Buspirone: Price, Dosage & Where to Buy

Buspirone is an anti-anxiety medicine, also described as an anxiolytic, used mainly to manage anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder. Its label also includes short-term relief of anxiety symptoms and reports relief of anxiety in people who had coexisting depressive symptoms. Buspirone requires a prescription in the United Kingdom and is available in oral tablet and capsule forms.

Buspirone is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders or short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. Clinical trials demonstrated its effectiveness in people whose diagnosis broadly corresponded to generalised anxiety disorder. The symptoms described in the label include persistent worry, apprehension, restlessness, muscle tension, difficulty relaxing, irritability, disturbed sleep and difficulty concentrating.

Physical symptoms can include sweating, a racing heart, dizziness and an unsettled stomach. Some people in the trials also had depressive symptoms, and buspirone relieved their anxiety in that setting. This does not establish it as a treatment for depression.

Anxiety or tension associated with everyday stress usually does not require an anti-anxiety medicine. For extended treatment, the label recommends that the prescriber periodically reassesses whether buspirone remains useful.

Buspirone is an anxiolytic, meaning a medicine used to reduce anxiety. Its action involves serotonin, a chemical messenger that helps nerve cells communicate and contributes to the regulation of mood and anxiety. Buspirone acts at particular serotonin receptors, changing how these signals are received.

This can help modify activity in the brain pathways involved in anxiety. Its precise therapeutic effect cannot be explained by a single chemical change, and its action should not be interpreted as evidence that anxiety has a single cause.

The label lists oral capsules in strengths of 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg, and oral tablets in strengths of 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg. The usual starting dose is 15 mg daily, given as 7.5 mg twice daily. The label lists increases of 5 mg per day at intervals of 2 to 3 days, as needed for therapeutic response.

The label lists a maximum of 60 mg per day. The label lists commonly used clinical trial doses of 20 mg to 30 mg per day in divided doses.

Food increases buspirone availability, so the label describes consistent timing in relation to food. Potent CYP3A4 inhibitors require specific prescribing consideration.

A missed dose can interrupt the regular treatment schedule. General pharmacy advice is to resume the prescribed schedule when remembered, unless the next scheduled dose is close, in which case the missed dose is omitted.

A double dose should not be used to make up for a missed dose. A pharmacist can clarify any uncertainty about timing.

The label does not specify pregnancy or breastfeeding data. Anyone who is pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding should discuss buspirone with a doctor or pharmacist so that treatment can be reviewed in relation to their circumstances.

Store at 20° to 25°C in a tight, light-resistant container with a child-resistant closure. Keep buspirone and all other medicines out of the reach of children.