Buspirone and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Cal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2020

Buspirone for Anxiety "I took Buspirone when I had a back surgery and my father was sick from cancer. It was a very stressful time. I was in a panic. It helped me immediately (though I know it is supposed to take a few weeks). I remained on it for a few months as I dealt with the trauma of losing a parent. Then tapered off and went on about my business for a year. I’ve returned to the psych because I have regular anxiety and mild depression. He prescribed Lexapro. I took that for 4 days and got increased anxiety and diarrhea. I decided to try to go back on the Buspirone because I know that worked for me in the past. Here’s hoping it works again!"

• Lon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2025

Buspirone for Anxiety "I wanted to write this review to let others know that this is really good for anxiety. I felt less anxiety within a couple of weeks, and 3 months on the prescription has helped me tremendously. I was on this and Prozac in my early twenties, and then went through a period of about 20 years that I was able to get off all medications…but things happened in my personal life that caused a massive downward spiral again in my mid 40s. I asked to be put back on BuSpar because I knew it worked well for me. I didn’t need the Prozac this time. I take 10 mg twice per day and my overall calmness has increased, and I feel a lot better. A lot of people don’t need benzodiazepines, and medication like BuSpar that is much safer with way less side effects works great. I recommend you try this for GAD, give it at least 3 months and you will feel better!"

• Ove...
• March 11, 2009

Buspirone for Anxiety "For acute anxiety, this is AMAZING. Rapid racing heartbeat, excessive sweating, constant worrying, over-analyzing. This medicine, basically at 15mg, gives you a feeling like you just drank a six-pack and ate an amazing meal. I take it with Xanax and Cymbalta. BuSpar is the best non-habit-forming short-term medicine to get your life back on track when life gets overwhelming."

• Lif...
• April 11, 2010

Buspirone for Anxiety "I have been taking BuSpar for 8 plus years. I still have some side effects of dizziness if taken on an empty stomach and coffee, but I think that is asking for trouble. I can honestly say it saved my marriage and family life. High-stressed medical position always being on call which increased my anxiety. Anxiety was at such a level that no one could stand to be around me. I take 10mg once in the morning, which lowers my anxiety to a tolerable level for the day. When I feel extra stress coming on, I take 10mg in the morning and 10mg at night. It does not work for everyone, as many have mentioned, but it has given me a second wind to enjoy life to the fullest."

• afr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2023

Buspirone for Anxiety "Had a really bad existential crisis that led to a severe panic attack and landed me in the hospital. I was prescribed 15 mg daily of BuSpar. Upon leaving the hospital before taking my first dose, the panic had subsided already, and I felt perfectly fine but decided I should take the medication anyhow to prevent another attack. This made my anxiety fifty times worse. I would wake up five times a night in absolute panic, I couldn't leave the house at all for three weeks. It sent my mind into a spiral of overthinking, which caused crazy anxiety and depersonalization. I would finally calm myself down only to be unable to remember what I thought to calm myself down and re-panic. I legit felt like I was losing my mind. If you want to know what hell feels like, then take buspirone."

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

Buspirone 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."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2020

Buspirone for Anxiety "My 17-year-old daughter was put on this BuSpar a month ago. It heightened her anxiety, it made her have angry outbursts. Her entire demeanor has changed, she isn't my daughter on this med. Needless to say, the doctor disagreed with me, but I took her off it last night. This med is horrible!"

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

Buspirone 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!"

• Dan...
• April 14, 2017

Buspirone for Anxiety "So, I give this 7 out of 10. I'd give it 10 out of 10, but the first week on this was really uncomfortable. I almost stopped using it. I started out at 10 mg Buspar once a day and then after a week increased to 10 twice a day. The first week, I won't lie, was a doozy. My psych said that her patients either love it or hate it and it's pretty much 50/50 with little gray area. But since it's inexpensive, been around for a while, and is pretty safe, she likes that to be the first option when dealing with GAD. Fair. The first week, I was really, really dizzy. Felt a bit fuzzy in the head, kind of jumpy. I had to pull over while driving and sit down for a bit. BUT after about two weeks. Whoa. My life is changed. I'm no longer so anxious!"

• SJJ...
• September 5, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "BuSpar is the worst drug I have ever taken. It was prescribed several years ago for anxiety to cope with an upcoming surgery and the health risks associated with it. Prior to BuSpar, I had never taken any depression medicine nor struggled with extreme anxiety. I exercised often and was not taking medicine for any other health issue. BuSpar sent me into a horrible, deep pit of despair, unlike I had ever known or could even imagine anyone having. The doctor kept telling me it would take a while to work, but after two weeks, BuSpar never did. I got off of it and, while still anxious about surgery, had no more extreme depression. The despair caused by BuSpar was far worse than the surgery. If I had to choose, I would gladly have that surgery again rather than take another round of BuSpar. Seriously, be careful with this drug."

• Gir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 21, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "Horrible! Was almost working and then, boom! Hyped up my anxiety and OCD, worry, and panic. My doctor said to stay with it a few more weeks. Started to get depressed and very sad. Beware! It might work for some, but for the ones it doesn't, it is a dangerous drug!"

• NOM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2018

For Sexual Dysfunction, SSRI Induced "I had a horrible experience when I tried to get off of mirtazapine. After a really bad withdrawal, I had to get back on it but still had bad anxiety and much difficulty with sexual dysfunction. After finding out about this drug on the internet, I got my doctor to give me a prescription of 20 mg, 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. For the first month, it didn't do much, but my anxiety was a little better. By the second month, it was helping quite a bit with the anxiety but not so much for sex. Then, when I realized how short the half-life was, I started taking it about an hour before sex and WOW! I now take 20 mg about an hour before and have been having incredible orgasms. I also take one velvet bean capsule just before. I am so thankful that this medication has helped with anxiety and given me back my sex life!"

