a placebo. It did very little to control my obsessive thoughts and my heart palpitations. I took this drug along with wellbutrin 150 mg and klonopin mg. I am now stopping buspar and starting pristiq. I am kind of bummed that this drug did not work for me because I did not have any weight gain like I do with ssri's. I am now stopping buspar and starting on Pristiq. | F | 41 | 5 months 60 mg 3X D | 5/10/2010 | 5 | Severe Anxiety | Fogginess and lightheadedness, heavy legs, muscle spasms | I found that taking with meals reduced side effects and prefer this drug over traditional anti-depressants. | F | 34 | 3 months 10 mg 3X D | 5/7/2010 | 1 | PTSD related Extreme Anxiety/Panic | slight dizziness about a half hour after taking it for about 5 mins. | Buspar is just somthing to give people to shut them up and get them out of the office without giving them a benzodiazipine, sure Benzos addictive and possibly dangerous, but so are things you can buy in any gas station called cigarettes and alcohol. Buspar does not work for me, most likely because I have an actuall anxiety disorder and I'm not merely stressed out from a relationship or from finances or school. If you're stressed and need the idea of somthing to take your mind off your troubles take Buspar, it's a great placebo, but if you have earth shattering panic attacks don't waste your time. Sure Benzos are addictive, but only if they're abused legally or taken as a recreational drug. doses of less than 2mg a day will be matabolized by your liver before it becomes a problem. Living with Anxiety and Panic is not worth playing games with placebos just to make a doctor feel better about it's self. | M | 35 | 8 months 10 2X D | 4/25/2010 | 4 | Anxiety and Bruxism/TMJ | Flatulence at first, along with subtle diarrhea, but not entirely sure it is related. Same as others: dizziness and "heavy legs"...a bit disoriented for first hour after taking. Has been getting better as my body becomes accustomed to the drug. | This drug has helped with some of the tension I experience as a result of bruxing and clenching, all related to anxiety. It is a nice replacement to the typical benzo's, which I swore never to go on again. Those things are dangerous. I would highly recommend anyone suffering from mild to moderate anxiety to experiment with Buspar. | F | 28 | 30 days 15MG 1X D | 4/23/2010 | 3 | GAD | I just started taking buspar today i had taken it as a child to help me sleep. But over the last 5 yrs since my divorce i seem to have lost my self confidence and self esteem i worry over everything and constantly feel like people all looking at me I have anxiety to the point i avoid people and places and lose sleep. I see a counselor once a week and take xanax i want to stop taking the xanax, the dr started me on buspar so i started taking it today will let u know how it goes | M | 28 | 1 days 7.5 2X D | 4/23/2010 | 3 | anxiety | dizziness,light headedness,headaches,tiredness, | helps with residual anxiety when taken with an antidepressant | M | 38 | 1 years 5mg 3X D | 4/20/2010 | 3 | anxiety and treatment resistant dep | first time i tried it, i developed a swollen eyelid and rashes under my arm. both my pcp and dermatologist said it wasn't related, but i got off of it anyway. started it again a few days ago and sure enough, my right eyelid swelled again. so no more buspar for me. very disappointing because it was helpful as an adjunct to fluoxetine. but can't walk around with an eye that hurts badly. my psychiatrist says nothing else for me to try. i've been through the gamut. talk about depressing! | F | 58 | up to 15mg 1X D | 4/18/2010 | 4 | Anxiety | Farting more often, dizziness withing first hour, feel like I drank a few glasses of wine--then it stops | F | 39 | 4 days 15 1X D | 4/15/2010 | 4 | GAD | Slight dizziness one hour after taking. | Suffering from extreme anxiety, fear, worry, feeling of doom and anger. Also extreme malaise, foggy thinking and fatigue. Was taking St Johns wort for years, but quality was inconsistent. Buspar works in a subtle manner, not a sedative but makes me feel "normal" creative and productive. It removed all those negative and destructive symptoms I mentioned. Also makes me feel more social. I noticed it's effects after 3 days and look forward to increasing the dose and seeing how it works over time. Give it a chance. I don't however think this drug is for extreme cases. God Bless. | M | 59 | 14 days 5 mg 3X D | 4/13/2010 | 4 | GAD | Dizziness/Fogginess | I noticed dizziness/fogginess for the first hour or so after taking a dose with food and only for the first week of starting the prescription. I am now taking the medicine at a time other than mealtime and I believe the side effect has lessened as a result. I began taking this medication to stop an eye twitch that I developed three months ago. At eleven days, I still have the twitch but to a much lessor degree and I feel much more even keel than I have in quite some time. Additionally, for any one who has taken a psychotropic drug in the past, I have NOT had a decrease in my libido! I think this medication has been a good choice for me. | F | 37 | 11 days 5 MG 3X D | 4/12/2010 | 4 | Anxiety | Slight headache, dizziness | I have always been a worrier but as I got older and life got more stressful, my anxiety got worse and it came to a head 2 years ago. My stress was affecting my health so badly that I really couldn’t even live a normal life. My Dr. wanted to put me on Buspar and told me it was safe but I fought it because I didn’t want to be on any medication. I refused to take it and then it just got so bad that I realized that I needed help so I gave it a shot. I decided to take it at night & after a couple weeks, it was almost like I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was finally feeling like my old self again. It didn’t take away my stress but now, I feel I can handle it better. Or I’m able to just shrug things off when before, no way. I’ve been taking it for 2 years now and I’ve looked at these years as a recovery period for me, like I’m trying to get my life back. When I take it at night, I wake up feeling happy and ready to start the day, like its a re-set button. There are some downsides; I’ve lost my sex drive. Like it’s non existent and my hubby doesn’t like that. I never cry…even when I think I should (ya know, during the sad animal commercials on TV or something), I try and cannot cry for the life of me! I may have gained a few lbs or so but that may not have anything to do w/ the meds since I fluctuate anyway. For