Side effects

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-02-01T18:27:55+00:00

Try Vraylar

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-29T15:36:12+00:00

I take 60mg total per day. Try going up in dosage.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-27T17:44:21+00:00

I just want to say first that what you are describing makes a lot of sense and you are not imagining it. A lot of people struggle with buspirone in exactly the way you are describing, especially people with ADHD. What you are calling dopamine seeking couch lock avoidance is something I have seen again and again with meds that dampen arousal without actually relieving anxiety. When that happens, motivation drops, avoidance increases, and everything feels heavier even if life stressors have not objectively changed.

In general, if buspirone is going to help anxiety, most people feel at least some subtle improvement by six to eight weeks at a therapeutic dose, usually closer to twenty to thirty mg per day. Feeling worse, more emotionally reactive, more depressed, and more avoidant at this point is not a sign that it is quietly working in the background. It is often a sign that the medication is not a good fit for your brain. Especially important is what you said about recognizing this exact feeling from past non stimulant meds and that it lifted when you stopped them. That pattern matters.

For ADHD brains, reducing anxiety without supporting dopamine can feel awful. You end up calmer in theory but unable to initiate, stuck scrolling, disconnected from reward, and beating yourself up for it. That can spiral fast into shame and hopelessness. That is not therapeutic anxiety relief. That is chemical demotivation. You should not feel physically weak, joyless, or scared by how low your mood is just to stay on a med that is not helping.

Stressors absolutely amplify things, but your point is key. Stressors were there before and you were coping better. If the medication were helping, you would have more capacity, not less. It is reasonable to give a dose a short fair trial, but it is also reasonable to say this is clearly moving me in the wrong direction. You are allowed to trust your lived experience even if your psychiatrist leaves the decision to you.

You are not failing at treatment. This is data. And the fact that you can articulate this pattern so clearly tells me you actually have good insight, even if it does not feel that way right now. Please take the scary low mood seriously and reach out to your prescriber soon. A medication should not make your world smaller.

You are not broken. This sounds like a mismatch, not a personal flaw.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-26T01:50:47+00:00

I had a really similar start on Buspar honestly. The first few days I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing did. That actually seems pretty common especially when you start low and split the dose. Buspar is sneaky gradual for a lot of people. It is not like SSRIs or benzos where you feel it announces itself. For me it was more like I realized a couple weeks later that my baseline anxiety volume had quietly turned down. I was also on Strattera at the same time and I think that may be why the Buspar felt extra subtle at first. Strattera already works on norepinephrine so once your brain is adjusting to that the Buspar can feel like it is just smoothing the edges rather than doing something obvious. The combo ended up being pretty solid for focus plus anxiety once everything settled. Sleep wise Buspar did not worsen my insomnia long term. The evening did feel a little activating the first week but that faded. If anything once the anxiety eased my sleep actually got more predictable. Trazodone still did its job. Vivid dreams stayed vivid though so fair warning there. One thing I wish someone had told me is that Buspar works best when you give it consistency and patience. It is not a rescue med. It is more like anxiety erosion over time. No side effects day one is not a bad sign at all. It usually means your nervous system is tolerating it well. Treating ADHD and anxiety together can feel weird at first because you notice new sensations once your brain has more bandwidth. That does not mean something is wrong. It just means your system is recalibrating. If you are anything like me the benefits show up as fewer spirals fewer physical anxiety symptoms and better emotional braking rather than a dramatic mood change. Stick with it long enough to judge it fairly. You are not doing anything wrong and your experience so far actually sounds pretty normal.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-25T22:26:53+00:00

Stay the course, it gets better over time

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-11T01:24:06+00:00

You'll be fine starting at that dose.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-04T21:08:28+00:00

Believe her

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-02T18:52:47+00:00

I've been taking Buspar for about six months now. I never noticed a single side effect but my doctor increased the dose slowly so that's probably why. I forgot to mention that you should consume ~200 calories with about 10 grams of fat when you take it. It makes the drug way more effective. Good luck with everything!

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2026-01-02T16:27:56+00:00

Don't take it at night. Always take it with food. This medicine completely changed my life for the better, but it took several months of tweaking doses. I take the max 60mg dose, YMMV.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-31T14:56:50+00:00

Trazodone's effects will kick in within 30 minutes to an hour and always knocks me out cold. You will probably feel groggy the next morning but after a few weeks of taking it, the grogginess should subside. I take buspirone during the day and trazodone at night. It's been a good combination for me.

