{"id":48862,"date":"2022-02-14T09:30:20","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T14:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=48862"},"modified":"2026-09-10T20:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T00:50:56","slug":"buspar-for-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/buspar-for-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"How effective is BuSpar for anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, many people took a medication called BuSpar for anxiety. If you\u2019re one of them, you may remember that this brand name drug was discontinued more than a decade ago. But the generic version, buspirone<\/a>, remains available to this day.<\/p>\n

In fact, buspirone is one of several different types of anti-anxiety medications, although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are generally considered the first-line treatments. Here\u2019s what you need to know about whether or not it might be an effective choice for you.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBuspirone 5 mg (60 Tablets)\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t$4.74\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\ti<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t$4.74\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\ti<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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What is BuSpar (buspirone), and is it still available?<\/h2>\n

The brand name BuSpar is no longer available, but generic buspirone is. It\u2019s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manage anxiety disorders and relieve short-term symptoms of anxiety. However, in practice, it is typically used to treat generalized anxiety disorder<\/a> (GAD), a condition involving constant or excessive worrying<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And you don\u2019t need to worry that something was wrong with the brand name drug. BuSpar wasn\u2019t pulled from the market over safety concerns. Bristol-Myers Squibb began selling BuSpar in 1986. Years later, as the patent neared expiration, the manufacturer sued to keep a generic version off the market, fearing it would cut significantly into profits. The company lost, and it eventually chose to pull the brand name product from shelves voluntarily rather than compete with the generic.<\/p>\n

As Erik Hanson<\/a>, MD, a psychiatrist in Metairie, Louisiana, puts it, \u201cOnce a medicine goes generic, most people get the generic.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2010, the FDA published a notice in the Federal Register<\/i><\/a> confirming that BuSpar wasn\u2019t discontinued due to any concerns about safety or effectiveness.<\/p>\n

How does buspirone work? Is it an SSRI?<\/h2>\n

Buspirone is not a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), the class of antidepressants (including Prozac<\/a>, Lexapro<\/a>, and Zoloft<\/a>) that\u2019s typically used as first-line treatments for anxiety. Instead, buspirone belongs to a different class of medications called azapirones<\/a>. It has anxiolytic effects and works by balancing certain chemicals in the brain that regulate mood, like serotonin and dopamine, but through a different mechanism than SSRIs use.<\/p>\n

Unlike benzodiazepines, another class of medications that are sometimes used to treat anxiety, buspirone has fewer sedative effects. It\u2019s also not habit-forming or associated with dependence, which is a concern associated with benzodiazepines such as Xanax<\/a> (alprazolam<\/a>), Valium<\/a> (diazepam<\/a>), and Ativan<\/a> (lorazepam<\/a>). This can make buspirone better suited for long-term generalized anxiety management<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How effective is buspirone for anxiety, and how long does it take to work?<\/h2>\n

The FDA has given buspirone the stamp of approval for being safe and effective. However, buspirone is not usually a first-line option for anxiety like SSRIs<\/a> or SNRIs<\/a>, since it needs to be taken two or three times per day and is usually limited to GAD.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, the first line for anxiety<\/a> would be the SSRIs, like Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, some of those,\u201d notes Owen Scott Muir<\/a>, MD, a psychiatrist and co-founder and chief medical officer of Radial. \u201cBuspirone is typically not used first line, although it can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with an SSRI or SNRI, patience is key: Buspirone does not work immediately like a benzodiazepine does. It usually takes several weeks<\/a> for it to start becoming effective, and your healthcare provider will monitor your response along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t use it \u2018as needed\u2019,\u201d Dr. Hanson explains. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t work right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Effectiveness also varies from person to person. \u201cSome people take buspirone and feel nothing,\u201d Dr. Hanson says. \u201cIt depends on the person, and you can\u2019t predict how the person will respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you’re experiencing side effects or don’t think buspirone is working, talk to the healthcare provider who prescribed it rather than stopping on your own. Doing so could raise the risk of withdrawal side effects<\/a>.\u00a0 Dr. Muir notes, \u201cAbruptly discontinuing medication is a bad plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is buspirone used for depression?<\/h2>\n

Buspirone is only FDA approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder, not depression. That said, some providers prescribe it off-label for depression or as an add-on medication<\/a> along with an SSRI when treating medication-resistant depression that hasn\u2019t responded to a single prescription drug. Combining buspirone with an SSRI can raise the risk of serotonin syndrome<\/a>, though, so your healthcare provider will monitor you closely if you’re taking both. Serotonin syndrome develops from too much serotonin activity in the body, and it can cause symptoms ranging from agitation, confusion, sweating, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to more serious complications.<\/p>\n

Buspirone is also not used for other types of anxiety disorders (such as social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or agoraphobia) or related disorders such as acute stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).<\/p>\n

What are the side effects of buspirone?<\/h2>\n

Buspirone is generally considered safe for treating generalized anxiety disorder. However, as with any medication, there are potential side effects.<\/p>\n

Some of the side effects<\/a> that you may encounter when taking buspirone include:<\/p>\n