BuSpar and Headaches: What Users Say

• Ste...
• November 16, 2014

For Anxiety "I started taking BuSpar about a year ago for anxiety/panic attacks. I've taken benzodiazepines in the past, but having an addictive personality, I had to stop those. BuSpar saved my life. I have no fear, paranoia, or low self-esteem anymore. I used to feel like the world was out to get me and that I was being judged by everyone no matter where I went. I used to have the most crippling social anxiety too, I'd avoid social situations because the anxiety was so bad. Luckily, BuSpar erased all of that for me. Anxiety still creeps up here and there, but it is absolutely nowhere close to being as bad as it was before. No side effects. I love it and will take it for a long time. At first, I did get headaches but they went away a couple of days later. Love it."

• aci...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 18, 2020

For Anxiety "BuSpar DOES help with anxiety, but if you have another comorbid illness like depression, it might feel like it is not helping in that area. I was on this medication for a few months and my anxiety felt really better, but my depression was still bothering me a lot, so I was switched to Zoloft. BuSpar helped me with the palpitations and chest pain related to anxiety. I felt like I could think better and even breathe better. It was a great medication. The only downside to it is that you can get headaches or brain zaps if you forget a dose, so put an alarm on your phone!"

• Mou...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 16, 2015

For Anxiety "My son is in high school and has taken this for 7 months. It changed his life. His anxiety over school was out of control to the point he had to be integrated back into school. He tried Ativan and had horrible side effects, and he was reluctant to try anything else after that. After about 3 months on the BuSpar, he walks tall into school. No more looking over his shoulder or panic attacks out of nowhere. We wish he would've taken this years ago. The only side effect he complains of is tiredness and occasional headache. The tiredness was more so in the beginning. Those side effects are minuscule compared to his anxiety before taking BuSpar."

• 890...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2016

For Anxiety "I initially was prescribed this a few months ago at 10 mg 3xd, but it made me headachy and almost made my anxiety worse, so I quit taking it. I cannot take benzos, and recently am having more problems with anxiety, so I'm trying it at 5 mg 3xd. Now I see what others have been talking positively about. It's very subtle, but apparently I was just taking too much for my system before. So far, so good."

• Pan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I am taking 1.0 mg of Xanax 2 hours before I drive to and from work. My general panic turned into a specific phobia of driving on the highways about 2 years ago. My doctor wanted me to try BuSpar, 15 mg twice a day, to try to get off the Xanax. It gave me massive headaches, blurred vision, made me very sad (I am normally a very happy, positive person), and did nothing to help my panic. I have been on many SSRIs, Paxil helped me for years and then suddenly stopped working. I gave BuSpar a shot and regret it. The worst side effects of any medication I have ever tried."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2020

For Anxiety "I wouldn’t say this medicine is horrible, but it didn’t help me. I feel like this is for people with very mild anxiety. My anxiety is very high, so it only helped a little. It made me dizzy and gave me a headache. I tried it for 8 days and stopped. I’m now on Zoloft 25mg and really liking it so far."

• Jes...
• March 18, 2016

For Anxiety "I suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This medicine has proven to be a great alternative over a benzo. Being non-habit-forming is the best part. I do get headaches and fatigue, but it is better than the side effects associated with benzo. I recommend this to anyone looking for a non-addictive alternative to Xanax."

• Jac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 6, 2022

For Anxiety "Buspirone saved my life! Several times in the past years. It's a lifesaver and life changer. I was terrified to start taking it at first due to the horrible reviews I would read, but everyone's different. And I really needed help with my severe anxiety/panic attacks, so I started taking it and hoped for the best. It was the best decision I've made. I started taking 7.5 mg twice a day and felt the difference the next day, taking 15 mg twice a day when needed to. I had mild side effects for the first week: headaches, tiredness, vivid dreams, but all tolerable. The first 3 days being the worst, but went away. Within the first week, I felt so much better and just got better after that. Felt more calm, less anxiety, no overthinking, no more intrusive thoughts, better sleep, and it's not habit forming, which is a plus for me. It really works, I recommend it if you really want to help yourself. Don't be scared of the side effects or reviews and push through it. It really works. I'm so thankful for it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2013

For Anxiety "I'm 31-year-old female, and have been taking BuSpar for anxiety and panic for three months, and have decided to discontinue. It took roughly 3 weeks before I noticed a difference. I am slower to irritate, less agitated, and can better manage the constant nagging sensation of anxiety. I've been sleeping better, but really require a full night's sleep or else I'm drowsy all day. And I've been more at ease with new people. These changes have certainly been positive but minimal. Lately, every day, 2 times a day about 20 minutes after my dose (10mg twice a day) I would get a ringing headache, body shocks, and dizziness or nausea. I thought this would go away, but it hasn't, and it is getting to the point that my anxiety level is increasing."

