• Buspirone may be used for the treatment of anxiety.
• Experts are not sure exactly how buspirone works but think its anxiety-relieving effects may be due to its effects on serotonin and other neurotransmitter receptors such as dopamine.
• Buspirone belongs to the group of medicines known as anxiolytics.

• May be used to treat anxiety disorders or for the short-term relief of anxiety.
• May be less sedating than other medications used in the treatment of anxiety; however, there is a lot of variation in the way individuals respond to buspirone.
• Does not appear to cause tolerance or dependence and not associated with abuse; however people with a history of drug abuse should be monitored closely.
• Generic buspirone is available.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include:

• Dizziness, light-headedness, headache, nausea, and excitement.
• May cause drowsiness, although buspirone is less likely to do this compared to most other medicines used for anxiety. Avoid alcohol and be cautious about operating machinery until the effects are known.
• Interaction or overdosage may cause serotonin syndrome (symptoms include mental status changes [such as agitation, hallucinations, coma, delirium]), fast heart rate, dizziness, flushing, muscle tremor, or rigidity and stomach symptoms (including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea).
• May interact with grapefruit and grapefruit products. May interact with other drugs including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (avoid), erythromycin, nefazodone, itraconazole, diltiazem, and verapamil.
• May not be suitable for some people including those with severe liver or kidney disease.
• May not prevent withdrawal symptoms associated with benzodiazepine withdrawal.
• Has been mistakenly read as metanephrine during routine assay testing for pheochromocytoma, resulting in a false-positive laboratory result. Discontinue for at least 48 hours before undergoing a urine collection for catecholamines.
• Animal studies have not reported fertility impairment or fetal damage; however, adequate and controlled studies in humans have not been performed. Avoid breastfeeding while taking buspirone.
• Not approved for people younger than 18 years.

Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. View complete list of side effects

• Take buspirone consistently; either always with or without food.
• Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor, do not take more or less. The tablet is designed so that it can be broken easily into the correct dosage. For example, on one side of the 30mg tablet, there are two scored lines allowing the tablet to be broken into three 10mg pieces, or one 10mg piece and one 20mg piece. On the other side there is one score-line that allows the tablet to be broken into two 15mg pieces.
• Avoid drinking large amounts of grapefruit juice while taking buspirone.
• Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.
• Seek urgent medical advice if symptoms consistent with serotonin syndrome (such as agitation, hallucinations, fast heart rate, dizziness, flushing, nausea, diarrhea) develop.
• Do not take any other medicines with buspirone without talking with your doctor first.
• The effects of buspirone during pregnancy and on the breastfeeding infant are not known.

• Peak concentrations of buspirone are reached within 40 to 90 minutes of a dose.
• Levels of buspirone may increase up to 13 fold if taken regularly by people with liver disease. Level increases of up to 4-fold have been reported in people with kidney disease.

Medicines that interact with buspirone may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works for, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with buspirone. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Common medications that may interact with buspirone include:

• any medicine that inhibits or induces CYP3A4 enzymes, such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, ketoconazole, ritonavir, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampicin, or St. John's Wort
• other anti-anxiety medications, including benzodiazepines, such as diazepam and oxazepam
• antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine, nefazodone or nortriptyline
• antihistamines that cause sedation, such as diphenhydramine
• antipsychotics, such as haloperidol
• barbiturates
• calcium channel blockers, such as diltiazem or verapamil
• cimetidine
• cyclobenzaprine and other muscle relaxants
• duloxetine
• grapefruit
• mifepristone
• medicines that also release serotonin, such as lithium or triptans
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as selegiline, isocarboxazid, or phenelzine (avoid concurrent use [or use within 14 days] because the combination may cause significant increases in blood pressure)
• opioid analgesics such as codeine, oxycodone, and morphine
• sleeping pills, such as zolpidem
• some medications used to treat mental illness, such as haloperidol, clozapine, and thioridazine
• warfarin.

Alcohol may worsen the side effects of buspirone such as drowsiness and dizziness.

Buspirone is metabolized by CYP3A4. This means buspirone levels may be increased by CYP3A4 inhibitors (eg, ketoconazole, clarithromycin, or itraconazole) and decreased by CYP3A4 inducers (eg, rifabutin, phenytoin, or carbamazepine).

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with buspirone. You should refer to the prescribing information for buspirone for a complete list of interactions.