the most part, I’m happy w/ it. I probably won’t take it forever but | F | 31 | 2 years 5 mg 1X D | 4/9/2010 | 1 | OCDchild,then pot,LSD=high anxiety | akathisia, tense throughout body, have to bounce legs, clench hands, punch walls. very intense and unpleasant dreams causing insomnia. very disturbing loss of memory. feeling of not being myself. | I'm very glad this med works so well for so many people on this site. I can also really empathize with those who have found it awful. Cliché: we all have different biochemisty. Very low doses of 5 mg seem to help somewhat lower my need for xanax, concern about which led me to try buspar. But even 10 mg buspar can trigger the above symptoms. | M | 63 | 4 months 5-30 mg 1X D | 4/6/2010 | 3 | GAD | I everyone, this site has been great! I have some questions... I have trouble sleeping at night since taking this medication. I used to take Valerian root, but was afraid to mix the two. Can I mix Valerian root with Buspar? How about 5-HTP with Buspar? Also, my doctor hasn't really prescribed Buspar as I was the one who asked for it. He says I should take 15mg once a day, but that seems strange since everyone seems to be taking a lower dose two or three times a day. I feel a bit "on edge" as though I've had a few cups of coffee. Does this feeling subside after awhile? I want to feel like my anxiety is going away, but for these first few days, I feel more anxious. Please let me know if this goes away after prolonged use. Thanks for your help! | F | 29 | 3 days 15 MG/day 1X D | 3/19/2010 | 4 | anxiety | little dizzy,tired | I take 5 mg at night only. I feel a little light headed but I then go to sleep so I wake up and feel fine. I used to feel sad at the drop of a hat. I now feel that my mood has evened out and that things don't upset me as much. I think the low doseage has helped a lot. If you are having trouble with this medicine maybe try taking it at night so the side effects are less noticeable. | F | 29 | 7 days 5 mg 1X D | 3/14/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Nausea, light headedness, loopy, dizzy, sick, the shakes, just in general feel off | I have been taking this medicine since Friday and I am so sick. Im light headed, dizzy and just feel ill in general. I skipped my dosage this morning because yesterday morning I had to leave work because I was feeling so bad and didnt want to have a repeat. I feel depressed and didnt have that issue before. I dont know whats worse the medicine or the anxiety. My dr did give me xanax for sudden panic attacks but now Im scared to take that as well because of how it may make me feel. I feel like I'm trapped with no way out. I feel like anxiety is controlling my life and theres no help available. I am scared to even try any other medicine. This is my first medicine but after this I am scared to take anything else. Waiting to call doctor. Someone please email me and tell me what helps any self helps tips anything. | F | 29 | 5 days 15 2X D | 3/9/2010 | 5 | anxiety | Light headedness at first but after about thirty days went away. No other | I have been on buspar and wellbutrin for about two years. Together they control the depression and severe panic attacks. I was able to quit smoking in the first thiry days and they helped to take off the edge. My boyfriend swears I am the happiest he has ever seen me, I love it | F | 31 | 7.5 mg 2X D | 3/3/2010 | 5 | Anxiety and depression | Dizziness immediately after taking | This pill has been an absolute miracle for me. I used to get anxiety so badly that I felt like I was having a heart attack: chest pain, "couldn't get a enough air", racing pulse, choking sensation. These symptoms have almost disappeared. I had used Xanax before and did not realize until I switched doctors that something like Buspar was available. It's changed my life, I recommend it highly! | F | 25 | 2.5 months 10 mg 2X D | 2/10/2010 | 4 | anxiety | none really. | this helps anxiety.....but does anyone else notice that it might make you a little more depressed? | F | 44 | 2 days 3X D | 2/7/2010 | 2 | anxiety , racing heart dizziness | Heart burn, which I have never experienced before and it is bad and there is still no relief from the fast fluttering in my chest. My doc would have preferred to give me a beta-blocker, but says he cannot becasue of me having asthma ( even though it is normally mild )However, early days yet.I am also on 30mg metazapine daily for depression and 7.5 mg Zopliclone at night. I asked my doctor if I could stop taking the metazapine but he strongly recommends not to. Any one else on this medication regime? Apart from taking the drugs and making myself manage to hold down a full time job is there anything else I can be doing to help myself ? | F | 50 | 3 days 5mg 3X D | 2/4/2010 | 5 | anxiety | I currently take 20 mg of Buspar twice daily. I like it that it lasts all day long. I have alot of anxiety during the early afternoon and at night so this really helps. I was told I am on a higher dose then normal but it works for me. I was taking Xanax but quit because its very addicting. I dont notice any side effects that are a bother to me. It also helps quickly. | F | 22 | 4 weeks | 2/3/2010 | 5 | GAD | Dizziness, weakness and increased appetite within 1/2 hour of taking it, but these side effects have diminished with time and I rarely notice them now. | Buspar has helped me a great deal but I have to take a very high does (90 mg/day). If you're experiencing side effects you might want to give it more time, as these have diminished in my case. | M | 44 | 1.5 years 45 mg 2X D | 2/3/2010 | 2 | Stomach Problems | Dizziness, Brain Zaps, Headaches, Lightheaded, Eye Irritations, Slight Nausea | I took 15mg of Buspar for one month and had to decrease the dosage by half because of unbearable dizziness and lightheaded feeling which could last between 4-5 hours. I have taken 7.5mg for the last 3 months with occasional dizziness. For the last month I have been getting brain zaps several times a day, headaches and eye irritations. I have never had any issues with my head before. I am not taking Buspar for anxiety so I can't say if it works for that but it has worked well for my stomach problems which is why I am on this medication. I have decided to wean myself off the medication because the headaches and brain zaps have become unbearable. | F | 28 | 4 months | 1/30/2010 | 1 | anxiety/OCD | Made my anxiety/OCD worse. Aggitated easily, headache, nervousness. | Made my anxiety/OCD worse. I noticed the stupidest little things that annoyed me