# Buspar medication very low dose



## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

Hello everyone!
I have finally seen a psychiatrist, been diagnosed with social anxiety. I deal well with daily life, but cerrtain situations trigger my anxiety. I've been prescribed Buspar 5 mg dose, only to take it before that certain situation.

As per my own internet research 5 mg is a very low dose. And usually people take it daily. I haven't tried it yet. 
Has anyone been prescribed Buspar like me? (meaning not taking it daily)
Has it work? All I need from a drug is to calm me down in certain situations.

Any input is welcome 
THank you


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Buspirone seems to have a very low succes rate, and it also shouldnt have effect the first time you take it so it seems very strange that you got it prescribed that way...

Usually they give you benzo's for as needed and buspirone or an SSRI for daily use.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

crayzyMed said:


> Buspirone seems to have a very low succes rate, and it also shouldnt have effect the first time you take it so it seems very strange that you got it prescribed that way...
> 
> Usually they give you benzo's for as needed and buspirone or an SSRI for daily use.


My doctor told me to try taking it at home first to see how I would react to it, so I wouldn't fall asleep where I am not suppose to. Also, she told me it's a bit stronger than Valerian Root (herbal pills).

I'm planning to take it today.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

Oh and another question, how long before that certain situation I should take the pill? forgot to ask my dr.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

TATA said:


> Hello everyone!
> I have finally seen a psychiatrist, been diagnosed with social anxiety. I deal well with daily life, but cerrtain situations trigger my anxiety. I've been prescribed Buspar 5 mg dose, only to take it before that certain situation.
> 
> As per my own internet research 5 mg is a very low dose. And usually people take it daily. I haven't tried it yet.
> ...


Buspar can't be taken as needed like benzos or beta blockers and 5mg is a homeopathic dose. If you have mainly physical symptoms of anxiety then the unselective beta blocker Inderal can work very well. If it's more "in your head" benzodiazepines like eg. Xanax, Ativan... taken as needed before certain stressful situations are a good choice.

Buspar must be taken daily (at therapeutic doses) and it takes some time (weeks) before an anxiolytic effect is seen. It is not approved for social phobia, has never shown to be effective for SA in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial and most people on SAS say it didn't help them.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

Medline said:


> Buspar can't be taken as needed like benzos or beta blockers and 5mg is a homeopathic dose. If you have mainly physical symptoms of anxiety then the unselective beta blocker Inderal can work very well. If it's more "in your head" benzodiazepines like eg. Xanax, Ativan... taken as needed before certain stressful situations are a good choice.
> 
> Buspar must be taken daily (at therapeutic doses) and it takes some time (weeks) before an anxiolytic effect is seen. It is not approved for social phobia, has never shown to be effective for SA in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial and most people on SAS say it didn't help them.


Thank you for your reply . We decided with my doctor that beta blocker wouldn't be good for me as I have a low blood pressure and family history of heart problems. 
I'm more about physical symptoms, but can't deny that have some "in my head" issues, but physical symptoms do bother me more now. 
I guess the next step if this medication won't work will be xanax.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

When the Xanax significantly reduces the anxiety "in your head" you will also have less physical symptoms of anxiety.


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## KurtG85 (Sep 19, 2008)

TATA said:


> Thank you for your reply . We decided with my doctor that beta blocker wouldn't be good for me as I have a low blood pressure and family history of heart problems.
> I'm more about physical symptoms, but can't deny that have some "in my head" issues, but physical symptoms do bother me more now.
> I guess the next step if this medication won't work will be xanax.


Keep us updated on how its going. Also, don't be afraid to call your doc and see if you can raise the amount you take if you aren't feeling much of an effect. Based on my experience with buspar and reading others', the dosages usually prescribed are usually too low and relates to why many feel don't feel much, if any, effect from it.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

KurtG85 said:


> Keep us updated on how its going. Also, don't be afraid to call your doc and see if you can raise the amount you take if you aren't feeling much of an effect. Based on my experience with buspar and reading others', the dosages usually prescribed are usually too low and relates to why many feel don't feel much, if any, effect from it.