• Rob...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 9, 2022

For Anxiety "Unfortunately, nothing works for my anxiety except benzodiazepines, but those are controlled and have a bad rep for being abused and sold on the streets. So now I’m on Vraylar, Pristiq, Wellbutrin, Trileptal, BuSpar, and gabapentin instead of just benzos. I’m on expensive maintenance drugs, which have caused me to gain weight, get acne, develop tremors, brain zaps, headaches, and nausea. Thanks, doc, for drugging me up really good."

• ora...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2015

For Anxiety "I was prescribed BuSpar a few months ago after consistent failures with various benzos. I took 10mg x day for a while and felt nothing, went up to 20mg x day and kind of felt something, and basically I am now on 40mg x day and I can finally feel it working. It has helped significantly with my anxiety and has relieved the sexual side effects from Prozac. I take my second dose of the day at night with my Trazodone, and it has completely eradicated my fluctuating tolerance issues with the Trazodone. I never got the brain zaps, but I occasionally get long-lasting headaches, bouts of anger, and fairly awful nightmares. Other than that, it has helped with my GAD quite a bit and is generally more helpful than not."

• Hal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2016

For Anxiety "I have taken BuSpar for 5 months, prescribed max dose of 15 mg 4 times a day. It took a couple of weeks to actually notice the difference. I don't feel like a zombie after taking it. I really just came to the realization one day while driving to work, an activity that used to leave me recovering from an anxiety attack, was suddenly a very simple task. My social anxiety has improved significantly. It's very subtle, but after sticking with it, I can look back and see that it changed my life. It does make me sleepy, in a walking-around functioning while yawning kind of way, and I get a lot of headaches. The good definitely outweighs the bad. I can take a lower dosage on easy days and still have a positive outcome. I also take 150 mg of Zoloft and 25 mg of Wellbutrin."

• Int...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2015

For Anxiety "I have been taking BuSpar and Celexa, and as far as the anxiety, it has helped me a lot. I was having bad heart palpitations, and it's gone. No more headaches either. What I did was I started taking Celexa at night, and I take BuSpar 2-3 times a day. I can't say I'm completely okay because the Celexa needs to be in your system at least 6-8 weeks before you start feeling better. I'm feeling a little better, and not having anxiety truly helps. I still haven't been able to go to work because of how scared I am to get an anxiety attack, but I'm already starting to consider it. Believe me when I tell you I was on the verge of being committed. Give it a chance, not all our systems are the same. Good luck."

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2016

For Anxiety "It didn't help at all with the panic attacks and actually made my anxiety worse. The first few weeks, it would just put me to sleep. After four weeks, I became very depressed and had suicidal thoughts constantly throughout the day. It gave me horrible headaches, it made me really dizzy all the time, and I felt lightheaded and nauseous often. After four weeks, I could not sleep at all, and my anxiety increased along with the panic attacks. I don't recommend this medicine for anyone who has suffered PTSD or who has had high anxiety levels for a long time. It just makes things worse. After five weeks, I stopped taking this medication, I could no longer handle the side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2012

For Anxiety "Female, 21 years old. I have had severe anxiety attacks for the past 2 years, OCD since I can remember, and feel like I can't breathe when I think about the what-ifs. I was on Prozac for a few months and absolutely loved it until I started grinding my teeth in my sleep. I tried the BuSpar. I've been on it for 2 1/2 weeks. It took most of my anxiety away, but I got so dizzy I couldn't stand it (15 mg). I started halving the pills, it still makes me dizzy. It gives me headaches and doesn't help with the stress or obsessive-compulsive disorder. My doctor is adding Paxil to the BuSpar, and hopefully, it'll help more."

