[slacker]

Hey, If anybody is taking this, could you tell me about your experience with it? What are you taking it for, what effects did you get, how do you feel, is it working, side effects? I've been taking benzos, and they really don't do much for me, so I was interested about this stuff since it works a totally different way.slacker

 

[Guest]

Sure, I have been taking Buspar for years. I take it for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I had a wide variety of physical symptoms due to anxiety that it did do a good job of eliminating or minimizing. It tends to keep things on a more manageable level though it does not take the place of basic stress and anxiety reducing (coping)skills. It will make you feel a little tired and sleepy sometimes a while after you take it, but it goes away in time. I have never known Buspar to have any other side effects. I generally take 25 mg a day.

 

[slacker]

Have you used benzos, and if so, which worked better for you? Benzos don't do very much for me, so I was looking into what else is available. Buspar doesn't seem all that common around here, hardly anyone I know has even heard of it and no one's taken it, but tons of people take benzos. And I don't see Buspar mentioned on this board much. I have annoying "body anxiety" type symptoms, like shakiness, muscle tension, and holding my breath, but I feel calm in my head. I was hoping there would be something more effective for this type, Ativan isn't making much of a difference, even at high doses. Although it does work for mental anxiety, when I have it. I am apparently quite insensitive to this group, and I think it has to do with binge drinking. I used to take Xanax, before Ativan, and that worked, I guess, but for the wrong reason. I found the feeling of it to very closely emulate alcohol. 1/2mg seemed to be on the order of 2 beers. Thats what I'd drink the morning-after a binge to kill the shakes. Xanax seems just like that.slacker

 

[Kathleen M.]

I have no anxiety, but I do take it for IBS symptoms and it works well for me for that.15 mg at bedtime.It does make me quite lightheaded for about 1/2 and hour if I take it in the morning, unless I have a really big breakfast with it.K.

 

[Loraine]

I have been on Buspar for over a year now. I take it for Anxiety/panic, I also have IBS, I take 15mg. at night, I am supposed to take 15mg in the morning..but it makes me very dizzy and tired, so I only take it at night. It has helped alot...your doctor might let you take a whole pill at night..which would be 30mg...my doc says I could..but I feel I'm ok..with just 15mg.

 

[Guest]

I take the 10mg tabs.they are divided so you can easily cut them down to 5mg. I have reduced by daily intake from 30mg, to 25mg, to 20mg and now down to 15mg....not nearly as tired feeling with the lower dose and the anxiety is still not noticable. Might try less or even none. Ive been taking it for a few years now and its really supposed to be a short term med. No long term use studies are available which make you a little shy about using it for as long as I have.

 

[slacker]

What IBS symptoms do you all have that the Buspar helped?

 

[Guest]

For me, first and foremost the feeling of fear and doom..that was the biggee that it relieved over time. Then there was a plethora of abdominal discomforts. My constipation was reduced but not eliminated. Though it is virtually gone now after I had colon surgery last spring. I also had nervousness, dizziness, tachicardia and the usual line up of anxiety symptoms. Another thing that was lessened by Buspar was the tendency to create new symptoms from the anxiety. Made me less likely to find some new pain or problem.

 

[Loraine]

My symptoms were the fear of going somewhere and having a flair up..pretty much thats everyones fear with IBS. Then I started imagining(or so the doc said i was imagining) other problems...but I have been tested on many different things...most do come up positive...I have GERD, Gastritis. The next testing is going to be for Fybromyalga...which I really don't think I have...I feel most horrible in the winter months...so I'm thinking its some sort of seasonal thing....

 

[Guest]

Yeah...sounds familiar. The thing about anxiety that is most insidious and frightening is that "it" knows what scares you most. Never, ever under estimate the power of your own mind to create both somatic and psychosomatic illness...they feel the same. A condition believed is a condition realized. So any effort to tone down the anxiety demon is a step in the right direction toward controlling IBS and host of other maladies as well. willie

 

[slacker]

The thing thats really intriguing to me about this drug is that theres no tolerance and withdrawal. I run into problems with Adderall since I am very malnourished. Overtime, it depletes your neurotransmitters, as do SSRI's, if you are not able to eat properly. You don't need any for Buspar to work, it doesn't use any, the drug binds and agonizes some 5HT-1 and dopamine receptors. I have no idea why this medicine is so underused. Seems they only really market it for mild anxiety, when apparently it is/would be helpful for depression, refractory depression, and moderate anxiety, and perhaps some chronic illnesses. Hoping my psych will let me try it, if they have even heard of it =(.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I have found it to be without serious side effects other than transient fatigue. I think the dose for use an an antidepressant is much higher than that for anxiety....seems like I saw the 80mg figure tossed around somewhere. But for sure there are no withdrawal symptoms and no real serious side effects when you intiate treatment...effective within a bout a week in most cases. I think its a good drug though I wish there was more data compiled about longterm use.