Buspar (Buspirone): An Efficient Anti-Anxiety Drug Instructions

Buspar (Buspirone) – Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Overdose, Missed Dose, Storage

CONTENT

• What is Buspar?
• How to use Buspar (buspirone)?
• BuSpar Side Effects
• Precautions
• Buspar Interactions with Other Drugs
• What if I Overdose with Buspar?
• Useful Notes
• Missed Dose
• Buspar Storage

What is Buspar (Buspirone)?

Buspar (buspirone) is a drug used mainly to cure anxiety. It can help improve your thinking abilities, make you more focused, relaxed, less worried, and let you participate in everyday life more efficiently. It can also make you feel less jittery, less irritated, and take care of such common anxiety symptoms as difficulty sleeping, excessive sweating, and pounding heartbeat. Buspar (buspirone) is a medication for treating anxiety symptoms (anxiolytic) that affects certain natural substances in the human brain (neurotransmitters).

How to use Buspar (Buspirone)?

Take this medication for a month, typically 2 or 3 times a day, unless your doctor prescribes a different dosage. You can take this medicine with or without food; the important thing is to choose one method of administration and always take it that way because the amount of medicine absorbed should be the same each time.

Buspar (buspirone) may come in the form of tablets that can be split in half to get a precise dosage. Follow the Patient Instruction Sheet provided by the drug manufacturer or discuss whether or not you should split the tablets to get the right dosage with your pharmacist.

Important note: If you enjoy grapefruit, please limit the amount of grapefruit you eat (or drink in juice form) to less than one quart per day while you’re being treated with Buspar (buspirone) unless your doctor directly tells you otherwise. Grapefruit can significantly increase the presence of this medicine in your bloodstream and alter the intended dosage. Seek advice from your pharmacist or your doctor for more detailed information.

Buspar dosage is based on the medical condition you have and your personal response to therapy. Use this drug on a regular basis to get the most benefit for your health. For the most effective treatment, take it at the same time every day. If your treatment with this medication has just started, the symptoms of anxiety and restlessness may get worse before improving. It can take up to one month or more to get the full positive effect of this drug. However, do not hesitate to inform your doctor if the symptoms of anxiety get worse or don’t change at all.

BuSpar Side Effects

Dizziness, headache, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, lightheadedness, nervousness, blurred vision, restlessness, and trouble sleeping may occur. Should any of these side effects occur or worsen, contact your pharmacist or your doctor promptly.

Please remember that your pharmacist or your doctor has prescribed this drug because he or she has determined that the benefits for your health are greater than the risks of experiencing these BuSpar side effects.

Most people who use this drug never have serious side effects.

In rare cases, patients who take Buspar (buspirone) may develop certain movement disorders, such as muscle stiffness, shakiness (tremors), jerky walking movements, mask-like facial expression, or a condition called tardive dyskinesia. Even more rarely, these conditions can be permanent. Tell your doctor if you notice any unusual and/or uncontrolled movements (especially of the face, tongue, mouth, arms, and legs).

Seek immediate medical help if you develop any severe side effects, such as easy bruising/bleeding, fast/irregular heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath.

Allergic reactions to Buspar medication are rare, but if you experience any allergic symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. Serious allergic reactions may include  itching/swelling (especially of the face/ throat/tongue), rash, difficulty breathing, severe dizziness.

This is not the full list of known side effects. If you develop other unexpected reactions to this medicine that are not listed above, contact your doctor right away.

Precautions

Before you start using Buspar (buspirone), tell your pharmacist or doctor if you have any allergies and, of course, if you are specifically allergic to buspirone. This medicine may contain ingredients that may cause allergy or other side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Consult your doctor if you have liver problems or kidney problems.

Before using this drug, also tell your doctor about your medical history, particularly if it includes: bipolar disorder syndrome (a.k.a. manic-depression), Parkinson’s disease.

This medicine can also make you feel drowsy or dizzy. Don’t drive, use machinery, and don’t partake in any activity that requires full alertness until you’re certain that you can perform safely.

