BuSpar and Panic Attacks: What Users Say

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2020

For Anxiety "I took BuSpar for two days. On the first day, my sleep was not deep and I had weird dreams. On the second day, I had a massive panic attack after my third dose of 5mg and was unable to sleep at all that night. It was a horrendous experience. It is an awful drug for me."

• Pun...
• March 11, 2014

For Anxiety "This panic attacks all hit me in August. It was December before they figured out it was anxiety because I had other medical issues, wrong sickness. They started me out on Zoloft, I was allergic. Then some other meds that had bad side effects. Finally, my doctors tried me out on BuSpar. Finally, after weeks of getting the right dosage, I have been awesome and healthy for over a month. This pill has given my life back, I was so bad I couldn't go into stores. Now I go every day and shop. This pill is awesome, it took over a month to build up for me. It was worth the wait, I feel so good, I stopped it for 4 days, had a panic attack, then went back on, and I plan on taking this."

• Whi...
• November 26, 2013

For Anxiety "This replaced benzodiazepines and sleeping pills, gives better rest, improved sex drive, decidedly improved social life. I'm 46m, prescribed 15mg x2 daily. Others noted the improvements first. I had no untoward side effects other than dry mouth and a few lingering panic attacks per month easily handled by low dose Xanax 0.5 mg. Various SSRIs along the way didn't help with depression this much. 5 years running. It works well."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2020

For Anxiety "BuSpar should be classified as a hallucinogenic drug! I took it for one day (15 mg) with Zoloft to get off Ativan. It made me lightheaded, nauseous, nervous, speedy, and when I tried to sleep, I saw terrible images moving around in my head. I couldn't sleep at all! These awful hallucinations gave me panic attacks. I was so scared! I also had some uncontrolled jerky movements of my limbs when lying down. I called the nurse line for help because I could not reach my psychiatrist. This experience was a nightmare! I also read an FDA report that stated that BuSpar can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, uncontrolled involuntary jerking movements of the face and body. Who wants that? Do not take it!"

• nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2022

For Anxiety "Second time trying BuSpar and it's still awful. My doctor is convinced I didn't give it a fair shot. This doctor didn't listen to what I said happened, only assumed. So here I am again, taking it 10 days straight and am having awful attacks. Taking one 15 mg tab every night before bed, still I couldn't fall asleep, it wired me. I am just stuck awake with worse anxiety than ever. I was told it 'would help with panic attacks, anxiety, and my sleep issues.' Instead, this makes my head feel like a balloon and makes my thoughts go into overload, resulting in more anxiety and panic attacks. I can't believe my doctor would make me try this crud again. I have called them explaining it's making me feel worse, and they say, 'got to give it time.' I just told them, look, I'm done. 10 days and previous trial. I don't want nasty side effects. You said call if I have issues, I did. I need a med that relieves panic attacks, not one increasing them!?' I'm going to find a real doctor or go to Mexico."

• Ala...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 28, 2019

For Anxiety "If I could give this medication a rating of 0, I would. Took this for 8 months. 5 mg three times a day. It took my anxiety away at first, but then everything got much, much worse. The doctor told me to double my dose since panic was coming back into my life. This drug made me feel high and very uncomfortable. It made my panic attacks worse than they had ever been. I began getting very confused and unaware of places I was at. I began getting panic attacks every single day and started missing work. I decided to quit cold turkey. Couldn’t get out of bed for days. My brain had a constant fog over it. It took a solid week to where I felt normal again. I would never recommend this drug to anyone. Stopping this medication was the best thing I could have ever done."

• Nat...
• January 22, 2020

For Panic Disorder "Woke up having the worst panic attack of my life on day 2 of this medication. Not paired with anything else, this is the last day I’ll be taking it. It’s a horrible feeling to wake up feeling like you are having a heart attack and not being able to breathe."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

For Anxiety "Been on 10 mg BuSpar twice daily for 2 days. I have already experienced terrible insomnia on both nights. First night, I was able to get 4 hours of broken sleep. Second night, did not sleep one wink. Experienced a panic attack last night, along with an increased heart rate and racing thoughts. The thought of continuing on with this drug is unbearable."

• Nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2019

For Anxiety "Nope! I was prescribed BuSpar 15 mg at a dose of 1 tablet 3 times a day. A nightmare for sure. After the first few initial days and it getting in my system, that nightmare began! Side effects of not sleeping over 3-4 hours a night. Shaking inside and out, dizzy and faint, full-blown panic attacks, pacing the floor, and body having to keep moving to stop that feeling of jumping out of my skin (Akathisia)!! Tried BuSpar for 3 weeks and gained 9 lbs and more anxiety than before."

• Ban...
• August 9, 2021

For Anxiety "I suffer from moderate social anxiety and severe GAD. I have struggled for years and have tried just about any SSRI and SNRI that is on the market, and none of them worked for me. My doctor finally decided to try this. I work in a pharmacy and see very few patients that take this drug, so I never really thought much of it. She started me at 15 mg twice a day. I've been on it for a few months now, and I've increased my dose to 30 mg twice daily, and the world of difference that this drug has made is life-changing. I used to get so upset, angry, and overwhelmed over the smallest things so suddenly and have panic attacks. I could never shut off my brain, this has changed my life. Just like any other drug, it may work for me and not for others. If nothing else has worked for you and you feel like you've lost hope in finding something that can help, this drug is more than worth trying."

• Guy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2016

For Anxiety "I was taking Ativan from a friend for my slight anxiety issue. It was 1 mg. I stopped it for two weeks, started getting weird feelings in my head. Then had a panic attack for the first time. Turns out I'm addicted to the Ativan. My doctor gave me 0.5 Ativan, it didn't stop the attacks and couldn't function right. I had to take a full 1 mg to function. Whenever I don't take it, I get a panic attack. Well, my PCP gave me BuSpar, and I've been doing better. I've been on it two days, he wants me to take 15 mg four times a day, but that's too much. I take 7.5 and feel normal. Taking a full 15 mg is a no-no. But at the right dosage, it works. Hopefully soon to kick the Ativan out. I've missed work because of this Ativan problem. I don't suggest taking any benzodiazepines."

• Mel...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 15, 2017

For Anxiety "I left a review a while back, but now I have to revise it. When I first started taking BuSpar, I was happy with it, but then it stopped working for me. I'm now on the max dosage of 60 mg. I take 30 mg in the morning and 30 mg in the evening, but it is not helping me at all. I still have very bad anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia. Since it isn't doing anything for me, I will probably stop taking it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2021

For Anxiety "This medication was a total nightmare for me. I went from having generalized anxiety to, after taking it for about a week, having MAJOR panic and anxiety 24/7, sleeplessness, moodiness - it was terrible. I had to stop taking it after 2 weeks. While I don’t doubt at all that it does work for some (I read these reviews and remained cautiously optimistic) - it DID NOT work for me. Just goes to show how unique and different brain chemistry is for people."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2022

For Anxiety "I started this drug at 10 mg TID after being on Wellbutrin for 2 years for anxiety and losing effectiveness. I felt fine the first two days, but on day three, I felt very nauseous, dizzy, loss of appetite, and just overall 'off.' On the fourth day, I had the worst panic attack I've ever had, and I haven't had a panic attack in over 5 years. I had full body tremors, palpitations, confusion/difficulty concentrating, unable to focus, photophobia for over 3 hours following the attack, and it happened again the next morning after I hadn't taken the drug in over 12 hours. I will never take this again."

• oe_...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2018

For Anxiety "Definitely curbs my generalized anxiety and helps with my social anxiety, it’s not a cure-all, as I still have insomnia, but it has definitely improved my quality of life. SSRIs never worked for me because I felt like my depression was rooted in anxiety and not the other way around. Plus, SSRIs gave me panic attacks, and so did trazodone after two weeks. I take 1/2 of a 7.5 as soon as I wake up, and then I take another half again a couple of hours later, then a whole one a couple of hours before bed. The first two or three days, it made me feel slightly funny, but it’s definitely beginning to level off, and I’m definitely much more content, less rumination, and a general feeling of well-being this far..."

• Mem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

For Anxiety "My doctor gave me this on top of my Zoloft to help with increased anxiety. Pros: I’ve never slept so well in my life. Cons: After two days of taking it, I had horrible mood swings and intrusive thoughts. I was lightheaded and dizzy and had multiple panic attacks with heart palpitations and shortness of breath. I’d gladly keep my insomnia if it meant I didn’t have these horrific side effects."