I have taken Buspar on Tuesday to see how it will effect me in normal situations. I did get a headache and a slight feeling of being stock in fish ball.
Than I've taken one on Wednesday before my speech class, again got a bit of a headache and that weird feeling of a "fish ball". Unfortunately I did not get to do the speech that day, but I felt calmer and didn't get weird feeling inside that I usually get when professor asks me questions. So I don't know what to relate it to, the pill or the fact that I got used to professor's questions in the beginning of the class, or the fact that I knew that I would'nt have time to give my speech.

I guess I'm gonna have tto wait till next wednesday.


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## outcast69 (Aug 23, 2009)

I have to take it 3 times a day,it seems to take the edge off alittle but,not much.I'm also, suppost to take it for anxiety attacks;it really doesn't help much for that.


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## stealthology (Jan 30, 2009)

Let me preface this post by saying I have taken Klonopin, Buspar, and beta blockers.



Medline said:


> When the Xanax significantly reduces the anxiety "in your head" you will also have less physical symptoms of anxiety.


I definitely agree with this. For public speaking situations when I take only a benzo (as opposed to a benzo and beta blocker), I get the initially racing heart in the beginning, but my mind eventually calms me down. Benzo + beta blocker is just freakin amazing though. Just if I could feel like that on a regular basis. Adderall, benzo, and atenolol is incredible (for when you have something very important to make a speech on).



Medline said:


> Buspar can't be taken as needed like benzos or beta blockers and 5mg is a homeopathic dose. If you have mainly physical symptoms of anxiety then the unselective beta blocker Inderal can work very well. If it's more "in your head" benzodiazepines like eg. Xanax, Ativan... taken as needed before certain stressful situations are a good choice.
> 
> Buspar must be taken daily (at therapeutic doses) and it takes some time (weeks) before an anxiolytic effect is seen. It is not approved for social phobia, has never shown to be effective for SA in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial and most people on SAS say it didn't help them.


I've taken Buspar about 3 times over the past few weeks, and I was actually very pleased with the results. I felt very calm, and I could speak up during class (which I usually never have the balls to do). So many people say the drug is ineffective, but the 10mg tabs I took I could definitely notice a calming effect.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

stealthology said:


> Let me preface this post by saying I have taken Klonopin, Buspar, and beta blockers.
> 
> I definitely agree with this. For public speaking situations when I take only a benzo (as opposed to a benzo and beta blocker), I get the initially racing heart in the beginning, but my mind eventually calms me down. Benzo + beta blocker is just freakin amazing though. Just if I could feel like that on a regular basis. Adderall, benzo, and atenolol is incredible (for when you have something very important to make a speech on).
> 
> I've taken Buspar about 3 times over the past few weeks, and I was actually very pleased with the results. I felt very calm, and I could speak up during class (which I usually never have the balls to do). So many people say the drug is ineffective, but the 10mg tabs I took I could definitely notice a calming effect.


Thank u for sharing  Do you get headaches when taking Buspar?


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

So, like most I'm through with Buspar. I took it about five times on different occasions, don't think it did anything for my anxiety. But every time I took it, it gave me headaches, standable at first, but would progress to bad headaches that wouldn't go away till next morning.
So, my doctor gave me new medication (to take it for certain occasions, not daily), Clonazepam (Klonopin), haven't tried it yet. Is anyone taking it? What are the side effects you experience? Does it help you?


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

TATA said:


> So, like most I'm through with Buspar. I took it about five times on different occasions, don't think it did anything for my anxiety. But every time I took it, it gave me headaches, standable at first, but would progress to bad headaches that wouldn't go away till next morning.
> So, my doctor gave me new medication (to take it for certain occasions, not daily), Clonazepam (Klonopin), haven't tried it yet. Is anyone taking it? What are the side effects you experience? Does it help you?


Anyone? KLONOPIN?