and made my anxiety 10 times worse than it was before the medicine. It didn't improve anything. Changed to 20mg Celexa, much better. | F | 25 | 4 weeks | 1/26/2010 | 1 | Anxiety/Panic Attacks | Insomnia, nausea, increased nervousness, increased anxiety, brain "zaps", felt horrible and lousy for 45 minutes after taking. | I did not have a pleasant experience taking this drug. It made me feel worse and I had horribly scary, vivid nightmares where I would die by a horrible accident. This drug was not helpful at all so I talked to my doctor and she told me to stop taking it immediately. I must warn everyone, I would not recommend a complete cease of taking this drug...you MUST ween yourself off it by decreasing the dosage. I suffered severe withdrawal and went through hell for 48 hours. Virtually no sleep, horrible diarrhea, vomiting, extreme panic attacks, heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, brain and muscle twitches. I would never wish that experience upon anyone so please be advised when those of you still taking the drug decide to stop. | F | 22 | 3 weeks | 1/24/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | I am epileptic and also suffer from severe anxiety. I have tried many different meds, but only Xanax has helped, but apparenty it's addictive ( I say who cares, as long as It works, right??). I have just started taking Buspar, and have had zero relief! The side effects have been terrible, I have been vomitting everyday since I started buspar, and this headaches and dizziness are unbearable. I am glad I read that a few other people have had skin itching, for I thought my skin was just dry and have been going through tons of lotion. I do believe that Buspar has been making me even more wired and anxious than ever before. I hope to keep taking Buspar, for it's frustrating to keep trying drug after drug, with no avail. I pray the side effects go away, and wish there was a drug like Xanax, that doctors say is okay! | F | 41 | 1 weeks | 1/18/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Spaced out, head pains, leg pains, restless at night, horrible night terrors and dreams, disconnect from reality, extreme confusion, depression, suicidal thoughts, groggy, racing thoughts, worse anxiety, jittery | I was a very happy, funny and down to earth person and had a traumatic experience 4 months ago that started causing panic attacks. I started taking xanax and Buspar and therapy. after a few weeks of half a pill in the morning and half at night, I saw no change in my anxiety; only the spacey and tired feeling for an hour after taking. I started having depressive horrible feelings of hopelessness and so my doctor told me to start taking the whole pill twice daily. nightmares, restlessness, no sleep, confusion and a disconnect from reality began. I got to one point where I was standing my the bathroom at my work, trying to figure out how my mind could tell me arm not to move, but I could move it anyway. I felt like i was living in a dream. My doctor told me to stop taking it so I did, today is my first day off and I feel somewhat more aware of reality, but still scared, depressed and tired. I hated this drug. anyone else get this reaction? will it go away after discontinued use? | M | 24 | 6 weeks | 1/13/2010 | 2 | anxiety depression | dissiness, INSOMNIA, Groggy, nervousness in my stomach like butterflies in my stomach. hot flashes at night...and day. | i am going to see the doc today...i have read it takes longer for this to kick in but i am not sleeping and need to take lorazepam every other nigh to calm my nerves and that sometimes doesnt work | M | 41 | 24 days | 1/11/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Constant headaches which intensified with the increase in prescribed dosage, confusion, lack of alertness, difficulty sleeping and severely increased production of stomach adid. | Although the Buspar did minimally take the edge off my severe anxiety disorder after a couple weeks of use, the only thing the increase of dosage produced were the frequency and the intensity of my headaches as well as an over all feeling of being weak, dizzy, confused and increased depression. The worst physical symptom was the increase of stomach acid produced. My stomach acid was in my mouth 24/7, leaving my whole mouth, lips and even my sinuses burned. After being off Buspar for 4 days I barely noticed the stomach acid and the headaches were and continue to be completely gone. Unfortunately, not knowing the Buspar was such a high contributing factor in the over production of satomach acid, I now am scheduled for an Endoscopy where a Gastroenterologist will view my esophagus and stomach to determine the extent of the damage caused by the over production of stomach acid. | F | 42 | 10 weeks | 1/8/2010 | 3 | anxiety causing high blood pressure | Dizzines, increased anxiety and appetite | I have tried Lexapro and Zoloft. Both of these medications had horrible sexual side effects and made me feel tired and zombie like. I have high blood pressure and I thing mainly because all I do is worry about everything. I constantly feel like I have to be doing something and nothing is ever good enough. I have been taking sleep medication for years just to get a good nights sleep. I feel like I cant breath most of the time and have a tight feeling in my chest. I was put on a Beta blocker for my blood pressure which is supposed to lower your heart rate and in turn lower your anxiety but nothing so far for me. I have been on Buspar for exactly one week now and it seems like my anxiety is worse. I have read the posts here and it seems like it works for most but takes time. I will tough it out and hope for the best. I will try anything at this point I truly just want to relax and enjoy life with my wonderful wife and children. I have also notice that I have a much shorter fuse and snap real easy with this med. I hope that all passes soon and I can get some relief like others that have boasted about the great relief this drug has afforded then. | M | 37 | 7 days | 1/2/2010 | 5 | Depression/anxiety | A little dizziness for a day or two. When the dose is too high I am content to do very little but I can still concentrate and get things done. | This med has made a huge difference in my day. My teeth clenching stopped immediately and I am calm. I don't have the nervousness or racing thoughts that remained while on an antidepressant. Combined with zoloft, this is an amazing drug that I can adjust as needed with little or no side effect. I have never experienced