• Art...
• December 21, 2016

For Anxiety "This drug is awful. My doctor took me off my Klonopin because she was worried about addictive behavior. This drug I only took one time and will not take again. It made me very dizzy, sick to my stomach, my heart was racing. It basically gave me the worst panic attack I've ever had. Odd since this is supposed to be for anxiety. I understand the risk with taking benzos, but it's the only thing that has ever helped me. I would recommend never taking BuSpar."

• Anx...
• September 27, 2016

For Panic Disorder "My mild anxiety had been building for years when I decided to seek help for it. At that time, I had only experienced one panic attack after a health scare (heart palpitations from over-exercising). It wasn't until I sought help to control my stress that I was prescribed Prozac. I started having panic attacks and was taken off. I started taking BuSpar. The first few weeks were really rough (brain zaps). It kept me from having panic attacks, but I still experienced moderate anxiety every day. After eight weeks, I started to experience depression for no reason and intrusive thoughts. Nothing like I ever experienced before. So I went back down, depressive thoughts came back. I tapered off. Lightheadedness, ear ringing, and brain fog persisted the entire three months I was on it."

• WIn...
• December 19, 2015

For Anxiety "After extreme weight gain on SSRIs, I thought BuSpar would be my miracle drug. I was totally wrong. After day two, I had such bad twitches/tremors, and my jaw seemed to lock for short periods of time. Went to emergency due to the side effects causing panic attacks."

• Ver...
• June 21, 2016

For Anxiety "Started a 90-day prescription right after I had my daughter, and it was horrible. Gave me anxiety and terrible panic attacks. I had to hop in a cold shower once. I felt as if I was gonna have a heart attack or my chest explode. Just got prescribed Wellbutrin, hoping to have better luck."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2017

For Anxiety "I have epilepsy as well as generalized anxiety disorder. I have been taking Klonopin, and my doctor is concerned about addictive behavior, so she put me on Buspar and decreased Klonopin. After the first dose, I had a massive panic attack (which can trigger seizures), so I also had a seizure in which I had to go to the E.R. for. It also made my hands and feet sweaty, I was shaky all over and always anxious. I was very appreciative that my doctor let me get off of Buspirone because it is just awful! I would not recommend it to anyone, especially patients who have epilepsy!"

• Eri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 27, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I have been taking this medicine now for about 8-9 months. When I started taking it, it took about 4 weeks before it started working. It helped a lot with the anxiety and panic attacks for about 3-4 months, then it just stopped working. I was on 25 mg a day in the end. Tried increasing the dose, but it doesn't help. It's like a sugar pill. I have now tapered off the medicine for almost two months, and I promise that for me it has been worse to stop taking this medicine than with withdrawal from Xanax. I took Xanax for 4-5 months and maybe had withdrawal for 2 weeks. I have had a withdrawal from this buspirone medicine since the day I started tapering it. Withdrawal symptoms like tremors, dizziness, passing out, cold sweat, dissociation, panic attacks, nightmares, flu symptoms, and much more. I am now down to one a day, 5 mg. Hope it gets better soon. Everyone reacts differently to medication and withdrawal. Some get side effects and others don't, this is just my experience."

• kay...
• March 17, 2009

For Anxiety "I was given this in the 1980s for panic attacks and was not taking any benzodiazepines at all with it. I'm glad it has worked so well for others, but for me it was like a very bad trip. I was literally bouncing from wall to wall, couldn't walk or see clearly, even hallucinating. I had a severe reaction to it, but I am extremely sensitive to tricyclics and all SSRIs except Remeron. If you're taking it for the first time, it might be good to have another person around just in case."

• Car...
• August 19, 2017

For Panic Disorder "I fell through the ice and drowned (obviously resuscitated) at the age of 17. In college, I started getting terrible panic attacks that had me going to the ER sometimes 2 times a week. I was put on BuSpar, and they might as well have given me a Tic Tac and told me that was a miracle drug, as well as it would have probably been more effective. Prozac, Xanax, Valium all seemed to make it worse. Clonazepam is the only med that has worked, it's been a lifesaver."

• 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."