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Is anyone taking it? Sometimes
What are the side effects you experience? None, although you may experience drowsiness.
Does it help you? Sometimes


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

jim_morrison said:


> Is anyone taking it? Sometimes
> What are the side effects you experience? None, although you may experience drowsiness.
> Does it help you? Sometimes


THank you for your response  Does it take the edge off? and does it make you feel high? (something I really don't want happening)


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Yeah it does take the edge off, and no it doesn't make me feel high nor euphoric, it can make some people somewhat drowsy though.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

I was thinking pindolol could be used to speed up response to buspar as 5HT1A autoreceptors antagonism should downregulate those receptors, thus still getting the benefits after stopping the pindolol.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

rocknroll714 said:


> Are you high?? lol.
> 
> Okay well.. first off, antagonism doesn't downregulate receptors (typically, some exceptions like with 5-HT2). Second.. combing an agonist and an antagonist together is just going to directly cancel their effects, autoreceptors or not.
> 
> ...


Apperantly in combination with a SSRI's 5HT1A antagonism does downregulate those receptors, so chances are this also happends when taking pindolol on its own.

Pindolol is a selective 5HT1A autoreceptor antagonist and doesnt act on the "normal receptors" so its only cancelling the bad effects caused by 5HT1A autoreceptor agonism).

Pindolol has been proven to accelerate respons to buspar and SSRI's, so its potent enough to do its job. So its proven not to cancel any effect out, quite the opposite.

And no i'm not high


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

rocknroll714 said:


> Trust me, pindolol is not selective for autoreceptors. It works on postsynaptic receptors as well. Several studies have called it 'autoreceptor-selective', but this is wholly inaccurate and its selectivity is merely a matter of dose (ligands are always typically something like 10x stronger on somatodendritic autoreceptors than on terminal receptors; hence, how the misleading term originated). As an example, it was used in combination with MDMA in some study to elucidate the role of the 5-HT1A [postsynaptic] receptor in MDMA's effects (a very poor choice if you ask me based on its weak partial agonism and lack of selectivity.. the results weren't very good either). And if anything the reason pindolol downregulates 5-HT1A autoreceptors is because of its weak intrinsic activity (by the way, source please?).


How to you explain the augmentation of buspar and SSRI's caused by pindolol then?


> Selective activation of postsynaptic 5-HT1A
> receptors induces rapid antidepressant response
> by
> Blier P; Bergeron R; de Montigny C
> ...





> Effects of sustained (+/-)pindolol administration
> on serotonin neurotransmission in rats
> by
> Haddjeri N, Blier P
> ...


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

rocknroll714 said:


> Hmm.. I never payed much attention to the whole pindolol augmenting SSRIs thing as I thought it was stupid due to pindolol's weak but nonetheless present intrinsic activity. I also recall reading that pindolol will only accelerate response rates, not actually enhance them once the SSRI has kicked in. I suppose I'll take a look into it a bit deeper later on.
> 
> In any case though, I should mention that even with a 5-HT1A antagonist used at a dose selective for autoreceptors, there isn't going to be anywhere near full occupancy of the autoreceptors (higher doses would saturate postsynaptic activity as well thereby defeating the purpose). Not to mention there are also the 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D autoreceptors that are involved (all three inhibit serotonergic activity projecting from the dorsal raphe nucleus to other areas involved in therapeutic response, with 5-HT1A playing the predominant role). Hence, the combination of an SSRI and a 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonist, or even with 5-HT1B/1D autoreceptor blockade as well, will never quite match the power and efficacy of a mere SRA alone.
> 
> P.S., I was apparently mistaken with buspirone. My bad!


I know it wont be all too potent, but the suggestion i was trying to make was that one could use pindolol to speed up the response to buspar, and once buspar works they could stop taking the pindolol. Not needing to wait so damn many weeks.

And yeah, nothing will beat a SRA. Pindolol and buspar are still on the "crappy" side.


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

*Drowsy on Klonopin*

Took Klonopin for the first time about half an hour ago. Feel drowsy. Is this feeling going to last untill the drug is out of my system? does it get any better? meaning feeling not so drawsy while the drug is still doing its thing?
I don't think i can do my presentations feeling dizzy like this..


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

TATA said:


> Took Klonopin for the first time about half an hour ago. Feel drowsy. Is this feeling going to last untill the drug is out of my system? does it get any better? meaning feeling not so drawsy while the drug is still doing its thing?
> I don't think i can do my presentations feeling dizzy like this..


in addition its making me feel sleepy


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