the side effects listed by other posters so I will count my blessings. | F | 45 | 10 years | 12/30/2009 | 5 | anxiety | None, really. It has all been good. No side-effects or withdrawl when I have stopped. Not saying ti is for everyone. | First of all, God bless those suffering from depression and/or anxiety - it is a hell of its own. For me, Buspar never made me "high" at all. The only thing I felt was relief from the impending doom of anxiety. For me the result was automatic. My husband noticed the only change in me was this acute sense of anxiety was gone, but other than that, no other changes. I know certain drugs affect us all differently. All I can say is, please keep trying. Eat right and exercise (SERIOUSLY A BIG DEAL), then try to get a drug balance if that is what you need. For me it is Prozac, Welbutrin, then Buspar. I lucked out after many trials and much suffering. I'll stay on this the rest of my life if I need to. Be kind to yourself, pray, and look for more help if what you are getting is not enough. I understand your plight....just hold on and keep looking. the answer is there somewhere. Part of mine was Buspar. A God-send. | 46 | 1 years | 12/30/2009 | 1 | Chest Pain, Doc said Panic Attacks | Lightheadedness, Dizziness, Insomnia, Increased anxiety, Heart Palipitations, Stomach and Chest Pain. | I am a heart healthy 19 yr old male( 5'8, 200 lbs) on no other drugs but vitamins. I had echocardio, ekg, and stress test before diagnosed with anxiety. Started taking Buspirone(Buspar), all the symptoms listed started occuring. I only took the medicine for about a month(which included one ER vistit because of the increased anxiety) I am currently quitting this drug. Wondering about the symptoms(if anyone else had these). I also had an extreme fear of dying(during/after panic attacks) and had a need to be with someone at all times. I had no addiction to buspar. I hate the withdrawl i feel clammy and overall awful. Throughout the entire experience i ruined spirits with my family by constantly complaining of chest pains and heart palps. it was scary. I had never felt this way before in my life and anxiety increased because my father had died of a heart attack 5 yrs. ago. I disliked the Buspar experience and wish on nooone the side effects i felt when taking Buspar. Please take this seriously. Thank you. | M | 19 | | 12/26/2009 | 4 | panic disorder, severe anxiety | brain "zaps", a little dizzy 30-45 minutes after taking dose | I've noticed that I no longer have a burning desire to just run out the door at any given moment anymore, and have far fewer panic attacks than I used to. I am also taking Klonopin. | F | 28 | 5 months | 12/21/2009 | 4 | bipolar I, anxiety, social anxiety | None I think- I am on Seroquel and Paxil and all side effects I do have can be related to them | I was on Buspar awhile ago during a manic episode and I would feel my muscles relax when I took it. The Dr's were afraid to give it to me again because they were afraid of triggering another manic episode butafter being on Paxil and Seroquel for awhile (I took Paxil only after calming down with seroquel- I can't take buspar or anti depressants without seroquel or I get mania and mixed state episodes)Anyway, Paxil was giving me too many side effects so I got back on Buspar so I could lower the Paxil dose and still get the anti anxiety and anti depressive effects. Buspar heightens the effect of SSRI's and Im glad I can have the benefit of of a high dose of Paxil by only taking a small amount of Paxil and Buspar each. | F | 32 | 60 days | 12/19/2009 | 4 | Discontinue use of Xanax | Nausea and dizziness first few days, Did not help insomnia yet, temporary Flu-like symptoms | I was on Xanax for 5 yrs. at 6 mg a day and the Dr. refused to write any more Rx for it but would not help me wean off it and basiclly went cold turkey and had hallucinations of sight and sound, body twitches,insomnia and tremors couldnt sleep or eat for 4 days and ended up in the hospital, now down to .25mg of xanax 2 x a day and 15mg of Buspar 2 x a day, feeling more energetic hearing and concentration is better, food tastes better, and cigarettes taste bad, I think once the withdrawel of xanax is over it will be better for me, I would reccommend over any benzo drugs and maybe to help quit smoking and get a better appetite | M | 51 | 30 days | 12/13/2009 | 5 | Anxiety | I had very brief brain zaps at the beginning, but haven't had side effects in weeks. | I love this medicine. It allows me to cope with what's going on, without the unbearable clenched feeling in my chest. I took it last winter, and am back on it now and experimenting with a higher dose. This is a great alternative to other drugs that make you feel detached. Remember: no anxiety medication should be taken without regular visits to a licensed counselor. A combination, however, will help you feel like yourself again. | F | 25 | 3 months | 12/8/2009 | 3 | Anxiety | Anxious, high energy feeling for about 30 minutes after taking. | No change in anxiety so far. | F | 22 | 3 days | 12/1/2009 | 4 | GAD, xanax wasn't doing enuf | Electrical shocks in hands/feet/face, completely "drunk". Lasts 2 hours after taking. | No one else seems to report feeling like they drank 3 martinis in 15 minutes or the electrical shocks - feels like the blood is pounding down to the tips of my fingers. | F | 46 | 29 days | 11/30/2009 | 2 | to lessen my need for xanax | Started off great with food. My shrink screwed up my prescription writing other than what he told me to do so I ran out and he was out of town. So I had to quit. Then a few days later I started again without food and got akathisia. Switched back to with food and improved, cut back on my xanax and antidepressant (clomipramine) but started having bad, vivid dreams, not quite nightmares but very unpleasant. In the morning I couldn't get out of bed; felt like I weighed 800 lbs. Quit for a while. Started again and got same side effects plus even worse, horrible aching in my bones and muscles and when I'd lie down I'd punch the bed and walls and twist and kick my feet. Just quit. | Certainly didn't help my sexual dysfunction like some people say. Maybe, maybe is the cause behind my recent nausea with coffee and cigarettes. If I conclude it is I may try to go back on a really low dose (I had been on 15-30 mg. daily) so that I can see if I can quit smoking after 46 years, cuz nothing else has worked. | M | 62 | 6 months | 11/10/2009 | 5 | Anxiety, GAD | Dizziness right after taking it. Mild, with no lifestyle effects | I LOVE this stuff. I tried Xanax and hated the other-worldly feeling I got from it. With Buspar, I get a general relief, and without any side effects. I've used it on and off for the last 12 years, with great success. Most tell you it takes weeks to take effect, for me, in 3 days I'm a new person. I still have to deal with whatever issue triggered the panic attack in the first place, but this drug gives me the space/relief so that I can find the strength to deal with it. I do combine it with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). I just got to a point where I could not face any financial paperwork (again), and have upped my dose as of today, and in just a half-day, I feel a little more able to face small tasks. I know that many claim this is a placebo, but it works for me. I think that the placebo comment may be the result of doctors listening to drug reps who want them to push more expensive, more addictive drugs. I would try Buspar first. There is no withdrawal should you need to go off to get on another med. | F | 40 | 12 years | 11/3/2009 | 1 | anxiety | Brain zaps, dizziness, nausea, irritability, feeling more depressed | I came off of Paxil due to weight gain, non-existant sex drive, inability to have orgasm, and feeling "flat" emotion-wise. I suggested Buspar to my doc, who agreed to prescribe it but warned me he'd never had much luck with it. I could handle the physical side-effects, but the irritability almost wrecked my relationship. I had a hair-trigger temper that I could barely control. I eventually tapered myself off and went back to Wellbutrin, which cleared up the depression and irritability in a couple of days. I had high hopes for Buspar, but it was a nightmare drug for me. | F | 45 | 25 days | 10/30/2009 | 4 | GAD, Slight Depression | Hard to describe but like and electric shock or vibrating feeling when I move my eyes or head. Lasts about 60 - 90 mins. | I just started taking Buspar 10mg twice a day. It is too soon to tell if it will work as my doc told me it takes about a month to really kick in but the 1 side effect i am having is quite intense. When I move my eyes or head it feel almost like an electric shock goes off in my head or someone turns a vibrator on in my eyes. It is very unsettling when you aren't expecting it. i actually called poison control and then followed up with my doc the next day and both said it was nothing to worry about. I am going to continue on with the meds but this side effect might not be tolerable to some people. | M | 34 | 3 days | 10/28/2009 | 3 | depression & anxiety | Insomnia | I've been on this medication for 1 week. I am on alot of other meds as well. I have Epilepsy and my Neurologist tells me that it is important to get adequate sleep. Sleeplessness can cause seizures. This is very aggravating. | F | 40 | 7 days | 10/22/2009 | 3 | anxiety, nervousnes | increased anxiety, feeling spacey, muscle itching, more nervous | first my anxiety got worse, but now its getting better. Taking 15mg/day. Little bit scared about muscle itching because i read about tardive dyskinesia related to buspar in some cases. If it continues to improve my condition i will stay on it. | M | 26 | 10 days | 10/14/2009 | 3 | anxiety/panic attacks | taking geodon, vistaril, buspar, and lexapro- cannot tell which one is giving me terrible, vivid dreams- the vistaril has made my taste buds stand on end- I can taste things way better- I am calm, but i still get panicky all the time- I would like xanax, but my doc wont prescribe it bec of the addictive qualities- the one drug that helped me out quite a bit in times of dire emergency, and now I cant get it again. I dont know much abt buspar- its hard for me to tell which pill is doing what job- one of them is giving me mild acne- | I think its ok- save the fact that I have to take it three times a day | 32 | 1 months | 10/13/2009 | 4 | mild anxiety | Dry mouth, dizziness during first weeks, usually about 30 minutes after taking. Maybe a slight increase in urination, not sure if due to medication | I have found this medicine to really work for me, but it takes a few weeks to really tell. The dizziness goes away with use too. I think it is worth trying to see if it will help because it isn't as hard to get off of as some of the other meds out there and side effects (at least for me) aren't bad. | F | 38 | 6 months | 10/12/2009 | 3 | GAD | Dizziness throughout my body... if I move my feet it will vibrate up my body to my head. | I have only been taking Buspar for a little over a week. I take 5mg in the morning and 5mg at night. I don't have trouble sleeping (I take valerian root and magnesium for restless legs). The worst side effect is dizziness. If I move my feet the dizziness starts at my feet and vibrates up through my body to the top of my head. I don't seem to notice it at night but in the morning at work it is very hard to concentrate. I am hoping the dizziness will wear off eventually. I took prozac for almost 2 years and I still had anxiety, exhaustion, and I gained 30 pounds. I wanted something that would not have the weight gain factor and help me calm down. I don't know if this is working but I will keep trying for a few more weeks. | F | 25 | 9 days | 10/6/2009 | 4 | Anxiety | None. | I LOVE this medicine. I can take one 10mg Buspar when I feel very anxious and it will calm me down to where I can cope with my life. I have a tendency to take out my stress and anxiety on my kids and husband, but Buspar takes that edge off and I'm calm. I don't take it every day. Only when I feel like I'm close to having an anxiety attack. | F | 36 | 6 weeks | 10/5/2009 | 3 | Anxiety, depression | A little sleepy, dry mouth, headache | I am taking 5 mg twice a day with celexa 20 mg daily. Felt a relief of anxiety symptoms yesterday evening for a couple hours, side effects not bad so far. Hopefully will have more relief from symptoms in the days to come. Am tempted to ask for ativan for the time being until full effect of Buspar. Will start 5 mg three times a day tomorrow. Actually today will be my third full day of taking it, so a little early to tell the full effect or side effects. | F | 37 | 4 days | 10/5/2009 | 2 | Anxiety | I am very sensitive to medicine, so take that under consideration. That being said, 5mg didn't have much of an affect on me, but didn't help with Anxiety. With 10mg, I would be fine for an hour or so, but then I would get dizzy and the sweats. It would go away after another 90 min or so. It seemed like it stopped working completely after about 60 