Xanax Vs. Buspar (Page 3) (Top voted first)

Yes-what is the major difference between these 2 meds? I have taken xanax for several years. I'm thinking abt. changing to Buspar. Can you switch meds like these without tapering off the xanax. Does Buspar help w/ Panic attacks?

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I agree with some of the post about Doctor's reticence about prescribing Xanax. I take buspirone only at night, because it makes me too dizzy. Frankly, I've stopped several courses because it's effects are negligible. I was fortunate to have a doctor prescribe .5 of Xanax 20 pills a month. This doctor is an angel. He says with this amount I can't get addicted.
What I don't understand is that the DEA and FDA are coming down hard on prescribing Xanax. What is preferable... Drinking hard alcohol everyday to control panic attacks, so that we can get cirrhosis later? When I use to get severe panic attacks I would end up in the hospital, even having an angiogram to rule out a heart attack. Remember, before the advent of Xanax people before the 80's used alcohol and cigarette s to deal with panic attacks.
Incidentally, my 20 pills last two to three months. I only take half (.25) at a time and when needed. I should be taking more, so I just suffer through some days.
I'm not a tea party kind of guy, nor libertarian , but I wish the government would leave patient care up tp doctors and their patient and mind their own business. Make your voices heard.

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I totally disagree with u. Buspar has saved me from anxiety. I've taken plenty of xanax and it is one of the worst drugs out there. Trust me. I've done the research.

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Avoid Xanax if at all possible. Works great at first, but is a SHORT term solution. The most medicine I ever took in my life were aspirin, cough syrup, and ibuprofen (prescribed) for severe pain (toothache). My PCP diagnosed me with anxiety about 2 months ago (late July, early August 2014), and suggested Xanax, which id never heard of. Asked questions, was satisfied, and figured it could help. Filled the prescription, and Initially, I took as recommended on the bottle (IF needed, 3 times a day every 8 hours). I didn't /don't get anxiety attacks that often so I may have skipped, a day or 3. I found myself having more anxiety attacks AND I started having panic attacks, so I would take a pill. The pill works GREAT!..and THERE lays the problem. As I read more and more stories about Xanax abuse, addiction / potential dependency and withdrawal problems, and how powerful it is... I started to cut the pills in half, and again, take ONLY when needed. Well..my pills finished this past weekend (Sept 4th), and I have a follow-up this Friday Sept 10). I'm currently on day 3 of withdrawal HELL! (.05 of Xanax, is what I had). Woke up Sunday morning around 7:30AM, feeling anxious. I spent the day with blood pressure spikes, panic and anxiety attacks, swearing my chest was going to explode. Finally convinced myself to go to the ER on Sunday (they sent me home with Tylenol KNOWING I was on Xanax. I wont be going back to that hospital again). Monday found me still awake from Sunday morning (withdrawal symptoms can cause insomnia)..ALL DAY...and here it is early Tuesday morning, and I still cant sleep! Xanax isn't for everyone, and it certainly isn't for me. Id rather wipe dog poop off the sidewalk for the rest of my life, than go though these withdrawal effects ever again. I'll try psychos-therapy instead. No more pills, and I'll tell my PCP, no more Xanax.

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We're here to talk about meds, not listen to those who have nothing better to do then bully people.

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Bus par is horrible hated it....brain zaps, didn't really help anxiety.....was given atarax didn't help much either took like 4 and still nothing.....sorry I know Xanax is a barbiturate but it does indeed help and 9 years been on it and since having anxiety and panic since a child I feel like a fully functional person and my anger anxiety is under control....highly recommend....being 42 now....I have tried everything on the market and Xanax for me....and my kids agree much more in control and a happier person...

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I taken. Xanta now. My dr has put me on burpione Now she also took me off tramdoal for my pain just like that what going to happen we you don't have med to take and this is so wrong

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Buspar is horrible was on it 5 years....though Xanax is addictive is works wonders....as long as you never drink any form of alcohol ever being on it.....I have no panic attacks anymore and I have my life back

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I feel the same way.I'm 39 years old,a mother of a 19 yr old and 6 yr old...I'm in the medical field and work night shift and go to school full-time.My anxiety is at a all time high with my lack of sleep,studying,being a good wife and mother.My doctor left his practice with no explanation after 5 years.My new doctor is thorough, but when I ask for Xanax mind you 0.25 mg he looks at me like I'm a junkie.It works for me.Yesterday after my visit he prescribed Buspar 5mg to be taken once a week for the first week and twice a week the second and the xanax is ONLY for my anxiety when I'm at my worse.I feel ashamed to ask for my refill of xanax because of how they look at you...0.25 mg just assist me with my everyday living....I don't even take it everyday.I hope Buspar works......I've suffered from anxiety since I was 13 years old.Back then they put me on activan.
Time will only tell.....

