Talk:Buspirone

Untitled

The buspirone page and much of the talk about it is anecdotal, personal, and include many passages with non-grammatical words that undermine the apparent intent. It does not appear to have been written by a person or persons with medical training and clinical experience, often sounding more like the experiences of someone who has tried BuSpar at a rave. I object to the use of personal experience in what is should be an objective compendium. Statements are made that betray a lack of understanding of GAD and what constitutes effectiveness in pharmacologic treatment. I would gladly contribute to this work when I have the time to provide thorough analyses. I have been treating patients with buspirone since its US release and will attempt to bring balance to this important section of the Wikipedia. One area is in the discussion of grapefruit juice. Only juices of certain fruit have an appreciable effect and, even then, only in larger volume than most people consume. More importantly, using daily dosages as high as 90 mg/day, and treating hundreds of patients with this medication, I have yet to meet a patient who describes euphoria resulting from buspirone. I've also never known a patient to "mix" buspirone in any liquid. If "Resulting so would be in euphoria" is an accurate quote, nothing is gained by using it since it doesn't make sense. Mark Henigan (talk) 08:30, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

Grapefruit juice substantially increases plasma concentrations of buspirone'

= http://www.nature.com/clpt/journal/v64/n6/abs/clpt1998166a.html
Wikipedia hasn't got more user-friendly during the last years; how can one edit this new link under point 5 ??! 190.10.21.230 (talk) 08:07, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

"^ Lilja, JJ; Kivisto KT, Backman JT, Lamberg TS, Neuvonen PJ (December 1998). "Grapefruit juice substantially increases plasma concentrations of buspirone Do not mix the pills in grapefruit juice. Resulting so would be in euphoria". Clin Pharmacol Ther 64 (6): 655-660." What euphoria?! Who added that ?! Original research doesn't mention any of that! Please confirm. Or delete. Spacehead84 (talk) 09:43, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

This article may need a total revamp because it has just come to my attention that the latest drug bibles for gps in the UK (I have just seen my gp to try get some buspirone) are now listing buspirone as a benzodiazepine. This is a potentially serious issue within this article as those reading it thinking the drug is without risk in terms of addiction/side effects/contraindications may be at risk of benzo type problems if indeed the bible is right. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.12.237.236 (talk) 12:23, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

The "drug bibles for gps in the UK" are sadly mistaken. Buspirone is an azopirone with a very different structure from a benzodiazepine. It does not interact with benzodiazepine receptors. It is without risk of addiction. The sort of error reportedly made in that publication is based on having only a superficial understanding of buspirone's pharmacology. Forgive my tone if it is too critical. But, I was just singing the praises of Wikipedia a few hours before encountering this section. Mark Henigan (talk) 08:30, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

1. but it has an efficacy comparable to diazepam in treating generalized anxiety disorder

2. Generally, buspirone works less well than benzodiazepines (diazepam, principle item)

????

The information age is vastly overrated... But people are not aware of this. The end is near —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cisum.ili.dilm (talk • contribs) 15:33, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

BuSpar made me very drowsy (almost passing out at times). It also did nothing at all for my GAD. I have read on other sites that it works well with an SSRI but doesn't work well by itself. I haven't tried it with an SSRI but I can attest that it does nothing by itself. The makers toute this drug as being non-drowsy, however, I have fallen asleep standing up while on this drug, and I'm a poor sleeper!

Buspar

I have moderate GAD. I started taking Buspar 2.5 years ago. I am amazed at how well this drug works. It makes me dizzy about 30 minutes after I take it. The feeling lasts only for about an hour. I get very sleepy from the drug. I take my first dose early in the morning and fall back to sleep. I take my second dose before I fall asleep in the night. Thank the good Lord that this drug works!

buspar didnt make me sleepy and really hasn't done anything with by general anxiety disorder. i also take zoloft but nothing seems to help. Can someone relate.

I just started taking Buspar today. I also take Cymbalta and Clonazepam, both at max dosage levels and still have anxiety problems. The psychiatrist told me that the Buspar can help to increase the effectiveness of the other anxiety and depression meds I am on as well as provide some extra kick. Remember everyone, I have been through the worst and back with this disease, it is a constant excercise in trial and error to find the right mix of medications that work for you. Keep trying, and keep talking to your doctor. Constantly reporting changes in your symptoms really helps the doctor and increases your chances of finding the right combination of drugs for your condition.