days. Now I feel my Anxiety is worse. Also, I feel like I am "Less sharp" than I used to be in terms of general cognitive performance and short term memory. | Buspar helped (As with other antidepressants) with my chronic back pain. It did not have sexual side effects like other meds did. It was cheap. If I could, I would rate it "2.5" If you have not had success with ssri's or ssnri's it's worth a shot. At the very least, you won't have sexual side effects. | M | 32 | 60 days | 10/2/2009 | 3 | Anxiety | none so far, only been taking it 1 day | I am diagnosed with Major Depression, Anxiety with Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia. I was on 10 mg Xanex per day until about 1 1/2 years ago...when my psychiartrist moved away, my new Doctor would NOT prescribe Xanex. In order get weened off Xanex I was hospitalized for 1 week. My anxiety has sky-rocketed since being taken off of Xanex. I am seeing the same Doc who won't prescribe Xanex, so I am trying Buspar. I really hope this works for me. The anxiety has been so bad that I cannot leave home, and if I do, I have panic attacks before getting 2 miles from my home. Although Xanex is very addictive and can be easily abused, I think it works the best for my anxiety disorder. I will post an update in a week or so. (This is very frustraing for a 21 year veteran of the United States Army). | F | 49 | 1 weeks | 10/1/2009 | 1 | anxiety | None | Found the drug to be very ineffective. Like taking a placebo | M | 47 | | 10/1/2009 | 5 | Hard to describe, but a head pressure, almost a dizzy feeling during the first month. | I'd say if you want to get (at all) a high from a drug, this would not the one you would want to take. On the other hand if you want to be relieved of chronic anxiety without being on something addictive, this is exactly the drug that you'd want to take. I've struggled with debilitating anxiety all my long life and have tried everything! I had stopped everything a few years ago concluding that there were some people who did not ever fit in. Still felt somewhat blessed - had a wife that accepted me and a couple good friends. BUt I was still stuck in the prison of this disease. Decided to go back to those old habit formers and even the new anti depressants - but shoot, my old body was not able to take the abuse. Decided, although my Dr. and a large number of those on this list did not think very highly of it, to try Buspirone. What's prescribed for me is 10mg x 3. What I actually take is 5mg x 3, and split a 5 into two 2.5mg parts to take in the evening if things get a little off. For the first time in my I guess 50 years of this (I call it definitely) disease, I feel completely normal. Not high in any way, but NORMAL. Took about a month to really kick in, but actually felt some relief in the second week. | M | 63 | 1 years | 9/30/2009 | 1 | anxiety | numbness all over my body, dizzyness,cold sweats, lightheaded, ADD, sleeplessness, can't concentrate on anything, loss of sex drive (do to numbness and sleeplessness) | M | 35 | 2 weeks | 9/27/2009 | 5 | Anxiety and alcohol abuse | Light headed, stomach pains | Just started Buspar this afternoon; I had bad stomach pains and was lightheaded, but I am CALM!! Unbelievable! And I don't have any urge to drink. I drink wine to help with anxiety, but have been drinking too much, and the compulsion to drink is just not here!! Could it have worked that quickly?? Sure does seem to have done so. I will put up with the nausea and stomach pains, to have no anxiety and no urge to drink it away! | F | 47 | 1 days | 9/25/2009 | 5 | social anxiety, panic attacks. | slight drowsiness that subsides shortly,, brief light-headedness, | takeing 60mg a day,, 30mg in the am, and 30mg in the evening. | F | 34 | 7 years | 9/25/2009 | 4 | GAD and Panic Attacks | dizziness, vertigo, nausea, loss of appetite | I was having really bad panic attacks in the morning and agoraphobia. I began buspirone 7.5mg a day split into half dosage in the morning and half in the evening. By day two I noticed the anxiety waning. I hope it will continue to work for me. Dramamine helped curb the initial dizziness and nausea side effects. Side effects should cease after 1 week. | F | 30 | 6 days | 9/25/2009 | 4 | GAD and panic attacks | drowsiness, blurred vision, stomach rolls | Prescibed Buspar and Xanax by my regular MD. Took those for 7 years with good results. 15mg Buspar and .5mg Xanax twice a day. Now my regular MD has retired and new doctor will not prescribe controlled substances. Referred to psychiatrist. Now taking 15mg Buspar twice a day and .5mg Klonopin 3 times a day. Working OK but my vision is blurry, I get soooo tired about 2 hours after taking the meds, my stomach is always rolling and I have to take .25mg Xanax before driving home from work in the afternoon. Panic attaks in my car have always been an issue, but they are coming back more often now. I ordered Relaquil, a natural remedy for anxiety, and I'm going to try that and weaning myself off the prescription meds. Just not sure how to do that. Calling doctor today to get help with that. Good luck to all of you. If the Relaquil works I will let you know! | F | 43 | 7 years | 9/24/2009 | 3 | anxiety | light headed, dizzyness, room spinning, foggyness | Only been on it for 10 days. After 48 hours I noticed the first sides of dizziness. Most noticeable when moving to stand from a prone of seated position. The initial bad dizziness subsided after a few hours, everyday I get waves of lightheadedness, and slight dizziness still. the best way I can describe it is how I feel after being a bit dehydrated after a workout. Nothing significant, just a enough to be noticeable in the background of day to day activities. Hoping this takes the edge off my anxiety enough to be worth it. | F | 32 | 10 days | 9/15/2009 | 4 | anxiety, panic disorder | 1/2 hour after dose: dizzy, lightheaded. General side effects: mild short-term memory loss, mild insomnia, clarity of thought somewhat inhibited, co-ordination slightly impaired, possible sexual dysfunction. | This is an update. I posted at the 10-day mark, too. None of the side effects have been intense, but they are certainly noticeable, especially co-ordination and memory function. I started taking Buspar a month ago, 7.5 mg twice a day. It took two or three weeks to kick in. When it did I noticed a significant drop in general anxiety and unwanted thoughts. It has done nothing for depression. Buspar is by no means a panacea (if only it were), but it has taken an edge off, calmed my mind. I'd