However, buspirone usually is not used for anxiety or tension caused by the stress of everyday life. The efficacy of buspirone has been demonstrated in controlled clinical trials of outpatients whose diagnosis corresponds to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) 25. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition that causes fear, a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and excessive worry about everyday things such as job responsibilities, health or chores.
- Dizziness, drowsiness, headache, nausea, nervousness, lightheadedness, restlessness, blurred vision, tiredness, and trouble sleeping may occur.
- Buspirone can cause drowsiness, dizziness, or lightheadedness, especially when starting the medication.
- Buspar is a brand name for the generic drug called buspirone hydrochloride (HCL).
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Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely. Buspirone should not be taken while you are using certain other medicines. Before taking buspirone, tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking buspirone with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
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A person should only take buspirone as their doctor directs, as it can have side effects. Although Buspar is no longer available, the FDA confirmed that its withdrawal from the market was not due to concerns regarding safety or effectiveness. Although Buspar is no longer available, people can take buspirone, which is chemically identical. Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
Medications That Increase Buspirone Levels (Risk of Side Effects)
Your prescribing doctor will evaluate your situation regularly, including how you respond to the medication, to determine the optimal length of time you should take BuSpar. If you no longer need to take buspirone and have leftover medication, it’s important to dispose of it safely. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident. If you have any questions about taking buspirone, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. However, it’s important to stay consistent with how you take your dose.
Use in Patients With Impaired Hepatic or Renal Function
Seeking professional help can guide you to a treatment that works best for you. Once suitable treatment is found, you will feel much more in control and find life more enjoyable. Mantras and meditation may provide further beneficial effects to clear your mind.
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Buspirone may also be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider. Some buspirone tablets are scored so you can break the tablet into 2 or 3 pieces in order to take a smaller amount of the medicine at each dose. Do not use a tablet if it has not been broken correctly and the piece is too big or too small. Follow your doctor’s instructions about how much of the tablet to take. Drinking alcohol while taking Buspirone can enhance drowsiness, dizziness, and poor coordination. It can also impair judgment and reaction time, increasing the risk of accidents.
The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of buspirone and gradually increase your dose, not more often than once every 2 to 3 days. It may take several weeks (2 to 4 weeks) before you reach a dose that works for you 1. Your doctor will assess your level of anxiety using the GAD-7 (general anxiety disorder-7) tool at baseline and follow-up visits to assess response to therapy. Similarly, your doctor can use the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) to objectify and rate your anxiety severity 7, 8. Buspirone is used in adults to treat anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder.
This means you can take buspirone by mouth with or without food but you need to make sure it is consistently one or the other and that you’re taking your pills at the same times each day. Buspirone can potentially interact with numerous medications, increasing or decreasing buspirone’s concentration in the blood or how well it works. Such buspirone interactions can also cause preventable side-effects.
- It is important to speak with a medical provider if concerned about buspirone misuse by taking more than prescribed or using it in conjunction with other substances.
- Buspirone is used for the short-term treatment of anxiety symptoms and the longer-term treatment of anxiety disorders.
- Buspirone belongs to a classification of drugs called anxiolytics.
- Your doctor may start you on a low dose of buspirone and gradually increase your dose, not more often than once every 2 to 3 days.
For information about the effectiveness of buspirone, see the “Buspirone uses” section below. Buspar was the brand-name form of buspirone, but it’s no longer available. The oral LD50 of buspirone is 196 mg/kg in rat, 655 mg/kg in mouse, 586 mg/kg in dog, and 356 mg/kg in monkey. The intraperitoneal LD50 is 136 mg/kg in rat and 146 mg/kg in mouse. Your physician may find it necessary to adjust your dosage to obtain the proper response. Infrequent were decreased or increased libido; rare were delayed ejaculation and impotence.
Other Events Observed During the Entire Premarketing Evaluation of Buspirone Hydrochloride Tablets, USP
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause buspirone: uses, dosage, side effects an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. Other drugs may interact with buspirone, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.