I have been taking Buspar for one month. It has not helped my general anxiety as I had hoped, if at all, but I like it for other reasons. 1) it helps with social anxiety. I tend to be shy and get anxious in social situations and now this is not as much as a problem for me. 2) it gives me an energy boost each day. I am more productive at work and less tired. Sometimes it causes me to be too hyper and manic and I can't get to sleep and am bouncing off the walls, but this is improving with time. It certainly does not cause me to be sleepy or sedated. 3) it helps me stick on task and get projects done I was formerly unable to. It seems to increase my ability to concentrate. 4) it seems to improve/lighten my mood. 5) it enhances my senses of smell and taste. This is decreasing with time on the drug, but the first week, this was very pronounced and I really liked it. Now I experience this usually just within the first hour or so of a dose. 6) it seems to enhance my pleasure when doing things that are normally pleasurable. Now they are more so. 7) in the first few days on the drug, I became a very reckless driver. Completely unlike me. So beware. Now this effect is gone. Overall, with time, a number of these effects are decreasing. The main ones that remain for me are decreased social anxiety, increased energy, and lightening of mood.

This paragraph is from another user. I found this drug worked immediately and very well for anxiety, but in me it also produced profound insomnia (I did not sleep for 48 hours) and so I discontinued it pretty quickly. It also enhanced my sense of smell, which I enjoyed. Although I was unable to continue with the drug, I think it gets an undeserved bad rap as "useless for anxiety" - that was definitely not my experience. 24.58.172.158 (talk) 02:55, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

New Paragraph from a different user, each paragraph seems to be written by a new person. It's 10/7/2019, I've been on Buspar for a few weeks, I take Zoloft as well. I take the medication for PTSD that I picked up during my years in Law Enforcement. I struggle with anxiety, intrusive thoughts and memories, and bursts of irritability and anger. After I take my Buspar I feel almost sedated a little, I can still work and drive without being considered impaired but sedated is the only way I can describe the feeling. I consider it a pleasant calm feeling and take it as a sign that the medication is working. I have nothing bad to say about the medication although I am curious if other people get the same calm/sedated like feeling from the drug. I supposed that makes sense given that it is an anxiety medication and is chemically similar to Xanax. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 23.25.128.106 (talk) 17:41, 7 October 2019 (UTC)

Buspar is not chemically similar to Xanax. Utaninja (talk) 09:32, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

comparison to diazepam

it may be misleading to compare this drug to valium or any other benzo. it obviously does not function in the same way, since dependency would result if it did. thus the experience induced by buspirone is going to differ from that of valium. perhaps this is why there is no citation for the comparison.

(i have a lot of experience with both substances and other anti-anxiety drugs). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Harlequence (talk • contribs) 06:17, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

See the citations I added; studies showing comparable efficacy between diazepam and buspirone. Arcane63 15:28, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Decline?

"Its sales have been on the decline in recent years due to its unpleasant side effects."

This claim sounds strange to me. Other sources consider it to be a drug with exceptionally low side effects! Are sales really declining? If so, what are the reasons? Ineffectiveness? lack of incentive to promote it because of patent expiration? Definitely !

For the record I've just been informed that Buspirone has been discontinued here in Australia. 121.91.167.195 (talk) 13:00, 24 May 2013 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:BusparAd.png

Image:BusparAd.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot 06:56, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

"Brain zaps"

Paresthesia is listed under side-effects, but not "brain zaps," which is similar but clinically different. I know from personal experience that the so-called brain zaps are definitely a side-effect of taking Buspar. Would anyone object to adding "brain zaps" in parentheses following paresthesia in the list of side-effects? Svadhisthana (talk) 18:36, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Another user: I can definitely confirm brain zaps as a side effect, at least during the initial stage of buspirone treatment. I have found more anecdotal mentions of brain zaps with buspirone and think this should be included in the article to increase awareness as this effect can be frightening, especially to anxiety sufferers and even more so if they have no idea what it is. As of yet I have not been able to find any quotable background on this, though. Also it should be considered whether the brain zaps occured before the initiation of treatment (perhaps as a result of SSRI discontinuation as in my case) and the buspirone just intensified them (very, very strongly in my case) or made them come back after they'd already disappeared. A tentative hypothesis could be a further drop in serotonin levels in synapses with presynaptic 1A receptors in the first stage of treatment. If this is valid, the zaps should disappear over time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:1028:838A:73E:4DDE:3DBE:A9E2:41B0 (talk) 08:40, 3 June 2014 (UTC)

I just started taking buspar about 3 weeks ago. I started with 7.5mg twice a day, then moved to 7.5mg in the morning, 15mg in the evening, and 2 days ago increased to 15mg morning and another 15mg in the evening. I just got quite a brain zap. As an anxiety sufferer, of course i started thinking WORST case, thinking my heart was going on the fritz or I was having a stroke, but after the zap happened (2-3 seconds, then faded away) I returned to normal. I was standing when it happened, and it almost knocked me over.

I had these when I took Effexor some years ago, but this one was worse. I hope it doesn't continue. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.31.248.99 (talk) 18:15, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

This article is written like an advertisement

It goes on and on how safe and non-addictive it is, and how well it will 'replace' benzodiazepines. It then goes on to bash benzodiazepines(probably fueled by the current public hysteria about them) and proposes that people take buspirone instead(of course).

1. Buspirone is completely unrelated to benzodiapines. It modulates serotonin receptors while benzos modulate GABA receptors. It's like comparing a bicycle to a Mercedes and claim it can replace it easily. In most circumstances, it cannot.

2. Because a medication inevitably produces physical dependence does not mean it should not be prescribed. If that was the case, we would have to stop all prescriptions for insulin because once insulin is administrated, the body becomes insensitive to it, lowers its own production and the patient becomes effectively dependent on it for life. Should we force all diabetics to go 'Cold turkey'? No, it just means the patient must be informed that he/she will become dependent on it and will have to go through a tapering process in order to stop it.

3. There is a major hysteria epidemic going on about benzodiapines, probably as a result of the street popularity they have had for so many years. They are popular with almost any illegal drug user and fetch a moderate price. But does that mean that people with GAD and other diagnoses should be forced to give them up just because some on the street are using them to get stoned?

4. It seems like the current trend is to replace effective drugs with potential for abuse, with less effective drugs with no potential for abuse even if it makes people suffer. Is that progress? We started with barbiturates, then went to potent benzodiapines, then mixed agonist benzodiapines, now it's reduced to feeble serotonin modulators. If the reverse progress continues, the next popular medication prescribed will be a glass of water! Completely free of abuse potential and side effects!

The fact is, buspirone is a petty drug with minor effect, best prescribed as an add-on to another more effective drug. The reason is has not shown potential for physical dependence is probably because the effect both weak and slow. But the industry is pushing it because it's expensive (WTF? $4 for 60, 10 mg tablets is not expensive, it is a cheap generic now), the doctors are pushing it because takes responsability off their back and the patients just has to live with less and less effective drugs. Welcome to the new century of progress! (FYI I don't take any benzodiazepines myself, I don't have problems with GAD either) -M99 87.59.78.70 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 16:12, 12 July 2009 (UTC).

Excellent summary of buspirone and benzodiazepine therapy-probably more valuable text than the Wikipedia article itself.Dehughes (talk) 01:37, 20 June 2010 (UTC)

I asked myself if the article is about buspirone or about benzidazepines and benzos-withdrawal. IIf i want to know that you need to taper off alprazolam in 0.25mg every 2 weeks i read the article "alprazolam" or "benzodiazepine". Planckzeit (talk) 15:44, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Section on Alcohol interaction

I highly doubt it, it depends on the weight of a person. Ive drank beers 2 hours after taking it , Not healthy but it did not interact with me.

Currently looking for sourcing on this. JasonHockeyGuy (talk) 09:25, 27 February 2010 (UTC)

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/b/Buspartab.htm This is the info sheet available from the NZ pharmaceutical control group. There is no mention of alcohol interactions. Also, i don't see why there would be. Alcohol mainly acts on the GABAa receptor in the CNS, which buspirone doesn't act on. It is a potent inhibitor of the CYP3A4 hepatic enzyme, but once again, not involved with alcohol Cassy-nz (talk) 10:05, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

buspirone vs kool-aid?

Is this true? I have found no other reference to buspirone interactions with kool-aid. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Diplodicus1812 (talk • contribs) 02:57, 1 December 2010 (UTC)

Probably not, I changed it.--Literaturegeek | T@1k? 05:03, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Side effects

Why is there no section on side effects? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.213.10.57 (talk) 03:02, 22 February 2011 (UTC)

CORRECTION OF COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT GRAPEFRUIT PULP INTERACTS WITH P450

The substance which interferes with the P450 enzyme comes from the rind of the grapefruit, which is included in the making of commercial grapefruit juice. The pulp of the grapefruit has no such substance.

Inappropriate use of citations and research

This article, as are many other 'scientific' articles in wikipedia has a lot of erroneous research reports that have clear bias intent in the mechanism section.

The use of questionable research publications- Indian publications that are not Internationally well known, the lack of meta-analysis that has been peer reviewed, and citations of minutes from meetings and or use of lay websites is an inappropriate attempt to explain the scientific mechanisms of a drug. All of these were being used until I was forced to delete them. It is not appropriate at all.

Reading them, it was clear that someone had included these citations through simple internet searches with no scientific background or in the case of the Indian publications had suspicious links to the articles themselves- ie were from India and published them etc. Many of these citations were from obscure journals that had no basis for being included in a general page that clearly does not discuss every single research paper out there about the drug. Why were those specific facts (facts that have not been agreed upon entirely) included? Why were others excluded? Until this can be clarified such medical information has no place when the research can be questionable.

Please refrain from posting erroneous or poorly cited works when discussing medical information.

I am a MS 4 Medical student with extensive history in neuroscientific research (BS Neuroscience, 2 years published history, Medical student, future neurologist). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jay238 (talk • contribs) 15:25, 12 July 2014 (UTC)

You are correct. Per WP:MEDRS, any medical claims must be supported by reliable secondary sources. Thanks for removing the questionable text that is only supported by primary sources. Cheers. Boghog (talk) 19:29, 12 July 2014 (UTC)

Isn't it acceptable to include preliminary findings from sources outside the orthodoxy of western establishment? I have never added such citations on Wikipedia but I appreciate when others do, provided that the information is couched in appropriately cautionary language. For example, if I am interested in potential off-label uses for a substance, I might find a great deal of this type of information missing under the standard proposed by Jay238. Readers of Wikipedia should be afforded the opportunity to peruse as much information as possible without said information being subject to FDA or AMA standards, which are themselves biased by vested interests and the inertia of established paradigms. Oceanlab (talk) 16:44, 27 August 2014 (UTC)Oceanlab

That is the best argument you could possibly make for excluding this stuff. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, a tertiary source. We include what reliable independent sources say, and that does not include listing work-in-progress because in drug research the facts show that work in progress usually comes to nothing. Oh, and there are charlatans promoting off-label uses of drugs which are entirely unsupported by valid research, so there's that too. Thus, we wait for MEDRS. Guy (Help!) 21:04, 10 April 2016 (UTC)

Article Too Technical

As of 8/27/2014, this article does not appear to be any more technical than any other page about a pharmaceutical, and it is fairly easy to understand. It would be a mistake to further dumb it down. Oceanlab (talk) 16:33, 27 August 2014 (UTC)oceanlab

I concur. IMHO it appears to be better written and better cited than many of its "to and from" links(explains the 'B' class). And, it appears to be technically on par with its "to and from"s. I'm removing the tag. --:- ) Don 00:53, 18 September 2014 (UTC)

Paxcil (peroxitin) vs. Buspirone

I am a 60 year old man that has been in Paxcil for some 20 years now. I am seeing a different MD that has suggested that I consider changing to a new med called "Buspirone". He has asked me to also consider , "Bupropion, Quetiapine, and Aripipinzole".(not sure if I spelled it right) That this stage of the game I'm not sure that these med's are better or not. The paxcil seems to be taking care of my anxiety's quite well, but my depression seems to still be apparent to my Dr. and some times to me also. So, if anyone would like to chime in as to these different med's, please do. Thanks. 68.199.0.67 (talk) 18:40, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

Premature ejaculation not common

All sources cited under "Adverse effects" show Premature ejaculation as rare or they dont mention it at all — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.58.178.138 (talk) 19:23, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

References

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Withdrawal

This article states it doesn't have the risk of withdrawal like other drugs of it's nature, but I, and many many others, strongly beg to differ. Everyone I've spoken to who, came off it, had the same withdrawal symptoms of extreme anxiety, panic attacks, and some issues like I am suffering akathisia. It lasts for months, I just got through the second month of this hell. I've never had a panic attack in my life until this withdrawal. I never had akathisia so bad I can't sleep at night. This is all, absolutely, the withdrawal, and it's a living nightmare. 108.83.177.138 (talk) 17:31, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

I mistakenly added a topic, to this. Please remove it.

I wrote about the interaction with cannabis. It was a mistake. I was supposed to write that under a different medication. I accidentally opened the wrong tab, on my browser, and wrote it here. Please remove it, thank you. 2001:56A:F9D7:BD00:ADBC:ACC7:9824:1DC4 (talk) 02:58, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

I removed the other section for you. Though you can remove your own comment by clicking undo in the page history (if your edit is the latest version of the page). Tropicalkitty (talk) 03:21, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

Buspar discontinued

Ultra 348, in this edit you changed the wording to say it is currently sold under the name Buspar, and removed the part saying it is marked as discontinued by the FDA. This doesn't seem to be accurate: the FDA still lists Buspar as discontinued from what I can see, and as such it is not most commonly sold under the name Buspar. Can you provide some source for your change? Kimen8 (talk) 22:09, 19 December 2023 (UTC)