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Hello, thank you for your post. It helped me very much. I have been on Xanax since the late 80's when I started to experience severe panic attacks. I had children, I had to work so I had no choice. I never abused them. Always took them exactly as I was supposed to. Why is it that a few people who use it recreationally ruin it for those of use who need it to function? I used to take 2 mg a day back then. Now it is just .50 I will probably take it the rest of my life unless my doctor dies.
Thanks again

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Hi, I asked my doctor if I could switch from Xanax to Buspar. He said it wouldn't help my anxiety since I'm used to Xanax

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Thank-you.I'm in a tough place.I'm withdrawing from Benzos.Was considering busbar.I wish I could just take a small amount of Benzos.Wish you well

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I think the drug manufactuers are cashing in on these new drugs that I see on TV that look to me like these drugs have the worst side effects of the benzos and opiates that I can't believe my eyes when I see these TV commercials. T feel like there is the biggest problem. Bring back the benzos and opiates for us people that suffer in agony every day. I open my eyes in the morning and think to myself, oh no, another day of hell. That is only if I sleep!

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I enjoyed reading you feedback. I love m&m's too, the new pretzel kind are my fav.

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Leah, how old are you? I'm only 32 going on 33 and I'm hoping that I'm not in the beginning stages of mentopause. I noticed a few changes in my body about 2 yes ago that make me worry that I am. My hair changed in texture a bit, I started getting bitten by Mosquitos (hadn't had one bit in 15 years), and the anxiety. I really hope it's not mentopause bc my husband and I just got married and would like to have children. Just curious of what age you were. Thanks!

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Zanax & valium !! I've been on 5. Mg of Valium when I was in a car accident to deal w neck spasms w surgery on cervical disc didn't help.12 yrs later I almost lost my rt. lower leg fr knee down . I had a rod w screws inserted & the capsule that holds the muscle ligaments & tendents bursts so now the muscle that's supposed to b on outer calf is in front of leg under my knee . I also had minuscus surgery that didn't help. I think I need a raise in dose its my driving leg, w I drive the muscle swells fr the movement .my dr won't raise my dose or give me anything more than the 5. Mg I started w 15 yrs now since b4 I almost lost my rt leg 5. Mg doesn't work well anymore what would help? I was on fentanyl taffy that worked & I could stop using w pain was better but my Medicade won't pay what w help ? Taffy were great cause I could use anywhere w no water ? Med w help?

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This was a follow up to post of 4/14/2012 only 3 months ago I was a wreck.

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Anne, age does not matter when it comes to hormones! Hormones can be unbalanced no matter what age you are. And also, I'm 33 years old, I'm not a kid either. I think this happened in my life bc my body is starting to change and bc I will be entering menopause soon. My grandmother started at 35. If you want to get rid of your panic attacks you really should have your hormones tested. I can't begin to tell you the different it made in the way I feel. But, if you choose not to, and have to deal with those horrible attacks, I do feel for you! Life is not the same when you feel that way.

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Lee, you should call a rehab for the person because, and as a recovered addict, it sounds like he/she has a big problem. Detoxing from Benzos is extreme and should be done in a detox center. I hope the best for your friend & that this was helpful to you

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Re: Post # 161 ...

Hi Rosa and others,
Good question. Long-term, severe anxiety is miserable to endure! First and foremost, to specify, psychiatrists are doctors that use drug therapy to address mental, emotional, and other maladies strictly affecting your conscious/subconscious aspects of life, while psychologists and "therapists" rely on what's referred to, "talk therapy" to improve "mental health".

Most psychiatrists will first attempt to treat recurring anxiety (whether panic attacks, severe anxiety, or general anxiety) with an SSRI/SNRI such as Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), or one of many others, some of which you have probably tried using unsuccessfully that comprise a very long, and very profitable for the makers thereof, list of drugs designed to treat both depression and anxiety.

