# Buspar update - so far, so good - actually, great



## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

I've been on Buspar since August 15. I started out with 10 mg. a day divided into two doses, and quickly titrated up to 20 mg. daily, where I've been since. 

I know there is a lot of skepticism and negativity towards Buspar in the "anxiety world," and even my doctor said she's only had success with it with one patient, ever. However, since it's a pretty non-threatening drug (no major interactions, no major side effects) she said I could try it, and just urged me to watch for signs of serotonin syndrome, since I am also on Effexor. 

I am absolutely, positively convinced that I am feeling better on it. It's hard to describe, exactly, but I just have an increased sense of overall confidence in my abilities, as well as a better sense of my responsibilites in my relationships with other people -i.e., if I want to talk to someone, I need to do more talking and be more engaged in the conversation, rather than just floating off into dreamland and not saying much. If I want to be a person who is pleasant to live with, then I need to do more chores around the house and lift some of that burden off my husband - stuff like that. It's funny, because I was experiencing these feelings but not really knowing what to call them, and then I was reading about Buspar in a book and it said that patients "experience a greater sense of interpersonal responsibility." Bingo! 

When I next see my doc, I do plan to ask to titrate up - I'd like to try 30 mg. and possibly 40, see how they go, and find the right dose for me. But I do want to tell everyone that YES, Buspar CAN work for anxiety. I am more relaxed and comfortable around people, and feel better about myself. I am far from being "cured" but I definitely now consider Buspar a valuable addition to my routine.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

I'm glad to hear you feel better. 

I've heard of this on buspirone.


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

one of the claims made about buspar is that it augments antidepressants, I remain doubtful that it helps more than placebo effect

It was heavily promoted as the non addictive alternative to valium which it clearly wasnt


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## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

arthur56 said:


> one of the claims made about buspar is that it augments antidepressants, I remain doubtful that it helps more than placebo effect
> 
> It was heavily promoted as the non addictive alternative to valium which it clearly wasnt


arthur, I'm confused as to why you answer positive posts with negativity. This is the second time I've posted to say "hey, this med is working for me!" (last time was gabapentin) only to have you respond and say "oh, that drug doesn't work," when I just clearly stated it IS working for me. And we all know that some drugs work for some people and not others. Zoloft didn't do crap for me, but I don't feel the need to say so in every single Zoloft thread.

Of course I think marketing this drug as an "alternative" to benzos was silly, because the drugs don't even work in the same way or on the same neurotransmitters, and using the word "alternative" sort of implies that they do work in the same way. What they likely meant to convey was that the end result - a reduction in anxiety - would ideally be the same. However, the method by which Buspar is helping to reduce my anxiety - by improving my confidence - is preferable in my mind to a benzo, which simply downplays one's inhibitions for a few hours.


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## americandancer (Mar 19, 2006)

Congratulations, PBNC! I'm happy you've found something to work for you. I've been reading other forums where people are saying buspar is working for them, so I don't believe it is just a placebo effect. Way to go!


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## L0raz3pam (Sep 14, 2006)

I have been lurking and reading this forum for about 2 months now. And I registered today just so I can post in this thread because I had a similar experience with Buspar.

After reading many stories in this forum and at other sites about Buspar's ineffectiveness for most people, I was ambivalent about taking it when my doctor added it to my Fluoxetine regimen. I was surprised that even with all the negative attitudes I was subjected to regarding Buspar, it has worked wonderfully for me. By itself, Fluoxetine was not as effective but with the Buspar I am doing 200% better on my Social Anxiety/Social Phobia issues.

Just thought I would chime in.

Thanks.


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## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

I'm so glad to hear that someone else had a good experience! I think the reasons many people have unfavorable impressions of Buspar is that they either a.) took it alone (I do believe it works best when augmenting another antidepressant) or b.) they expected it to have a benzo-like effect and weren't recognizing other, more subtle ways the drug was helping them. 

Anyway, I totally recommend a trial of Buspar to anyone who is curious about it.


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## L0raz3pam (Sep 14, 2006)

I agree. My doctor had given me Lorazepam for emergency anxiety attacks and I went through a month's supply in less than 2 weeks because my Fluoxetine wasn't working as well as I wanted it to by itself. My doctor was afraid that I was becoming too dependent on the Lorazepam, so he added Buspar to my Fluoxetine. I was amazed at how well it worked for me. 

Nowadays, I only take a 1mg dose of Lorazepam for extreme emergencies. Most days I don't even need that Benzo. Plus Buspar is non-habit forming so it's completely safe even as it works as anxyolitic agent much like Lorazepam does. But Lorazepam and other Benzo's are habit-forming and unsafe for frequent use.

