Author: Alex Thompson

Buspirone: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects

Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medication affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. Buspirone tablets should be stored at a room temperature of 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) in a tightly sealed container away from light.

If you do take buspirone, your doctor may want to monitor you more closely. If you take a higher dose of buspirone, your doctor may recommend slowly decreasing your dose over time. Although sexual side effects are uncommon with buspirone, talk with your doctor if you experience them during your treatment. Your doctor can recommend ways to manage these side effects. No, buspirone should not make you feel “high.” But the drug can affect how you feel. Buspirone decreases your symptoms of anxiety and can make you feel restless, sleepy, or excited.

1. It has been mistakenly read as metanephrine during routine assay testing for pheochromocytoma, resulting in a false positive laboratory result.
2. It’s not known what the overdose dosage of buspirone may be.
3. Buspirone comes as a tablet that’s taken orally (by mouth).

If the two drugs are to be used in combination, a low dose of buspirone (e.g., 2.5 mg b.i.d.) is recommended. Buspirone has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders and short-term treatment of anxiety symptoms. It’s recommended as a treatment option for generalized anxiety disorder by the American Academy of Family Physicians. For information on how buspirone performed in clinical studies, see the drug’s prescribing information. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.

What is BuSpar?

It may take several weeks before you reach a dose that works for you. To ensure that this medication always works the same way for you, you should take it either always with or always without food. Do not stop taking except on the advice of your care team. 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.

However, it isn’t known for sure whether buspirone or another factor caused these changes. One review of studies done after buspirone was approved found that weight changes were not a side effect of the drug. Before taking buspirone, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

Buspar was the brand-name form of buspirone, but it’s no longer available. Buspirone is not currently available as any brand-name drugs. Your physician may find it necessary toadjust your dosage to obtain the proper response.

Drugs & Supplements

Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using BuSpar. Buspirone is not FDA-approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old, but has been used in children in adolescents under close medical supervision. Do not give buspirone to anyone younger than 18 years of age without consulting with a doctor.

Therefore, before starting therapy with buspirone hydrochloride tablets, it isadvisable to withdraw patients gradually, especially patients who have been using a CNS-depressantdrug chronically, from their prior treatment. Rebound or withdrawal symptoms may occur over varyingtime periods, depending in part on the type of drug, and its effective half-life of elimination. In human and animal studies, buspirone has shown no potential for abuse or diversion and there is no evidence that it causes tolerance, or either physical or psychological dependence. Human volunteers with a history of recreational drug or alcohol usage were studied in two doubleblind clinical investigations. None of the subjects were able to distinguish between buspirone hydrochloride tablets and placebo.

Does buspirone cause sexual side effects?

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, metaxalone, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline, tranylcypromine) during treatment with this medication. Most MAO inhibitors should also not be taken for two weeks before and after treatment with this medication. Ask your doctor when to start or stop taking this medication. It may help you think more clearly, relax, worry less, and take part in everyday life. It may also help you to feel less jittery and irritable, and may control symptoms such as trouble sleeping, sweating, and pounding heartbeat.

What side effects may I notice from receiving this medication?

Slight increases in Cmax were observed for nefazodone (8%) and its metabolite HO-NEF (11%). The effectiveness of buspirone hydrochloride tablets in long-term use, that is, for more than 3 to 4weeks, has not been demonstrated in controlled trials. There is no body of evidence available thatsystematically addresses the appropriate duration of treatment for GAD. Other drugs not mentioned here 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. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use.

Buspirone is used to treat anxiety disorders or in the short-term treatment of symptoms of anxiety. Buspirone is in a class of medications called anxiolytics. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. Buspirone oral tablets are FDA-approved to treat anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, in adults.

What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?

This medicine is a white, barrel, scored, tablet imprinted with “Logo and 91”. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. You should not use BuSpar if you are allergic to buspirone.

Peak plasma levels of 1 ng/mL to 6 ng/mL have been observed 40 to90 minutes after single oral doses of 20 mg. The single-dose bioavailability of unchanged buspironewhen taken as a tablet is on the average about 90% of an equivalent dose of solution, but there is largevariability. If a patient has been titrated to a stable dosage on buspirone, a dose adjustment of buspirone may be necessary to avoid adverse events attributable to buspirone or diminished anxiolytic activity. Consequently, when administered with a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4, a low dose of buspirone used cautiously is recommended. When used in combination with a potent inducer of CYP3A4 the dosage of buspirone may need adjusting to maintain anxiolytic effect.