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

Buspirone 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."

• vtc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2012

Buspirone for Anxiety "At first I didn't think BuSpar would help me since I have always relied on antidepressants for my mostly manageable anxiety with a very occasional Klonopin. But this past year I was diagnosed with bipolar and have been advised that SSRIs could trigger manic symptoms so I am on mood stabilizers, but they do not help my ever-increasing anxiety. It has gotten so bad I rarely leave the house and can't work. When I started BuSpar at 7.5 mg 2x/day, it made me more anxious, and all I did was cry for a week, but I was encouraged to keep taking it and it would get better, and it has! My quality of life is so much better, I feel normal again. I do get dizzy after my morning dose and need to sit or lay down for maybe a half hour to an hour."

• acr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2013

Buspirone for Anxiety "I have cluster migraines, so the doctor put me on Topamax. After about 2 months, I developed anxiety symptoms and a rather hateful personality, so they added BuSpar to take the 'edge' off. It has worked well for me, but I can tell when it wears off. I'm on a low dose, so it just may be time to adjust (5mg twice a day). All in all, very satisfied with this medicine. It does make you dream vividly, but that doesn't bother me."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "I wish I had realized how individual all of these meds are to our bodies (work great for some, horribly for others). I started buspirone and soon was dealing with really dark, horrible thoughts, extreme anxiety, etc. The mental/emotional reactions were nearly unbearable for me. Will it be the same for everyone? Obviously not. However, I realized after starting this med that it pays to take a minute to think through med changes before just jumping on board when a medical professional suggests something... even with the hopes of feeling a little bit better."

• Mad...
• February 19, 2020

For Anxiety "Not going to lie, I had this about a year, almost 2. I noticed when I am on this, I am more irritable, I have restless nights where I don't fall asleep or stay asleep. I noticed that my mindset has completely changed negatively, and it doesn't keep me calm or relaxed. I feel more nervous or anxious. I noticed if I am off of them, I get more emotional. I am telling you, this is not the medication for you, especially if you take half. I think it messes with my breathing too. I am more tired and low energy when I take this."

• Mad...
• February 19, 2020

For Anxiety "Not going to lie, I had this about a year, almost 2. I noticed when I am on this, I am more irritable, I have restless nights where I don't fall asleep or stay asleep. I noticed that my mindset has completely changed negatively, and it doesn't keep me calm or relaxed. I feel more nervous or anxious. I noticed if I am off of them, I get more emotional. I am telling you, this is not the medication for you, especially if you take half. I think it messes with my breathing too. I am more tired and low energy when I take this."

• Pat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

Buspirone for Anxiety "I took this med, BuSpar, for 2 weeks. My anxiety skyrocketed, could not sleep more than 3 hours. Felt zombie-like. Developed a fast heart rate and upset stomach. After about 7-9 days, did calm down a bit. I went off too many bad side effects for me. On my second day of withdrawal, body aches. My dose of BuSpar was 5 mg, 2x a day."

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

Buspirone 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."

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

Buspirone 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."

• Anonymous
• August 15, 2009

Buspirone for Anxiety "After reading all of the comments, I had to comment also. I have taken BuSpar for 8 years. I have noticed a lot of weight gain, which I thought was from this medicine. I have not seen that in anyone's comment. So I am now thinking it is my lifestyle. I do get dizzy, so I have to lay down for 30 minutes after every dose. I am supposed to take 1/2 pill twice a day, but laying down is not an option for me on most days, so I skip a dose or two. Sometimes I do not take it for weeks. I do notice when I take it for a few days like I should, that when I miss a dose, I am even more agitated, aggravated, and anxious, and as one said, looking for the bad that is around the corner. Thank you all for helping me decide to finally take this as I am supposed to."

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

Buspirone 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."

• The...
• May 28, 2015

For Anxiety "My dear and esteemed friends, buspirone is, in my opinion, the best anxiety medication I have had. It is extremely safe, non-addictive, and has no withdrawal effects. I am 32 and never had panic or anxiety attacks until March of 2014 when I had a kidney stone and was given hydromorphone for the pain, and it messed up my nervous system, giving me pretty bad anxiety/panic attacks and a little depression. First, I tried Xanax 0.25 mg for a while, but it is short-acting, and then I was given citalopram 10 mg, but I stopped it because of concern for possible side effects of SSRIs. Finally, my cousin, who is a wise doctor, gave me buspirone 7.5 mg, and it was great! I took it for 3 months, and there was a total disappearance of anxiety, panic, and no depression. What a blessing it is."

• bek...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2025

For Anxiety "I take 10 mg 3 times a day. This med works for me. My biggest issue is it metabolizes quickly, so I find I need to take it throughout the day. I also need to take it with a fairly large meal, otherwise, I have dizziness, heart palpitations, and increased anxiety. I find this helps my anxiety and does give a bit of mood elevation, but that could simply be due to the reduction in anxiety. It doesn’t stop me from having an anxious thought, but it keeps me from spiraling into my anxiety. I also like that it doesn’t have significant withdrawal symptoms that benzos have. This more so stabilizes my anxiety and doesn’t stop an anxiety attack. I also did have to get through the elevated anxiety. But truly, take this with a whole meal. (Literally put my ED into remission by being dedicated to taking medications)"