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Changing to Buspar

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 6/28/2018 12:30 PM (GMT -5)
Hello all, I'm just curious if anyone here has any success with Buspar for anxiety? My doctor is starting me on 5mg once a day and will follow up with an increase if needed. I was previously taking Citalopram and Buproprion (low doses on both) but I felt they lost effectiveness and I didn't want to increase the dosage as I'm tired of the side effects.

I hear Buspar is more designed for anxiety, although I have depression as well that seems to come and go... anxiety is something I deal with almost daily so I want to get a handle on that aspect of my life right now. Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Posted 6/28/2018 1:25 PM (GMT -5)
Hi

I have never tried Buspar but I have heard good things about it and it's usually used as an add on to whatever antidepressant you are taking.

Hibee
Posted 6/28/2018 1:53 PM (GMT -5)
web,

I'm on it now, but was taking it incorrectly. I'm to take it at morning AND in the evening, but had just been taking it in the evening. Check with me in a month. LOL.

Yes, Buspar is more of an anxiety medication.

Best,
John
Posted 6/28/2018 6:54 PM (GMT -5)
worked well for me for mild anxiety but wasn't strong enough for severe anxiety
Posted 7/7/2018 5:12 PM (GMT -5)
I’ve taken buspar for years and just recently got off. Like Dan says, it is used for mild anxiety and probably will do nothing for depression. It is best taken 2-3 times a day, as it has a very short half life of about 4 hours. The good news is the side effects are very mild, usually just a bit of light head feeling shortly after taking the first dose of the day. This can be remedied by splitting that dose and making sure you do not take on an empty stomach.
Posted 7/7/2018 10:22 PM (GMT -5)
it keep me on a more or less even keel during the 4 years that I stopped taking an ssri. the cool thing for me is it acted as a rescue med almost like a mild benzo. you are supposed to stay on a steady dose for best effect but I used it like a rescue med and it worked ok in this manner -even tho its not ment for this . sadly I went into a severe tail spin when I found out I had prostate cancer and I went back on an ssri to cope . yea-almost no side effects from buspar except a slight dizziness at first. more people should give this drug a try.
Posted 7/8/2018 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
Keep us posted on how this works for you. I wanted to chime in here as my psy has mentioned this drug for my GAD in addition to zoloft depending on how my increased dosage goes. I just bumped up today from 25 to 37.5 and will get up to 50 in 2 weeks. It does seem like my depressive periods are fewer since being on zoloft, jury still out on the anxiety though. Anyway, let us know how the buspar treats you!
Posted 9/4/2018 6:22 PM (GMT -5)
So an update on Buspar. I am going to my Dr. this week as I feel this is not the medication for me. I have not felt a difference in this medication alleviating my anxiety much at all. I understand different people react differently to certain medications so if this medication is helping some out there then that is great. Before Buspar I used to be on Citalopram for years but like most SSRI's I got tired of the side effects (increased appetite, decreased sex drive) plus I felt like it just petered out. Also tried Zoloft... nope major insomnia with that.

So as you can see I am hesitant to going back to SSRI's, but... I figure I will give another one a shot as anxiety/depression is something I struggle with quite frequently (however more so anxiety lately). I tried Lexapro briefly in the past as well and I don't think I gave it enough time to take effect so may bring that up with my Dr.

Anyhow what SSRI medication has worked best for others out there? It would be interesting to hear feedback, thank-you so much.
Posted 9/5/2018 12:56 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Web,

Have you checked to see if a Genesight is available for you to take? This kind of test may be something you want to look into in order to narrow down the choices of Rx's that will perform best for you.

Perhaps reseaching this...checking with your insurance regarding coverage (it can be expensive to pay for out of pocket) and discussing it with your doctor at your upcoming visit will be a good goal.

Best to you in finding the right med for your managment plans...and keep us updated, so we can keep you in support!

S.C.
Posted 9/5/2018 7:04 PM (GMT -5)
buspar is a good drug for light anxiety only. if yours is severe or persistant than an ssri is a better choice. cipralex is working fine for me at a low dose of 10mg. I had good success with Zoloft in the past till it pooped out. once in a while I still add buspar to the ssri during a bad spell. it helps a lot for me. I am one of the lucky ones that buspar works well for
Posted 9/5/2018 7:06 PM (GMT -5)
5mg a day isn't enough for buspar 15mg is whats usually recommended and you can spread it out over the course of the day
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