Does anyone know if 20mgs of Buspar per day is enough to treat anxiety?

Thanks for your reply. I noticed that i dont get dizzy when I take it after dinner, only in the am. I'm taking it with food both times. The dizziness in the am has subsided finally but I feel like if I up it to 15mg in the am I will be dizzy all over again! Have you noticed ANY decease in anxiety on the 22.5 per day? how long have you been taking it? I feel the same as you, dont want to switch meds again but also dont want be dizzy either, especially if it's not going to help my anxiety. How long did your doctor say it would take to start working? Thanks!

Well I started buspar in August.. Hang on I got my previous post all messed up. I was on 5mg 2x daily. Wasn't helping. She tried upping me to 10mg 2x and that's when the dizziness happened. I ended up going to 7.5 two times a day and then 5mg at night. Recently I upped myself to 7.5 3x daily. So I am on 22.5 as of right now. I went to 30mg a day which the dizziness does calm down a bit, but I had one of the worst panic attacks I've ever had.. The anxiety was sky high for a week so I couldn't handle it. I went back down to 22.5..the pill itself usually takes up to 4 weeks to fully kick in. I take mine at 9am, 3pm and 9pm.. Maybe ask if you can do 10mg three times a day so your body gets used to it a bit more. Also drink Alot of water with them, I noticed that helps morning dizziness sometimes.

Ok, thanks so much, that's very helpful! I think I will try the 10mgs three times per day.I agree with you - drinking a lof of water with them definitely helps. Did your doctor say it was normal for your anxiety to increase after upping your dose to 30mgs? Seems kind of strange, yikes! I definitely don't want that to happen - I have enough anxiety to begin with! oh, and how much food do you eat with them? I try to eat something substantial but I'm wondering if it really matters.

It isn't guaranteed increased anxiety for everyone, my body is just extremely sensitive with all meds (i have postpartum depression so my hormones are already all messed up). You'll see a spike in anxiety maybe around the 4th day and it will eventually settle down if you can handle it for a week or so. I couldn't.

I have to eat a good amount in the morning, so I'll eat usually an egg white sandwich and a bottle of water, taking the pill Atleast a half hour after eating. At 3pm and 9pm doses, I can eat a candy bar and not feel dizziness.

Just make sure you clear it with your doctor that you're going to take it 3 times a day instead of 2. My doctor at first didn't want me to because these pills are made to last the whole day.. She ended up letting me and it's helped Alot more. I needed that pill in the middle of the day, by 2pm I used to get a little anxious again.

Thanks again! I tried taking 15mgs last night and my regular 10mgs this morning but I got dizzy again! I need to drive and go to work in the mornings so this isnt going to work for me. I think I'm super sensitive to this med.  I think I'm going to have to give the 20mgs per day the full 3-4 weeks to see if it helps my anxiety and if not try yet another drug. This is so frustrating. At what point did you notice the Buspar was helping? Was it around 3 weeks or closer to 4? I see my dr in another two weeks, and by then it will have been 4 weeks.

I personally felt effects within 5 days but my body is extremely sensitive to meds.. Give it the full 4 weeks before deciding.. Plus by then you may be able to go up to 15mg each time because your body will be used to it more..

ok thank you! I only get dizzy in the morning from the 10s, I think it's because my stomacn is pretty empty, even after breakfast. And, after about 12 days on the 10s I wasnt getting dizzy the the am anymore. So I think each time I increase my dose I'm going to get dizzy all over again. I really do appreciate all of your help!

Hi again, I tried increasing my pm dose to 15mgs and I think it might have increased my anxiety. This entire week has been worse than normal. I guess I will see how it goes until the 13th, which is when I see my dr next. I just dont think I can deal with the inceased anxiety and dizziness of this medication. If i feel it's working by the 4 week mark I might see if I can tak 7.5 3xs per day, but so far I have not seen any improvment in my anxiety. I hope you had good luck with your dr this week!

was doing 10mg 2xs per day, but I tried upping my evening dose to 15mgs per day and I got dizzy in the am with my next dose of 10mg. So, I went back to my 10 mgs 2xs per day. Today is day 17 on buspar and I really dont feel like I'm doing any better, infact this week has been worse than before, not sure if upping the dose slightly caused a peak in anxiety or if the med is just not agreeing with me, so frustrating