Buspar starting and experiences with it

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hamstachick

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Hi! I just started taking Buspar yesterday. I am starting on a very low dose, as in about 1.5 mgs. twice a day, 12 hours apart, approximately. I am starting low because I have had some bad experiences with meRAB and starting them too high, due to dr. telling me to do so. I realized they don't always know what dosage should be given to individuals. I learned from personal experience and here to start much lower and slower.

Anyway. I have felt slight dizziness about 30-40 minutes after I take it, and headache. I take it with a bit of food. Not much, but a tad. The dizziness passes a bit after that and I get up. I have been laying down when I take the doses to let that pass, if I can.

Now the part that is getting to me most is the increased anxiety I feel about 3-4 hours after I take the med. A wave of anxiety will rush over me for no reason, PLUS more dizziness and it's scary and I thought this med wasn't like SSRIs, increasing anxiety.

Has others had this experience and if so, did it go away? And what dosages were you taking? Did it get better and was it worth it to go through this?

I have Xanax (generic, alprozolam) and take it and Benedryl for anxiety, and have for months. Just thought I wouldn't have to take it MORE after adding Buspar.

This has me concerned because it is reminding me of when I took Lexapro and I got more anxious before getting better, AND, if it's like an SSRI to start it, will it be like one to STOP it later...which is horrible.

Please let me know what your experiences are. I am needing some positive support here, besides the usual, "This is common with some meRAB. Just hang in there and give it a few more weeks.". Ha....I've read that a lot with SSRIs. But Buspar isn't an SSRI, right? At least I don't see it listed when I read lists of SSRIs.

Also, how is it to get off of?

Thanks for your input and support. :angel:
 
I took Buspar for years, several years ago. Even though Buspar is unrelated to antidepressants, it does work on serotonin receptors, and for that reason it can cause some increased anxiety during the start up phase. You have to expect that any medication that alters chemicals in the brain is bound to cause some initial anxiety. But having said that, you are starting at a very low dosage, which is a very good idea, but the increased anxiety you are feeling at this point, after only a few days, might just be anxiety about taking the medication. I started Buspar at 5 mgs twice a day and did not feel much effect from it until I reached 20 mgs daily and I finally settled on 30 mgs daily. I
 
my son is 12 and started taking 10mg of buspar once a day this morning. it has really done a nuraber on him. he says he feels doped up i don't know how he knows what doped up feels like but that what he says,tomorrow morning i'm going to give 5mg in the morning and 5mg in the evening.
 
Thank you for your replies, I appreciate it.

Last night the waves of more anxiety and dizziness hit again on time, 3-4 hours after taking it and being ok and it's just really unsettling...scary as ****! So I took some xanax and benedryl and waited for that stuff to take effect. After awhile it was better. But hours later the anxiety was bad again and was a bit shaky too. I had to take more xanax (this was around 1am) and decided not to take the other dose I was to take around 4:30am. I just couldn't do it. I cried because it's just so miserable, AND now what? The dr. really wants me to take Zoloft, but I am so petrified of the start up panic attacks with the SSRIs, PLUS weight gain, PLUS getting off of those things are so hard to do. I mean, I've been through it with Lexapro and there's panic attacks then too, plus crying jags, anger, you name it.

Buspar was my last hope actually, before having to do Zoloft. I figure, hell, if Buspar is making me feel all that bad stuff, it's not different than SSRIs. Ya know? I was under the impression, from what I've read, that Buspar was wayyyy mild and really didn't do much of anything til it kicked in and then it would be a more mellow feeling. Not so in my case. I feel lost right now.
 
How does buspar work hamstachick? I started it just a week ago, an it seems to work now. First days were bad, had a weird feeling, kind of "out of reality" an mire anxius. Now its getting better. There is low interst in this drug in germany but i wanted to try this drug....i hate ssri an hope to progress with buspar.
 
Hi there! Not sure how it works. It didn't for me, as in it made anxiety worse and I figure, if it was that bad on it at about 1mg then I might as well go for the big guns of an SSRI which has about the same start up. Has it helped the anxiety? Was the anxiety at first, worse and gotten better? Good luck with it! I am thinking of trying Zoloft.

I too loathe the SSRI thing. I have been fighting going back on one for months. The Buspar was my last hope to stay away from them, but I couldn't handle the extra anxiety for those two days I took it at such a low dose.
 
Yes, first it was really bad, felt weird and had tunnel vision. Think i was apathic. Now this is gone away and i feel more comfortable now. I just take 10mg for 8 days now. There is still some anxiety but im going to up the dose tomorrow to 3x 5mg a day. My only concern is that my muscles are twitching sometimes. I read aubout tardive dyskinesia in some very rare cases related to buspar therapies. I hope this wont affect me, because apart of that its working well, im calmed an relaxed like never before!
 
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