Avoid alcoholic beverages, too.

If you’re taking any other medicine to treat anxiety, don’t suddenly stop unless your pharmacist/doctor tells you otherwise. Buspar (buspirone) will not prevent any withdrawal symptoms from another drug, so your dosage for that other drug may need to be lowered slowly as you’re switching to buspirone. Discuss the treatment plan with your pharmacist or your doctor. If you feel any withdrawal symptoms, tell your doctor promptly.

If you are pregnant (or if you become pregnant during the course), this medicine should only be used if there is a clear need. Notify your doctor if you’re pregnant before you start using this drug. Discuss all the risks and benefits with your pharmacist or your doctor.

It is unknown whether this drug can pass into breast milk. Similar drugs are known to pass into breast milk, causing undesirable consequences for a nursing baby. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding a baby.

Buspar Interactions with Other Drugs

Drug interactions may vary depending on how your medications work, and they might increase your risk of experiencing side effects. This article does not mention all possible drug interactions. List all the products you’re using (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, herbal products, etc.) and show it to your doctor and/or pharmacist. Don’t change the dosage of any medicine that you’re taking, and don’t stop taking it without direct approval from your doctor.

Taking any MAO inhibitors with this medicine may cause a serious and possibly fatal drug interaction!

DO NOT  take MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, methylene blue, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, rasagiline, tranylcypromine, procarbazine, selegiline,) while you’re being treated with this medication. Additionally, MAO inhibitors shouldn’t be taken for at least two weeks before and after your treatment with BuSpar. Ask your doctor when you should start or stop taking this drug.

Before using Buspar, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all prescription and nonprescription medicine that you are taking, especially if it includes: alcohol, antidepressant drugs (including SSRIs such as fluoxetine and tricyclic; antidepressants such as nortriptyline/amitriptyline, trazodone), benzodiazepines (e.g., clonazepam, lorazepam, diazepam), haloperidol, and drugs that slow down buspirone’s disappearance from your body by affecting specific liver enzymes such as azole antifungals (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole), nefazodone, ritonavir, verapamil, diltiazem.

It’s also important to mention drugs that can speed up the removal of BuSpar (buspirone) from your body by affecting liver enzymes such as  rifamycins (e.g., rifabutin, rifampin), corticosteroids (dexamethasone), and some anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin).

Tell your doctor/pharmacist if you use drugs that might cause drowsiness, including: certain antihistamines (diphenhydramine), anti-seizure drugs (such as valproic acid), medicine for sleep or/and anxiety (e.g., zolpidem, alprazolam, flurazepam), narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine) muscle relaxants, and psychiatric medications (such as risperidone).

This medication sometimes interferes with certain medical and laboratory tests (such as the brain scan for Parkinson’s disease), and may possibly cause false results. Make sure that laboratory personnel and all of your doctors are aware that you’re taking this medicine.

What if I Overdose with Buspar?

If you suspect an overdose with buspirone, promptly contact an emergency room or a poison control center. Canadian residents can call the Poison Centre line at 1-800-268-9017 (Ontario).

Useful Notes

Do not give this medicine to other people, especially children.

Make all regular medical/laboratory appointments. If you’re also taking trazodone, your liver function tests may need to be performed regularly throughout the treatment to check for side effects. Contact your doctor for more details.

Missed Dose

If you miss a Buspar dose, take it as soon as you can. If it’s almost time for the next dose, just skip the missed dose and proceed with your usual schedule. Don’t take a double dose to make up for the missed one.

BuSpar Storage

Store the Canadian version of this product in a tight container at room temperature (about 59-86 degrees F or 15-30 degrees C) and away from moisture and light. Do not keep it in the bathroom. Store all your medicine away from the reach of pets and children.

Do not flush any medicine down the toilet; do not pour them down a drain, unless you are instructed to do so by your doctor. Discard this product properly when the date expires or if it’s no longer needed. Consult your doctor or your local waste disposal company on how to safely discard this product.

Information by Canadian Online Medstore – www.canadianhealthmall.com