• Dut...
• July 27, 2019

For Anxiety "I have used BuSpar, on and off for 8 or more years. I take 15 mgs per day, and it works for me. I would describe its action as mildly sedative. I still take Ativan if things go south. Side effects are slight weight gain, occasional headaches, and some eye twitching."

• Anonymous
• January 12, 2010

For Anxiety "I started taking BuSpar for my anxiety, and it made me very dizzy and tired. It also made my arms tingle, and I started getting terrible headaches every time I took it. My anxiety just got worse while taking it because I was worried about the side effects it was causing."

• Ted...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2019

For Anxiety "I used this drug for anxiety, and it did not help the anxiety, but it did cause an asthma attack, which I had never had before and have never had since. It was terrifying. I also experienced severe headaches."

• Unk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2017

For Anxiety "I've had panic and general anxiety for years. It's been exacerbated by hormonal changes and menopause, and I've had major trouble getting a full night's sleep. I have used Xanax occasionally and love the way it eliminates my anxiety, but I don't want to get addicted. My doc had me try a low dose of BuSpar, and it didn't work for me at all. It gave me a horrendous headache, very, very painful. I tried it for about three days and had the same experience every time. I had to stop taking it since this side effect was debilitating. I was hoping it would work for me, and I'm so glad it works for others. Just putting my experience out there in case others have this problem. I'm trying Celexa now instead and have learned to limit Xanax usage."

• tra...
• January 19, 2019

For Anxiety "My new doctor wanted me off Xanax .05 twice a day and to take Buspirone instead. I have been on the antidepressant Effexor for 14 years. I am on Gabapentin for severe sciatica and have liver cirrhosis. So I have to be careful what I take. My medication was working great for me, and then I started on Buspirone, and in two days, I became aggressive and then also felt buzzed and felt no way could I get behind the wheel of a car. This was a bad drug for me. Here the doctor is against Xanax, which I take for anxiety .05 2x a day, and it keeps me calm without feeling any dizziness, etc., and puts me on Buspirone, which made my head feel drunk. I am a recovered alcoholic for 5 years, and this drug does not work for me at all. If it is used for drug addictions, I can see why. It makes you feel high. I did not like the feeling or the headache I got the next day. I am going back to the doctor."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2018

For Anxiety "I started the medication for my anxiety and bipolar. The first dose was not bad, but the second dose took me 2 hours before I could get up, I was so dizzy and lightheaded. It made my panic attacks worse and I felt so spaced out. I have a terrible headache that keeps coming and going."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2021

For Anxiety "I was afraid to try something new. So afraid I had this RX for a month before trying it. I felt it instantly, starting at 5 mg a day for 1.5 weeks. I got headaches the first week and mild dizziness within and ending the first 30 minutes. I felt irritated and like it wasn’t working. My psychiatrist moved me to 2-5 mg and then to 3-5 mg a day. By week 2, I felt better about driving again and went into a store for the first time in a while. I just hit week 3 and will move to 10 mg in the AM, 5 mg at lunch, and 5 mg around 3 or I have trouble going to sleep. It has been working well and hopefully will continue to work. I need to get back to everyday comfort and be able to not only live a good life for myself but also for my kids and husband."

• Anonymous
• November 27, 2011

For Anxiety "I've been on BuSpar for about 6 weeks. At first, I had headaches that turned into migraines. After taking 15 mg in the AM, 15 in the PM as prescribed, I no longer have experienced anxiety attacks and handle stress much better."

• blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2020

For Anxiety "On the first two days of BuSpar, I had constipation, then nightmares all night long. Like the worst nightmare of your life every night. Brain zaps. Waking up, laying there. Apathy. Borderline nausea all day. Headaches. Then started to feel like someone was tapping on my brain. Had enough when I started crying uncontrollably."

• red...
• September 23, 2011

For Anxiety "I've been taking BuSpar for about a week and a half now and haven't really seen any dramatic results so far. I started out taking a 15 mg pill in the morning and a 15 mg pill in the evening, being a total of 30 mg total. This gave me awful headaches, and I started experiencing lightheadedness. I bumped my dosage down to half of that now and am currently feeling better when it comes to the side effects. Hopefully, by the 3rd or 4th week, I will get the full effect from this medicine."