![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by anxiety_free on November 29, 2004, at 21:05:03
My shrink recently decided that instead of benzos, I should take BuSpar. I thought, well, fine...this'll do. So I was Rx'd 30mgs/day of BuSpar to start and given instructions on how to taper benzos. Problem is...the BuSpar gives me headaches (they're not withdrawal headaches) and screws up my stimulant...it just kills off the stimulating effect. Frustrating. And while a tab makes me feel kind of placid for a while, its really not that great for anxiety. What do I do? I'm all for taking non-benzos, but it'd be nice if this one would work. I've tried Neurontin and it was a no-go...what else is there? Gabitril? Any input is GREATY appreciated.
Posted by Phillipa on November 29, 2004, at 22:33:58
In reply to Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by anxiety_free on November 29, 2004, at 21:05:03
I hate to tell you this, but according to past discussions on this board, Buspar has a poor track record, and if you have been on benzos it doesn't work. Refer back to Archives. Phillipa
Posted by jujube on November 29, 2004, at 22:38:52
In reply to Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by anxiety_free on November 29, 2004, at 21:05:03
I don't have much experience with Buspar. I tried it a number of years ago, but did not get any effect from it. However, I probably did not give it enough time to kick in. I have been told that it can take from 3 to 4 week for it to take effect (similar to an antidepressant), and there could well be start up side effects (again like an antidepressant). I don't know if Buspar would ever be considered as effective as a benzo, but that is only my opinion. Others may be differing views about its effectiveness.
Tamara
> My shrink recently decided that instead of benzos, I should take BuSpar. I thought, well, fine...this'll do. So I was Rx'd 30mgs/day of BuSpar to start and given instructions on how to taper benzos. Problem is...the BuSpar gives me headaches (they're not withdrawal headaches) and screws up my stimulant...it just kills off the stimulating effect. Frustrating. And while a tab makes me feel kind of placid for a while, its really not that great for anxiety. What do I do? I'm all for taking non-benzos, but it'd be nice if this one would work. I've tried Neurontin and it was a no-go...what else is there? Gabitril? Any input is GREATY appreciated.
Posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 10:36:59
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work? » anxiety_free, posted by jujube on November 29, 2004, at 22:38:52
By the same tolken, AD's are not as effective as benzo's for many anxiety disorders.
Linkadge
Posted by ravenstorm on November 30, 2004, at 10:39:58
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work? » anxiety_free, posted by jujube on November 29, 2004, at 22:38:52
I am also considering trying buspar. Apparently it can take four to six weeks to work.(It is not immediate acting like a benzo) ARe you suppossed to take it twice or three times a day?
I had/have a thread going currently about other options for anxiety that you might want to check out. People gave lots of suggestions (Most were positive and helpful, a few were not)
Some suggestions that people gave me were: gabatril, beta blockers (ie inderal etc), lamictal etc I have not decided what I want to torture myself with next as I'm still coming off the disastrous WB and remeron mixture. (Well, dropped WB anyway). But soon I'm going to have to get back on the merry go round and it was good to get some suggestions to check out and take to my pdoc.
How long have you been trying the buspar? Any side effects? There actually have been some people who have had success with it (according to their ratings on remedyfind.com) but the anecdotal evidence certainly seems to be thumbs down (but maybe nobody stayed on it the full start up period??)
Good luck to you!
Posted by jujube on November 30, 2004, at 10:47:03
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 10:36:59
I agree. The question is, however, would you or anyone else consider Buspar a "true" benzo?
> By the same tolken, AD's are not as effective as benzo's for many anxiety disorders.
>
> Linkadge
>
Posted by ravenstorm on November 30, 2004, at 12:37:30
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work? » linkadge, posted by jujube on November 30, 2004, at 10:47:03
I wouldn't consider buspar similar to a benzo at all. Since it works on serotonin it would be more similar to an AD (Isn't it a 5HT1 agaonist? Please, please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't know much about this drug!). Thats why it doesn't work on an as needed basis.
I think if people take buspar hoping that it will feel or work like a benzo they are wrong. Similarly, I think if a pdoc thinks this will take the place of a benzo, they may be misguided as well. But what the heck do I know.
Posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 14:39:36
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work? » linkadge, posted by jujube on November 30, 2004, at 10:47:03
Buspar would be more SSRI like then Benzo like.
It has no anticonvulsant properties. It basically acts as a serotonin agonist, meaning it activates a single serotonin receptor (as opposed to SSRI's which activate every serotonin receptor)
It can actually have some AD properties as well.
Linkadge
Posted by zeugma on November 30, 2004, at 16:20:31
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 14:39:36
> Buspar would be more SSRI like then Benzo like.
>
> It has no anticonvulsant properties. It basically acts as a serotonin agonist, meaning it activates a single serotonin receptor (as opposed to SSRI's which activate every serotonin receptor)
>
> It can actually have some AD properties as well.
>
>
> LinkadgeI would say that buspirone is an AD instead of anything resembling a benzodiazepine. But it can be unpredictable due to its many CNS effects (besides stimulating the 5HT-1A receptor, it is a weak D2 antagonist, and its metabolite 1-PP is an alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist, similar to Remeron). It was first investigated as a neuroleptic, and I experienced a neuroleptic-like lethargy when I tried to go above 30 mg/day on it. I currently use it to stave off cataplectic attacks at night, at a dosage of 15 mg (that's not a usage in the PDR, but I discovered this on my own). It is a very imperfect drug, but it 'works'- it's a blend of weak AD and weak AP. Unfortunately, that's not what most people are looking for, least of all the severe anxiety patients who are most likely to be prescribed it.
Posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 18:02:20
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work? » linkadge, posted by zeugma on November 30, 2004, at 16:20:31
I think it would be a very usefull adjunctive to current antipsychotics. Clozapine's proposed utility in treating the negative symptoms of schitsophrenia is it's 5-ht1a agonism.
If the safer zyprexa was combined with buspar, lower doses of zyprexa might be needed (to achieve optimal d2 blocade) and some of the negative symptoms might be more effectivly treated
with the alpha-2 antagonism and 5-ht1a agonism.
Linkadge
Posted by shiz on December 1, 2004, at 11:24:26
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by linkadge on November 30, 2004, at 14:39:36
i think it works for me, i have been on it for about 2 months now, i use to cry at night and go to the doctor because i was having anxiety attacks and i think it is working,
Posted by ravenstorm on December 1, 2004, at 23:07:59
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by shiz on December 1, 2004, at 11:24:26
Wow! Great information everybody!
Shiz, how much do you take and how often? Any side effects?
Also, does anybody know if this drug has a withdrawal syndrome? I thought I read its half life is only three hours. . .is this true?? If so, does it have some metabolites that hang around longer?
Posted by Donna Louise on December 2, 2004, at 21:57:29
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by ravenstorm on December 1, 2004, at 23:07:59
I didn't think it worked for me until I stopped taking it. So I can say now that yes, it does help quite a bit. It seems to have no side effects for me and my pdoc says it can be discontinued without withdrawal. I take it with an SSRI though, it is not enough on its own and neither is the SSRI. Unless the SSRI is paxil which I no longer take. I take 10mg of buspar twice a day.
Posted by biohazard2 on December 3, 2004, at 15:34:10
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by Donna Louise on December 2, 2004, at 21:57:29
buspar did nothing for me, i think of it as a placebo really. worthless.
i am having better luck with the anti-anxiety effects of 20mg of lexapro.
Posted by ravenstorm on December 3, 2004, at 18:04:05
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?, posted by biohazard2 on December 3, 2004, at 15:34:10
Yes, I have heard that buspar is more likely to work added to another antidepressant and doesn't tend to work well as a stand alone drug.
What happened when you tried to stop taking it?
Posted by Donna Louise on December 3, 2004, at 18:17:27
In reply to Re: Does BuSpar ever work?donna louise, posted by ravenstorm on December 3, 2004, at 18:04:05
> Yes, I have heard that buspar is more likely to work added to another antidepressant and doesn't tend to work well as a stand alone drug.
>
> What happened when you tried to stop taking it?I began to get irritable, jumpy, and worried about everything. Alot of obsessive thinking. And this is all with an SSRI. Without both of them you can just find me in the bed..crying. Because we are all going to die and just in general.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.