Hello, I have been on buspirone 5mg tablets at 3 times a day since the end of August,it is not mid October. About a week after taking it I went to the ER for chest pain. After EKG, blood tests, and chest X-ray nothing was found. Went for a follow up with my doctor and was told “it’s panic attacks”. I was put on 10mg of Celexa and it helps right along with the buspirone for my anxiety and panic attacks. The issue is, I still have the chest pain. Sometimes it’s mild and other days it’s awful, the pain does not radiate anywhere. I’ve tried antacids and it doesn’t help so I don’t think it’s heartburn either. It is what feels like a brick sitting between my breasts or like something like food is just stuck there constantly. None of my doctors seem concerned and just say anxiety. My therapist mentioned it maybe it’s from the buspirone? Has anyone else ever had chest pain from the buspirone? I’m losing my mind here and I know it’s not my anxiety.
Buspirone may be causing chest pain, anyone else ever experience this?
Question posted by Heather0588 on 15 Oct 2018
Last updated on 29 November 2021 by suemp123
8 Answers
What I feel is chest pressure, not so much pain. Like something heavy on my chest preventing me from taking deep breaths. I am also assured that this is an anxiety symptom... and not from the buspirone. I'm not convinced, because I didn't have this sensation before. Good luck, I hope it gets better soon.
Yes I’ve been having chest pain. It’s awful. My doctor keeps saying Buspirone doesn’t cause chest pain and that it’s anxiety. But I’ve never had chest pain when I have anxiety.
From the Drugs.com literature on the potential side effects of buspirone:
"Cardiovascular
Common (1% to 10% of users): Tachycardia/palpitations, chest pain"
I know this is old but I started taking buspirone around November. Since then, I’ve experienced chest discomfort. I wouldn’t say pain because it doesn’t hurt. But it it just so uncomfortable. It makes me take deep breaths from time to time, especially when I am laying down. I’ve been to dr numerous times an had EKG, X ray, and blood tests and absolutely nothing bad comes back. After seeing others experiencing chest pain, I am starting to wonder if that is a common symptom.
I just stumbled upon this and I am very curious! I started buspar about 5 weeks ago, and one week later got sick with chest pain and shortness of breath - which I thought was covid-19. Two weeks and two negative covid tests later and I got diagnosed with costochondritis, which is an inflamed chest wall. I also got a chest x-ray and EKG and they were both normal! I know that chest pain is a rare side effect of buspar but after seeing this thread I am going to try going off of it for a few days to see if that helps!
Hi, I know this is an old thread but I was recently put on Buspirone and I too am experiencing chest pains. It started on the side of my armpit then my arms occasionally & comes over to the side of my chest. I also get random bouts of aching/tingling. I had an EKG & it turned out normal which is a relief!
Hello! My chest pain with the buspirone was right in the middle of my chest. I did stop taking it and my chest pain stopped. I’d talk to your doctor about it. I switched doctors and the new one did tell me it’s very uncommon to get the chest pain with the buspirone but it does occasionally happen. It helped my anxiety tremendously but unfortunately it wasn’t worth living with the terrible chest pain everyday.
A few years ago, I was taking generic Wellbutrin SR for anxiety/depression. I was taking 300mgs daily in divided doses. I started having chest pains and increased anxiety. I was afraid I was going to have a heart attack! Went to the ER with chest pains. I was not doing well at that dose of Wellbutrin even though that is the dose I was on for several years prior to that. My dose was lowered to 150mgs daily and I was fine. Maybe a dose adjustment is in order, until your body adjusts, then perhaps you could build up to the dose you are presently taking without the chest pains at that time.
Good suggestion. I started out at twice daily of 5mg each time. Sadly it did absolutely nothing for my anxiety. So I got bumped up to the theee times a day and it helps tremendously but about 2 weeks after starting that does I got the chest pain. Not fun. Just hurt in the center and I swore I was gonna die. Now I try to ignore it and but it’s hard some days. I’m gonna take a short break from the buspirone and hope it goes away so that I can tell my doctor I know for sure it’s that and not panic attacks. I’m scared to go back down to twice a day tho because it doesn’t work well in that dosage.
Maybe you could try cutting your pills in half and take 2.5 mgs three times a day until your body adjusts to the higher dose. Maybe 3 times a day at a lower dose would work better for you than trying to take 5mgs twice a day to start off, then increase in a couple of weeks, allowing your body to adjust in the meantime.
Maybe. I’m new to meds so it’s all a little foreign to me. I go to my Doctor next Tuesday so I’m definitely going to suggest something different. It just stinks because it works so well for me other than that chestpain. Or maybe it’s not the meds at all and is something else entirely. I just found it a bit to much a coincidence that it started not long after starting the meds.
If you think you are going to like this medication, I think that by cutting the pills in half and continue to take it 3 times a day at the lower dose would allow your body to get used to it. Then in a week or two or three, you could raise the dose back up to 5mgs three times a day. I have taken buspar successfully for a long time and it has worked wonderfully well on my anxiety/panic issues. It is so much safer than taking benzos and can be taken for a long period of time with no long term side effects. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice! Definitely gonna try that out! And yes the buspirone works great for my anxiety and panic attacks as well. Has even helped with my OCD. Thanks so much for replying. I didn’t even think about the fact that sometimes our body needs to build up a tolerance.
I'm going to answer a question with a question. Do you have fibromyalgia? If you do it's the fibro, nothing dangerous, just another side effect.
When i was on Wellbutrin It gave me anxiety. One way to fine out! Go off for three days and see.
I hope you get to the bottom of it, thats a scary and uncomfortable side effect no matter where it comes from.
Honestly, I have no clue if I have Fibromyalgia. It was brought up in conversation at the doctor once but I wasn’t there for that so it wasn’t spoken about in detail. And I took my last dose at 6:45am and gonna not take it for a little bit. So we shall see. And do you mean the fibromyalgia would cause the chest pain or would cause the buspirone to make the fibro flare up and present as the chest pain?!
Related topics
anxiety, pain, panic disorder, buspirone, chest pain, chest
Further information
- Buspirone uses and safety info
- Buspirone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Buspirone (detailed)
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