Buspirone

Summary

Buspirone is a mental health drug that is primarily prescribed to treat anxiety. Importantly, buspirone has a delayed onset of about 2 weeks, so it is not effective for treating acute panic attacks. Buspirone is a great option for chronic treatment of anxiety because it has minimal side effects compared to other anti-anxiety medications.

Key Points

• Mechanism
  • Anxiolytic
    • Binds to serotonin and dopamine receptors
      • Does not act on GABA receptors like benzodiazepines do, meaning it has less sedative effects and a lower risk of dependence
    • Slow onset of action (1-2 weeks)
      • Not appropriate for panic attacks or PRN use
      • Another anxiolytic may be prescribed initially until buspirone has time to take effect
      • Instruct patient starting buspirone to take the medication as prescribed, even if they don’t notice a difference at first
  • Clinical Use
    • Anxiety
      • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
      • Anxiety-related depression
      • Not useful for acute anxiety or panic disorder
  • Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
    • Drug Interactions/Toxicity
      • Avoid use with grapefruit juice
      • Do not take concurrently with MAOIs
    • Dizziness, headache
    • Restlessness, nervousness, agitation
    • GI distress
      • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
      • Patient can take with food to minimize GI upset