Buspar

Buspar - Buspirone

Buspirone, sold under the similarly sounding brand name of Buspar, is a prescription drug used as an antianxiety medication that works by stimulating serotonin type 1A receptors on nerves thereby altering the chemical messages that nerves transmit to each other. Unlike the most commonly prescribed antianxiety medications of the benzodiazepine class, Buspar does not cause sedation.

Buspar comes in rectangularly shaped that are taken orally. Tablets should be kept at room temperature, less than 30°C (86°F). Unlike antianxiety medications of the benzodiazepine class which are effective after a single dose, effectiveness with Buspar may require two or more weeks of treatment. Buspar usually is given as three doses daily. The dose may be increased every several days until an effective dose is found. Although food increases the amount of Buspar that is absorbed, the importance of this effect is not clear. Buspar probably should be taken, therefore, either with or without food on a consistent basis.

Buspar is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders or for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety. Buspar is especially effective in persons with generalized anxiety of a limited or moderate degree. It is not very effective in persons with severe anxiety, panic disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Buspar may interact with drugs called monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, such as Marplan, Nardil, Parnate, and Matulane which are used in psychotic disorders. The use of Buspar with these drugs can cause increased blood pressure. The combination of Buspar and Desyrel, an antidepressant, may cause abnormal liver enzymes in the blood. The combination of Buspar and Coumadin, a blood thinner, may accentuate the effects of Coumadin and increase the risk of bleeding.

The most commonly noted side effects associated with Buspar are dizziness, nausea, headache, nervousness, lightheadedness, excitement, and insomnia. Symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal may occur when switching persons from antianxiety medications of the benzodiazepine class (see above) to Buspar since Buspar is not a benzodiazepine. Such a withdrawal reaction may include irritability, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, or even seizures.