prefer Klonopin, but we all know you can't take that stuff every day. Buspar does not feel as powerful or invasive as an SSRI, but the potential for a dulling, zombie-like effect is there. I still have reservations; I'm not completely sold on this drug, but at this point I cautiously recommend it for general anxiety. I will post again in a few months. | M | 29 | 1 months | 9/9/2009 | 4 | Anxiety | Light headed about a half hour after taking it, insomnia, loss of appetite. | I had been taking 15 mg twice daily for a year. I had thought that it wasnt working, and stopped taking it. BAD IDEA, i realize now how much it lowered my anxiety levels. | F | 20 | 1 years | 9/7/2009 | 1 | Anxiety, GAD | Increased anxiety (more than EVER before), muscle aches and spasms, agitation, numbness, hard to breathe, etc. After falling asleep, I wake up every hour with high anxiety, very slow breathing, extreme muscle aches, numbness in my hands and arms, etc. | I am taking 10 mgs twice a day, I am stopping today. Stop this medication immediatly if you have any of these side effects. It does not get better, it gets worse. Each day, my symptoms increase. BusPar has had the oppositte effect on me; instead of making my anxiety better, it has made my anxiety increase to a degree that I have NEVER felt before. Thank God I found these websites, because my doctor said all of these side effects I am complaining about, are just in my head! Terrible doctor! Thanks for everyone's comments. | M | 24 | 3 weeks | 8/31/2009 | 4 | Anxiety | Headaches, dizziness | It seems to be working. I feel more "levelheaded". I don't dread everything from morning til night like I've been doing all of my life. The anxiety about everyday things has lessened....work and all it involves, the kids , money, asteroids falling from the sky. The headaches are bad but I've had a mild to moderate headache everyday since I can remember so.........I'll stick with Buspar. It can only get better. | F | 1 months | 8/30/2009 | 4 | Anxiety, stress | PLEASE READ MY COMMENTS | I've been on Buspar for almost 5 years. I have taken 5mg before bed for the past 3 yrs. (Sleep like a baby.) I started out at 15mg/day, which zonked me out. This drug is a great treatment for anxiety! HOWEVER about a year ago, I started noticing symptoms of elevated prolactin levels, which I read can result from long-term use of Buspar. My symptoms are: depression, anger, extreme PMS, hair loss, low libido, food cravings and dry skin. My thyroid level is fine and I have no other health problems. I am going to stop taking Buspar and see if any of these symptoms go away. These symptoms have been worsening for the past year, but I didn't have any idea they could be from Buspar. If anyone else has these symptoms after taking the drug for a long time, tell your doctor! You'll have to read the fine print to find a connection between Buspar and prolactin in the patient literature. | F | 37 | 4.5 years | 8/30/2009 | 1 | anxiety | no effects whatsoever; good or bad | If it were not for the comments on here I'd swear this medication was a complete placebo. Was prescribed it several times as an alternative to Ativan and Xanax. Xanax worked ok but left me hungover, Ativan worked great. After a month I flushed these down the toilet and told my doctor I wanted the ativan back. I know it's hell to get off of, but at my age, who cares? I'll be on my 4 to 6 mg the rest of my life but if it works why try and get off. I'm not one of these people who feel taking pills is evil. They were made for a reason and if that's how I have to live my life, so be it. it beats panic and anxiety attacks. If Buspar works for you, I'm glad but I secretly think it's mostly sugar. | M | 58 | 3 months | 8/26/2009 | 3 | Anxiety, Panic Disorder | Early stages yet. At this time the side effects are minimal. Some insomnia, but I have always struggled with that. After taking dose, mild appetite increase, mild spacey-ness. No brain zaps. No increase in depression. No increase in anxiety. Am monitoring for sexual side-effects, weight gain, anger and irritability. | Too early to form a solid opinion about Buspar. At this point, however, I am hopeful. My anxiety seems lighter, my unwanted thoughts more manageable. If the side-effects remain mild and my anxiety continues decreasing, Buspar will perhaps be a God-send. According to most doctors and patients, Buspar needs to time to build in your system. So, I will reserve judgement for another month. At that time I will post again. To all readers and sufferers: good luck, exercise, eat well, stay healthy. | M | 29 | 10 days | 8/24/2009 | 1 | Anxiety | Mood swings, increased anxiety along serious depression. Headaches and nausea. At it's best, it caused restlessness, at it's worst it induced terrible mixed episodes; depression along with anxiety. I began developing strange phobias; agoraphobia was among them. I also began very sensitive to sound, due to the headaches it was causing me. | This medication exacerbated undiagnosed Rapid Cycle Bipolar Disorder. It threw my mood up and down, all the while increasing my anxiety to the point where I could barely function. This is a medication that bipolar sufferers need to avoid; even as an add-on to mood stabilizers. Even if I weren't diagnosed as bipolar, I wouldn't reccomend this medication; it was very, very unpredictable. If you are prescribed it and you choose to take it, be very weary of it. If the initial dose causes you any problems, whatsoever, I would talk to your doctor about it. This pill literally drove me nuts; from the first dose in the morning, until about 3 hours after the last dose, I was out of my mind. It is the worst medication that I have ever been on. | M | 2 months | 8/16/2009 | 3 | Anxiety | dizziness, brain zaps, thinning hair, hot flashes | Started taking a quarter of 15mg pill the first week with no side effects. Then started taking half of 15mg second week with some slight dizziness half hour after taking it, then it went away. A month later started taking 15mg twice a day, started to get more dizzy half hour after taking it with slight brain zaps. Sometimes dizziness got so bad I could not drive and it was a pain in the butt to work when it was happening. Lasted about a half an hour to an hour. Did best if I took it before I went to bed. Noticed my hair thinning a bit. Now I am back to taking a half twice a day with slight dizziness sometimes. Thinking of weening off it and taking Lexapro but scared. Doctor thinks I am too sensitive to the Buspar. Never been sensitive to meds