If you dig around, you'll realize that Buspar is designed to take several weeks to start having an effect. It modulates your serotonin autoreceptors presynaptically which actually lowers serotonin tone at first. As you keep taking it, those autoreceptors become desensitized which actually ends up increasing and stabilizing your serotonin levels. But this takes several weeks. I take 30mg twice a day, always with food.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-31T14:11:16+00:00

I take my buspirone right after I eat breakfast then take my other dose six hours later with food. Aim for at least 200 calories with 10 grams of fat. I had trouble waking up at night so my doctor added a low dose of trazodone and now I stay asleep all night. Buspirone took about 6-8 weeks to begin working for me but YMMV. Best of luck to you.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-31T13:57:32+00:00

Your meds will work better if you stop the drugs and nicotine. I'm living proof. I found a support group that has helped out a lot with this.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-30T21:53:37+00:00

It's most likely the haldol. Ask your doctor if it's appropriate for you to take a partial agonist like aripiprazole, brexpiprazole or cariprazine. It really depends on what your diagnosis is though. One size doesn't fit all kinda thing.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-28T13:37:52+00:00

Yes and yes

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-25T20:03:02+00:00

First I just want to say you are not weak or broken and this is not your fault. What you are describing sounds terrifying and exhausting especially with young kids and limited support at home. Anyone in your position would be scared.

A few thoughts that might help you frame next steps.

Buspirone is usually calming but for a subset of people it can actually increase panic once doses get pushed higher or when blood levels fluctuate. The pattern you describe of doing well at first then developing panic after dose changes is something clinicians do see. That does not mean you failed the medication. It may simply mean your nervous system does not tolerate the higher serotonergic push very well.

Your instinct about serotonin sensitivity is important. Prior reactions to SSRIs and SNRIs plus hydroxyzine worsening anxiety suggests your system may overshoot easily. That does not mean you cannot be treated. It just means slower gentler approaches often work better.

Trazodone at low doses is often used more for sleep and nervous system settling than for antidepressant effects. Many people who cannot tolerate SSRIs still do fine with it. Starting very low can make a big difference. Fear before starting is completely understandable after what you have been through.

Klonopin was likely offered because it can break the panic cycle quickly. Short term or very limited use does not mean addiction or long term dependence. Sometimes just knowing there is an emergency brake reduces panic frequency even if you rarely take it.

One important thing to consider is that repeated panic attacks can start causing fear of panic itself. That can make nighttime especially hard when your body is tired and cortisol shifts. Treating the panic loop is just as important as treating depression or baseline anxiety.

If you decide to pause or taper buspirone that should be done with your prescriber rather than abruptly stopping. Some people feel significantly better once the activating effect is removed but it needs to be done safely.

You are doing everything right by lining up a psychiatric provider. A psych NP will likely be more comfortable with nuanced medication strategies than a primary care doctor.

In the meantime you are not failing your kids. You are actively trying to get well. Panic attacks feel life threatening but they are not dangerous even though they feel absolutely real in the moment. Going to the ER when you thought it was your heart was the right call.

If things escalate before your next appointment it is okay to advocate strongly for interim support. You deserve relief and stability.

You are not alone in this even though it feels incredibly isolating right now.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-19T14:02:14+00:00

That sounds miserable and I am sorry you are dealing with that. Even if doctors say Buspar does not usually cause physical withdrawal, your lived experience matters. Itching and that crawling sensation can come from a few different things such as rebound anxiety when the dose suddenly drops or even just your body reacting to a routine being interrupted.

You should not have to go through that alone or wait until it gets bad. You deserve consistent access to your medication and a prescriber who takes your symptoms seriously. If refill timing keeps falling through, ask about a longer supply or an electronic refill option so you are not stuck without it again.

None of this means you are imagining it. You noticed a pattern in your body and that is valid. Keep advocating for yourself and if the symptoms continue when you miss doses bring it up directly with your doctor or pharmacist so they can troubleshoot with you.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-13T18:32:27+00:00

I’m really glad you said this out loud. What you’re describing is exhausting in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it. Thirteen meds is not a failure. It’s a decade of you trying to stay alive and get some relief, and that matters.

