# Switching from Paxil to Buspar?



## jenladell (Mar 18, 2010)

*Straight to the point:* Can I wean myself off Paxil, increase the Buspar over time and eventually use ONLY the Buspar? I see people use it with SSRIs, but will it work by itself?


*Why I'm asking:*
I've been on generic Paxil for 7 years, and I want to switch to something else because I've acquired memory issues (something I've read is common with long term Paxil use). I've been talking to my doc about it, he's mentioned all the other drugs but I'm too scared to switch. Paxil pretty much saved me, and I really don't want to go back to who I was. He prescribed Buspar to take if I'm feeling especially anxious and need to calm down, but from what I've researched, that's not how it works. I've been taking it twice a day for a few days now, and I feel better, which makes me wonder if it's psychological, or if it actually DOES work the way he said it would. If it's basically a sugar pill and my life will screw up once I lower the Paxil, I don't even want to try it. I know Buspar has been discussed here a while ago, but I didn't find what I was looking for.

I'd appreciate any insight or experiences, thank you.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

jenladell said:


> He prescribed Buspar to take if I'm feeling especially anxious and need to calm down, but from what I've researched, that's not how it works.


You're 100% correct. Buspar isn't a drug one takes for rapid relief of anxiety on an as-needed (PRN) basis. Buspar typically takes weeks to reach full effect. It's not a benzo and, unlike benzos, doesn't reach peak effect within an hour or two. Benzos are the pills one would take in the manner Dr. Clueless suggested.

Buspar is a rather infamous drug, with many feeling it works as well as a sugar pill. Some do indeed report benefit from it, but there is no psych med I can think of that's more widely viewed by both patients & doctors as ineffective. 




jenladell said:


> I've been taking it twice a day for a few days now, and I feel better, which makes me wonder if it's psychological, or if it actually DOES work the way he said it would.


Yes, it certainly could be placebo effect and if I had to bet, I'd put my money on that. But patients vary so greatly in response to meds that I know the only truly accurate answer is that you have to try it yourself and find out what it does for YOU. I've tried it and could tell you it's a sugar pill to me, but that doesn't tell us what, if anything, it will do for YOU.




jenladell said:


> If it's basically a sugar pill and my life will screw up once I lower the Paxil, I don't even want to try it.


Unfortunately, this again is one of those "you gotta try it yourself" things. Paxil failed to work for me, so I rapidly stopped it without problem, yet I read of others who have found Paxil withdrawal to be a level in Dante's Inferno. One would hate to have you stop and end up worse off, but without trying to lower the Paxil dose there is no way to know what effect doing so will have on you.

Have you tried other SSRIs in the past? Perhaps another SSRI would work for you without causing the memory problems? But again, you'd have to take the gamble of trying it to find out.

Unfortunately, meds are largely a game of trial & error, often with a whole lot of very frustrating error.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

What dose of Buspar are you taking? My understanding of the drug is that the vast majority of physicians prescribe doses far too low. Supposedly you really need to be taking AT LEAST the maximum FDA-approved dose of 60mg (if I remember correctly) to get much effect at all.


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## arth98 (Nov 30, 2009)

many consider buspar useless helping no more than placebo effect
it wont replace paxil
why not gradually taper off paxil and take valium as needed then


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

arth98 said:


> why not gradually taper off paxil and take valium as needed then


What are the odds of getting Valium or any other benzo out of a doc who seems to like Buspar? Buspar is the sissy alternative for sissy docs not brave enough to prescribe benzos.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

UltraShy said:


> What are the odds of getting Valium or any other benzo out of a doc who seems to like Buspar? Buspar is the sissy alternative for sissy docs not brave enough to prescribe benzos.


Lol, true dat.


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## The Strong Silent Type (Sep 24, 2009)

I like the idea of Buspar, but it rarely helps social anxiety. If it helped me just a little bit I would be off benzos. I don't like pill popping when I get anxious.


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## arth98 (Nov 30, 2009)

you are too proud and stubborn, IMO
excessive pride stops many of us getting better

life is not a dress rehursal:idea


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

UltraShy said:


> What are the odds of getting Valium or any other benzo out of a doc who seems to like Buspar? Buspar is the sissy alternative for sissy docs not brave enough to prescribe benzos.


Right... I was originally treated by my GP for 6 months while waiting to get into the local outpatient mental health clinic (only way to get free talk therapy here), have been seeing my psychiatrist for 2 years, have had multiple consults with 2 different leading experts in the country in their field, and even did this "case conference" thing usually reserved for a single refractory inpatient (not that my psychiatrist didn't try to make me admit myself...) every Friday where I was interviewed in front of the hospital's ENTIRE mental health staff so that they could get as many ideas as possible in both evaluating me and suggesting treatment options.

All in all, I've gotten the opinions of maybe 15 psychiatrists and about an equal number of therapists (psychologists and LCSWs), as well as my GP who's reasonably educated in the field all things considered.

The reason I mention all that is to give you an idea of how significant it is when I say that I have never even HEARD a doctor mention Buspar, not as a recommendation, not in passing, not even when talking about another patient or overheard between two doctors. NEVER.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

The water I was drinking when I took BuSpar helped me more with social anxiety than the BuSpar.


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## jenladell (Mar 18, 2010)

Hmmm...I think I've read everything I needed to! I'm still on 15mg of Buspar a day, very very slowly weaning off the Paxil BUT I've decided to start taking a B-complex, Valerian Root, and Inositol. If those help more I'll probably quit taking the Buspar abruptly and continue to wean off the Paxil. I've read that other SSRIs also cause memory issues, so my goal is to be completely natural, if possible! And hopefully get some Valium or Xanax for intense situations.

Thank you everyone for your help!


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

I was on buspar WITH an SNRI i never took it on its own
although to be honest it did not do that much and i was on it for a good six months.
The side effects for me were extreme headaches, tiredness and the dreaded weight gain, seriously is it so hard to produce an antidepressant or anxiety drug that does not cause weight gain or increased appetite????

Other than Effexor and good old Benzodiazepines i have yet to take a pill that does not pile on the pounds, the old SSRI's did, the Antipsychotics and the Buspar did, and not just for me but my friend leslie was also put on them and she could not get out of bed to work, she said they were awful


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

sadboy said:


> The water I was drinking when I took BuSpar helped me more with social anxiety than the BuSpar.


hahahah OMG i love it so true :clap:boogie

Sorry for double posting


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