before. I also take Xanax when needed, works great! Cant stand the dizziness anymore! My heart races less and less anxiety most of the time, even at night. Still not enough to do the trick | F | 30 | 2 months | 8/13/2009 | 3 | GAD | Tightness in throat, sighing alot, ADD, irritability, clenching teeth | I have added this with Pristiq. Pristiq has helped me but was ready to up the dose a little due to added stress. Dr advised that upping the Pristiq wouldn't double the effect much, but would double my side effects. (Night sweats, nausea when taking without food)So we decided to add the Buspar. She prescribed 15 mgs' 2 times a day. But I started with 7.5 mgs twice a day. Starting full 15mg twice a day today.... | F | 31 | 1 weeks | 8/12/2009 | 4 | panic attacks, severe anxiety | None really. It will make you tired and maybe a little nauseous which goes away within a very short time. Compared to other drugs ive tried, the side effects are basically nonexistent to me and not distressing at all | Its been working great for me and I hope it stays that way. Antidepressants dont work for me when it comes to anxiety. If you have severe anxiety and/or panic attacks I think this would be a good drug to try. | F | 20 | 2 days | 8/7/2009 | 2 | anxiety | Just a bit of dizzyness/spaced out feeling after taking a dose. It only lasted for a half hour, but very annoying! | I really wanted this one to work. I'd like to find some anxiety relief w/out the standard SSRI sexual side effects. I made multiple attempts up to 1 month at 15 mgs, with no response. I guess it works for some but not for others. | M | 29 | 2 months | 8/2/2009 | 4 | chronic anxiety (with Wellbutrin) | None except if I take too much the anxiety gets worse. Have to be careful with the dosage. I take 30mg at night, then 10mg am with 200mg Wellbutrin, 10mg 2pm with 100mg Wellbutrin. If the balance isn't quite right, my anxiety comes back some, but without the Buspar, I was paralyzed with anxiety that had no base in reality. | Essential to control my organic anxiety. Wellbutrin replaced 13 years of SSRI's, which got me out of the black depression, but also made me feel exhausted and useless. I barely kept my job, and couldn't function much at all at home. I didn't do my taxes for 5 years because the idea of getting the paperwork together overwhelmed me. Wellbutrin was a miracle for me, I got motivation and energy back. I'm much stronger now physically, I can finally exercise some - I was too tired on the SSRI's. | F | 57 | 9 months | 7/29/2009 | 3 | Anxiety and panic attacks | Ringing and sensation of pulse in left ear. Dry mouth. | Does eleviate the peaks of my anxiety w/o leaving me with a "drugged" feeling. Benzos (e.g. Klonipin) haved worked for me but I wanted to get off them. Buspar is not a bad substitute but not as effective. | M | 47 | 3 weeks | 7/12/2009 | 4 | Social Anxiety / Depression | Bad Dreams,Brain Zaps and my food cravings are gone | So far so good. I'm not stressed out and able to hold a conversation without getting nervious. I'm not questioning myself as to what i said wrong or what went wrong. I'm relaxed and feel good. Contact me if you live near phila | F | 35 | 4 days | 7/11/2009 | 3 | anxiety/depression | hot flashes, sweating, shortness of breath, really calmed/sedated, and like i was really baked and had the munchies, but it wasnt a good baked, it was a kind of a sick-y baked. | i take it 3 times a day; 15 mg in the morning and before i go to bed, and 7.5 in the middle of the day. i take it with 300 mg of trileptal in the morning and before bed. | F | 17 | 4 months | 7/11/2009 | 2 | depression | dizziness fatique blurred vision general feeling of blah | M | 76 | 120 days | 7/7/2009 | 4 | anxiety | None so far | Works well with lexapro.On 5mg buspirone and 10mg lexapro | M | 47 | 4 weeks | 7/4/2009 | 5 | ANXIETY | first week - horrible nausea - I mean terrible like wanting to die nausea and headache | Best medication for anxiety/depression that I have ever taken. It has really helped, I have ptsd, gad, etc. I hate ssris due to sexual side effects and weight gain - I did not have either so far with this...I started on a very low dose and I am gradually going up. I recommend this - totally worth the first week feeling like I wanted to throw up 24-7. But if I miss a dose I have this "what the hell is wrong with me" feeling - at least I know what it is - just that I missed a dose! | F | 34 | 3 months | 6/30/2009 | 5 | GAD | Dizziness, headache | I tried quite a few medications before this one. I actually did the research to look for other medicines outside the typical anxiety meds. Although this stuff has been around for years, all I can say is that it works wonderfully. You don't get any of the typical "numbness" that other anxiety meds produce, you still have a sex drive, and you remain clear. My symptoms have pretty much entirely cleared up and I can't tell you how great it has been to get back to living life again. I found the medicine very good at clearing up physical symptoms of anxiety, along with the racing thoughts, and general dread of anxiety. | M | 26 | 2 months | 6/30/2009 | 3 | Chronic Anxiety | Insomnia mainly (wouldn't fall asleep until 2am and I'd be right up again at 6am), but also brain zaps, spaciness. | The drug had a mind of its own. Would work wonders for a week, and then anxiety would return for three days. After trying to ween myself off due to it's ineffectiveness, but anxiety came back full swing. Decided to go back on it to relieve the anxiety and it doesn't work at all (after 5 weeks of XANAX supplementation) Now looking into taking an SSRI, but had BuSpar even worked more than half the time, it'd been the drug for me. | M | 20 | 7 months | 6/30/2009 | 1 | Anxiety | increased anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, severe depression, headaches, dizzy spells, involuntary muscle movements, insomnia, DISTURBING dreams. | It worked great for the first two weeks, but then the side effects intensified; you really notice the side effects when you have to take it 3 times a day. Long story short; the medication started making me suicidal. While it was in my system during the day, I was a wreck. Violent mood swings all day long; either nervous/agitated or calm/depressed. When it got out of my system at night (and first thing in the morning) I evened out. I would only reccomend trying this medication if you exhausted other medication and treatment options; it's an unpreditable pill. | M | 5 weeks | 6/13/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |