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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
Has Buspar helped you? Or do you think it's nothing more than a placebo?
Also, did you have any side effects?
Thanks for your opinion.
Posted by avoet on March 23, 2001, at 22:58:12
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
Buspar never helped me. It was like taking sugar pills. Best of luck!
Posted by Scarlette on March 24, 2001, at 0:09:47
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by avoet on March 23, 2001, at 22:58:12
> Buspar dosen't seem to do much for me either...for some reason the Doctor keeps me on it. I don't know why.
Posted by ChrisK on March 24, 2001, at 4:37:57
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
It was no help at all and the same held true for my sister. Give me my Klonopin any time.
Posted by Joy on March 24, 2001, at 8:08:08
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by ChrisK on March 24, 2001, at 4:37:57
My understanding is that Buspar is not that effective unless it is taken with an antidepressant such as Prozac or Zoloft. It helps GAD [generalized anxiety disorder] when added to an AD, but taken alone results seem to be poor. Any other comments out there?
Joy
> It was no help at all and the same held true for my sister. Give me my Klonopin any time.
Posted by SLS on March 24, 2001, at 8:40:59
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joy on March 24, 2001, at 8:08:08
> My understanding is that Buspar is not that effective unless it is taken with an antidepressant such as Prozac or Zoloft. It helps GAD [generalized anxiety disorder] when added to an AD, but taken alone results seem to be poor. Any other comments out there?
> Joy
>
>
> > It was no help at all and the same held true for my sister. Give me my Klonopin any time.
I myself have never tried it, but I have met a few people who said that it was extrememly effective for their chronic anxiety. However, these same people said that they didn't really experience significant benefits until they had taken it for a few weeks. Again, this is just a few people. I don't remember if they were taking any other medication.
- Scott
Posted by Gordon on March 24, 2001, at 8:55:21
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
I have taken it for about 2 years along with Klonopin. I believe it helps reduce the worry between panic attacks about when the next one will happen, etc. Docs like it becuase it's not a controlled drug, it has relatively few side effects and may have some benefits. It certainly doesn't work for panic but I do think it helps with the inbetween times.
Posted by jimmygold70 on March 24, 2001, at 11:12:49
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
Buspar is an effective medication and generally well tolerated. It is more effective if you never took benzodiazepines before. If you're benzodiazepine-navie, you should try it. It is especially effective for Generalized Anxiety. For BDZ non-naives, Buspar is not of much use.
> Has Buspar helped you? Or do you think it's nothing more than a placebo?
>
> Also, did you have any side effects?
>
> Thanks for your opinion.
Posted by Amy Blue on March 24, 2001, at 13:10:14
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
I was on BuSpar for several months and I don't think it helped my anxiety at all. I had previously been on Klonopin, my new pdoc switched me to BuSpar in conjunction w/ AD. I found no change whatsoever in my anxiety level. And yes, I gave it ample time to work - several months.
Just my experience...
Amy
Posted by Alli on March 24, 2001, at 13:54:20
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Amy Blue on March 24, 2001, at 13:10:14
I've only just completed the starter pack, but I haven't noticed a bit of difference. Dunno whether to go ahead and fill my Rx today or not.
Posted by Chaston on March 24, 2001, at 16:00:15
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
It didn't help with my anxiety during a very dark depression, but then I had previously been on benzos (which did work until I built up a tolerence and quit taking them).
> Has Buspar helped you? Or do you think it's nothing more than a placebo?
>
> Also, did you have any side effects?
>
> Thanks for your opinion.
Posted by Lynne on March 25, 2001, at 20:16:01
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Chaston on March 24, 2001, at 16:00:15
I am just starting Buspar, so I don't know yet what my opinion will be. CAM, What do you think of Buspar?
Lynne
Posted by Cam W. on March 25, 2001, at 23:00:45
In reply to Re: POLL: Does Buspar (CAM, what do you think, posted by Lynne on March 25, 2001, at 20:16:01
Lynne - I haven't seen much general luck with BuSpar, but when it does work, it works well. Sometimes it does take up to 8 weeks to notice a difference when used as a monotherapy. You usually see it being used to augment and SSRI in anxiety disorders and, to a lesser extent, panic disorders. Also, as was mentioned above, people who have taken benzodiazepines before seem to look for the psychomotor side effects that are associated side effects of the benzos, but not really the anti-anxiety activity. When former benzo users do not get the psychomotor effects (unsteadiness, drowsiness, "stoned" feeling) and they equate it with the BuSpar not working, especially in the first 4 weeks of BuSpar use.
Again, I think that there is only small subset of people that BuSpar actually works for, but I could be wrong. It might be that it is not given a fair chance, but even after a fair chance, many people say it doesn't work for them.
A reductionist view of the pharmacology of BusPar says it should work, but there may be other receptors counteracting BuSpar's effects in the body.
I guess, in short, I dunno. I've seen it not seem to work more than I've seen it work (but I have seen it work). - Cam
Posted by Lynne on March 26, 2001, at 8:48:17
In reply to Re: POLL: » Lynne, posted by Cam W. on March 25, 2001, at 23:00:45
CAM, Thank You for answering my post. I guess I will try Buspar for six weeks and see if it works for me.
Thank you again for your knowledge and all the helpful information you have given to me and others on this board. You have helped me alot.
Sincerely,
Lynne
Posted by karenR on March 26, 2001, at 10:22:55
In reply to POLL: Does Buspar help anxiety or not?, posted by Joyce on March 23, 2001, at 21:09:33
> Has Buspar helped you? Or do you think it's nothing more than a placebo?
>
> Also, did you have any side effects?
>
> Thanks for your opinion.I didn't even make it through my starter pack due to side effects. I started at 5mg 2X/day and felt like I had
a very bad flu - terrible headache and nausea. I missed a day's dose and was feeling better, then when I took
my next dose, I felt sick within 30 min. I was told it works in about 30% of people and has a very
low side-effect profile. I wasn't able to tough it out to get past the initial side effects.
I'm taking remeron now and that helps greatly with the tightness in my chest and breathing difficulties.
This is the end of the thread.
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