This is the first line of treatment preferred by psychiatrists for several reasons. Why? These latest antidepressants are safer than benzodiazapenes (Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan et al.) in that they are virtually impossible to overdose on especially compared to the benzos. The latest antidepressants do not use the GABA-ergic pathways in the brain (whereas the benzo's do use them) to slow and lessen brain activity. Therefore, the patient is much less likely to suffer respiratory failure (stop breathing) or cardiac arrest (heart stopping) from an overdose, as a patient would be from an overdose of a benzodiazapene or a barbiturate drug.

This "pathway" is one of the brain's *primary, effective, and often used* method of keeping anxiety"and neural (brain) activity in general in check and at normal levels. It's by taking advantage of this pathway by which benzo's can so effectively"and quickly"abort panic attacks in patients and reduce anxiety, seizures, and other ailments that are caused by hyperactivity or misfiring of neural systems in the brain"say, for example, seizures (valium is still often used in hospitals to treat sudden onset seizures).

The main problem is that by benzo's so heavily using and relying on this one, powerful mechanism to reduce neural activity and anxiety, a process called downregulation, which is the deactivation and decoupling of GABA receptors at the cellular level in, and throughout, the brain, occurs which lessens the overall effect of the drug per dose and renders part of the natural functioning of this pathway inactive. So, now, if you were to suddenly stop taking the medication, say"¦Xanax (alprazolam), not only would you feel the anxiety level were experiencing before starting the medication, but also you would additionally experience anxiety caused by the portion of GABA-ergic pathways rendered inactive by the benzodiazapene drug.

For example, Klonopin (clonazepam) may work very well for you at first when taking 1 mg twice daily for the first 2 weeks or so of treatment. But a month later, you're finding that the anxiety is creeping back and that even right after taking the drug"when it's effect should be strongest"you're still feeling anxious. This usually leads to the patient reporting to the psychiatrist something to the effect of, "it just isn't working like it used to!" and an increase in the dosage of the medication by said psychiatrist.

With this type of medication, this "stepping up" will eventually repeat over and over until not only are you again feeling an uncomfortable level of anxiousness, but also if you were to stop taking the drug, you would be thrown into what I would confidently describe as an intolerable level of anxiety, frequent panic attacks, be at high risk for seizures, and also may experience delirium tremens which can be fatal and is the same life-threatening condition experienced by severe, chronic alcoholics who suddenly stop drinking alcohol.

*My core points are these:
-Benzo's carry a heavy risk of rapid tolerance and physical dependence not to mention addiction.
-Cessation of taking the drug is not only unpleasant, but also in some cases fatal.
-Ergo, a responsible psychiatrist will usually try an alternative method of treatment for anxiety before relying on this class "benzodiazapenes" of medication. Or, the psychiatrist will first confirm that an alternative treatment method for the anxiety has already been attempted and failed.

What is the second most effective method of treatment medication? There is strong, reliable evidence that the new antidepressants"the SSRI/SNRI class of drugs"have been found to be effective at treating anxiety disorders while not causing the quick rise in tolerance, dependence, risk of addiction, and lethal danger if the patient suddenly stops taking the drug. HOWEVER, some patients suffering from anxiety disorders can and do experience a sudden increase in both number AND severity of panic attacks and anxiety in general when beginning treatment with this type of medication. If this does happen"and it is NOT uncommon"you need to contact your psychiatrist ASAP and go to your nearest ER. The bottom line here is that there is a significant level of uncertainty as to how you would, or will, respond to taking one of these drugs for anxiety; though it SHOULD not, it CAN make your anxiety much worse.

Buspar (buspirone) decreases anxiety in a similar way as do these antidepressants (or so it is suspected), rather than by the way benzo's do"the clinical evidence of the way in which this drug works to achieve its effects is still uncertain. Buspar will work for some people in treating their anxiety while NOT posing the health risks that do benzodiazapenes like Xanax, Klonopin, et al. However, the bottom line is that it is NOT as effective in reducing anxiety as benzo's, and a much greater portion of psychiatric patients will not benefit from this medication. For the vast majority of cases, you should not expect a drug like Buspar to be as effective as a benzodiazapene in treating anxiety.

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The human body will develop a tolerance to any mental health medication, at which point its usefulness is compromised. If you aren't meditating, you shouldn't be medicating. 30 minutes of meditation a day can do more for you than any drug. The Buspar I'm on seems to have lost its effectiveness (after a year or so). I made a doctor's appointment to acquire some Xanax in place of the Buspar, but I cancelled the appointment and am trying meditation first. Perhaps I won't need anything! Don't give up on your body's ability to heal. Best of luck to all of you!

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