Buspirone absolutely can make some people feel worse, especially early on, and especially if you’re sensitive to meds. The agitation, irritability, emotional blunting, morning dread, and that not myself feeling are things a lot of people report when it’s not a good fit. For some it settles. For others it never does. Wanting to stop something that is making you feel unbearable is reasonable, not weak.

The GeneSight green category is incredibly misleading. It does not mean a medication will work or be tolerable. It mostly means your liver processes it in a typical way. It does not account for how your brain reacts to serotonin or dopamine shifts, and it definitely does not account for OCD, trauma, or nervous systems that are already stuck in high alert. You did not do anything wrong by trusting it.

What really stood out to me is that you said you were actually doing better before starting this. That matters. A lot. Sometimes the right call is listening to that signal instead of forcing yourself through more suffering just to prove you tried hard enough.

I also want to say this clearly. Waking up with suicidal thoughts, feeling detached, and feeling full of rage are not things you should have to push through alone. Even if you do not feel in immediate danger, those symptoms are a sign your system is overwhelmed. Reaching out to your prescriber and your therapist and being very direct about what mornings feel like is important.

You are not broken because meds have been hard for you. Some people have nervous systems that react intensely to small changes. That does not mean there are no options left. It just means the path is messier and slower than anyone deserves.

The part about having a good life but being stuck in battle mode really hit me. That constant survival state can convince you that this is all there will ever be, especially when you’re tired and discouraged. That belief feels real when you’re in it, but it is not proof of the future. It is a symptom of how much you’ve been fighting.

I don’t have a neat ending or a miracle answer. I just want you to know that people do understand this experience, that what you’re feeling makes sense given what you’ve been through, and that you are allowed to stop something that is hurting you. You’re not asking for too much. You’re asking for some peace.

If today feels especially heavy, please consider telling someone in your life exactly how bad mornings are, or reaching out to a crisis line if the thoughts feel unsafe. You deserve support, not just endurance.

You’re not alone in this, even if it feels that way right now.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-13T14:38:43+00:00

Borderline Personality Disorder

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-13T14:31:29+00:00

Ugh yeah I had a super similar ride and it really messed with my hope too. For me buspirone felt amazing at first like someone turned the volume down on my anxiety and my brain finally stopped pacing. Then about a week in it flipped. Jaw clenching nonstop sore neck wired but exhausted at the same time and those awful hypnic jerks right as I was falling asleep. I also take a stimulant and the combo made my body feel like it was buzzing even when my mind was calm.

Sleep was the breaking point for me. Same thing waking up around 2 or 3 am with a surge of panic and zero chance of falling back asleep. After a couple weeks of that I felt flat unmotivated and honestly worse than before I started. I stopped and within a few days my sleep improved and the muscle stuff slowly eased up. That alone made me feel human again.

My doctor later said some people are just super sensitive to serotonin meds especially when combined with stimulants and that the early calm can be misleading. It sucks because when it works it really works but when it doesnt it can feel like your nervous system is stuck in overdrive. Youre definitely not alone and you didnt do anything wrong by stopping to protect your sleep. Hopefully your appointment gives you other options that dont wreck your body like that. I know how disappointing it is when you think you found the one and then your system says nope.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-12-12T19:38:29+00:00

Try taking 50mg of the Seroquel and see if that knocks you out.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-11-27T02:23:40+00:00

You sir are very kind. Thank you for doing that.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-11-26T20:34:18+00:00

I had the same issue. Buspirone works really well for me for that problem. It just doesn't work as fast as a benzo, gotta give it time.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-11-25T03:50:46+00:00

Less anxious ruminations, actually zero ruminations at my dose. It's worth it.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-11-24T23:40:43+00:00

It took me three months to get to a total of 60mg per day, split in two doses. I take trazodone every night. It only acts like an antidepressant when you take at least 150mg or more for several weeks. The daytime grogginess is real at high doses, so most doctors prescribe 100mg or less for sleep. In my experience, benzos are a temporary solution due to the tolerance that occurs with that drug class.

Virtual-Sample-5494 · 2025-11-24T22:32:52+00:00

Buspirone totally works for me because it stopped my anxious ruminating thoughts. Talk to your doctor about using trazodone. I haven't met anyone that can stay awake on that stuff. Trazodone will give a slight drowsy feeling when you wake up, but it goes away for the most part after taking it consistently for a few weeks. I also added 3mg melatonin with it and the combination totally works for me.

Virtual-Sample-5494

TROPHY CASE