I'm pretty happy with my Buspar. I think like with any drug, it works for some and doesn't for others. My advice is to try it for yourself, don't discard the idea of Buspar because so many other people don't like it. Most people who bad-mouth probably have never tried it themselves and are only repeating what they have heard (hear-say).


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## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

I'm curious, what is your dosage of each drug? I take 150 mg. daily of Effexor XR (I'm not sure what the equivalent dose is for your AD) and 25 mg. daily of Buspar. When I see my doctor next week I want to ask to play around with the Buspar dosage and titrate up slowly (say 5 mg. per week or every two weeks) to see if I can maximize the effects.


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## L0raz3pam (Sep 14, 2006)

I take 7.5 mg of the Buspar three times a day for a daily total dose of 22.5 mg. And I take 20 mg of the Fluoxetine twice a day for a daily total of 40 mg.

I don't know what the equivalent is in Effexor. To be honest, I have not researched Effexor so I don't know much about it.

Don't quote me on this but I believe I read somewhere that Buspar should be limited to a maximum of 30 mg daily total (if my memory serves me right).


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## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

I thought 60 was the daily max, but I could be wrong. Also, it might be 60 if using alone, but a lower amount if augmenting another med since they might be hitting the same neurotransmitters. 

I really can't put into words how different I feel, mentally and emotionally, from where I was a year ago. Effexor got the ball rolling and Buspar really gave it an extra boost.


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## L0raz3pam (Sep 14, 2006)

^^Ditto here, too. Except, in my case I have only been using Fluoxetine and Buspar for about a month now. And I am feeling and performing orders of magnitude better and higher in my personal and professional life, respectively.




Also, the nice thing about my doctor is that he was responsive enough to be willing to change my meds after two weeks instead of asking me to wait the 4-6 weeks that I have read about on these forums. When I told him they were not working or had untenable side-effects he changed them almost right away. (For example, I used to be on 50 mg daily of Zoloft for about two weeks, which got switched to 25 mg of Paxil daily for about two weeks as well because of nasty side-effects). About a month ago, he put me on the Fluoxetine and Buspar regimen. Side-effects have been non-existent or at least minimal enough such that I don't or can't notice them.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

L0raz3pam said:


> Plus Buspar is non-habit forming so it's completely safe even as it works as anxyolitic agent much like Lorazepam does.


Buspar isn't "much like" benzos. Benzos enhance the effect of GABA. Buspar acts on serotonin. Totally different in mode of action. Benzos work within the hour. Buspar works (if it works) within a month. I'll agree Buspar isn't habit forming and is safe, but the same can be said of sugar pills.



L0raz3pam said:


> But Lorazepam and other Benzo's are habit-forming and unsafe for frequent use.


Benzos are both safe enough & necessary for frequent use in some cases. There are people, such as myself, who have failed to respond to a vast array of different "safe" meds. Too many in the medical community are terrified of benzos and their patients who need them suffer. SA is a serious & potentially fatal disorder that deserves to be taken seriously and treated aggressively with whatever meds are required, even if that means large benzo doses on a daily basis. Too many people are denied benzos due to the hysterial surrounding their "addictive" potential, yet the alternatives are even worse. Some who don't get medicated properly will go to the liquor store and get the OTC alternative to benzos. Some will get depressed about how crappy their life is and go to the gun shop instead -- which is what I mean when I say SA is potentially fatal. Benzo dependency seems superior to alcoholic or dead, doesn't it?



L0raz3pam said:


> Most people who bad-mouth probably have never tried it themselves and are only repeating what they have heard (hear-say).


I've used Buspar at 60 mg a day and found it to be useless.

My brother also takes Buspar @ 60 mg and has for a couple years, and reports that it might be "marginally effective", which means he takes it because his insurance plan gives it to him free and it has no side effects, so he'll take it even if he's not really sure if it helps him any.


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## L0raz3pam (Sep 14, 2006)

UltraShy said:


> Buspar isn't "much like" benzos. Benzos enhance the effect of GABA. Buspar acts on serotonin. Totally different in mode of action. Benzos work within the hour. Buspar works (if it works) within a month. I'll agree Buspar isn't habit forming and is safe, but the same can be said of sugar pills.


They are both anxyolitic agents and as such they are "much alike" inasmuch as they both fulfill similar roles even as they remain dissimilar in their mechanism of action and/or their chemical structure.

That's what I meant by "much like".

Also, I want to add that Buspar worked for me within a week.


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## Shorty1 (Jun 7, 2013)

Hello. I was prescribed Buspar and Paxil today. I looked up the side effects of combining the two, and it said "stomach pain and diahrrea (sp?)". Has anyone here had these problems? If yes, did it help to go off one?


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