Starting at very reduced dose

[MissyMischief]

Hi Urusainaa,

Glad you are having some calm moments...I think that is a good sign. What dose are you taking?

Yesterday was a solid good day for me. Anxious at times, but definitely more manageable.

[MissyMischief]

Yesterday was another good day. Upped dose of Fluox to 20mg. I'm really surprised that I'm feeling so good (big knock on wood). Is it the buspar? Is it the Fluox? A combo? A placebo effect? No idea! Time will tell.

[Kitty Cat]

Risperidone
I have been prescribed this at a low dose of 0.5mg to help with anxiety. After reading about the side effects I'm not all that keen to take it. does anyone have any experience of this drug and its side effects at a low dose?

[MissyMischief]

Kitty Cat- sorry, but I don't have experience with that particular med. If you're afraid of side effects, you can always cut it in half or even quarters to start just to see how that affects you.

Had an anxious day yesterday, but today I'm oddly cheerful. I think upping my dose of the Fluox has made me paranoid of side effects, but I still feel all right. I'm gonna assume the buspar is what's helping.

[Carolin]

I've been on buspirone for six months now . I take 45 mg, which is the UK's maximum dose.

It definitely helps me. I used to have terrible panic attacks , but have only had two since starting the buspirone. It doesn't take away my gad , but it does make things more managable.

It's not an instant fix, but it helps me .

[SADnomore]

Hi, all,

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your experiences so far with buspirone. I have decided to ask my doctor about augmenting my Effexor with it once I bump up to 150mg next week. This is the dose where norepinephrine (adrenaline) comes into play, and having something calming on board will be welcome.

It's odd, because with Seasonal Affective Disorder (I have winter depression), I find the anxiety comes from the dark closing in, while at the same time, the depression keeps me indoors and fighting sleep all the time. I need the motivating effects of the higher ven doses, but I defo do not need any more increasing anxiety! I hope that buspirone will help alleviate what I already have ... Maybe I will try starting it first, slowly, before going up in the ven. Get it established first

I wanted to share with you this bit from a doctor who augments SSRIs often for his patients, and buspirone is one he uses for this. People's complaints of its not working may be an individual thing, but it may be that they simply aren't taking enough, or, they may possibly benefit from taking another drug alongside. And p.s., I also find that trazodone (another "placebo" drug for many), actually helps me to relax for sleep. Steady as she goes!
Marie xx

From: http://pro.psychcentral.com/john-ore...n/001831.html#
"TCR: You also mentioned buspirone, which seems to have the reputation of being a high-priced placebo among many clinicians these days.

Dr. O’Reardon: That’s true. buspirone is certainly under-utilized and under-respected. It is not a great anxiolytic agent by itself, but when added to antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression, particularly if there is prominent anxiety, you can actually get a very nice augmentation effect and there are several studies of buspirone suggesting efficacy, (also one or two negative ones), but it looks like if you go to the 30-60 mg range, you can get very nice augmentation results and sometimes an added benefit of reduction of sexual dysfunction.

TCR: Do you always dose it BID?

Dr. O’Reardon: Yes, usually BID. Start at 10 mg BID, give that a couple of weeks, then go to 20 or 30 mg BID and occasionally higher.

[MissyMischief]

Hi SADnomore and Carolin. Thanks for your input...I've been feeling a bit lonely on here.

SADnomore--I agree with you on getting buspar established before another SSRI. That's basically what I did, and I do think it's helping. I've just hit my one month mark on Buspar today. Tonightn is day sixth dose of fluox I've had some anxiety flare ups, but nothing too bad. I went into a bunch of shops today with minimal anxiety, and managed to make myself a nice dinner, which I haven't taken the time to do for ages.

I have a light box, too which helps a lot with SAD. This is my first year using it, and I really like it.

[Carolin]

I hope you get some benefit from the buspirone Sadnomore.

Like everything, it doesn't work for everyone, but for me, it has helped a lot. Also a big plus for me was no start up side effects.

In the UK it is only licensed for short term use. I have no idea why this is. However, my psychiatrist is happy for me to take it long term. I take it as an augmentation with an anti depressant, and I think this is when it works at its best.

Good luck with your GP !

[uru]

Hi Urusainaa,

Glad you are having some calm moments...I think that is a good sign. What dose are you taking?

Yesterday was a solid good day for me. Anxious at times, but definitely more manageable.

I feel much better now. I'm on 15mg a day. I feel almost normal at times.

Yesterday though a car almost crashed into mine (joy riders) and I just kinda thought 'hmmph'...then it hit me, maybe buspar is really dulling my worry and panic. That's fine, but what happens when I come off it!?!

[SADnomore]

Urusainaa, why will you want to come off it? Just wondering ... It seems pretty innocuous. I just always kind of wonder why folks want to come off of meds when they are working, and it seems as though the reasons for taking may be legit and ongoing. It is an individual decision, of course! Me, I am resigned to taking meds because SAD simply isn't going to go away. Not unless I move somewhere where the daylight is a constant year round, like the tropics! Meanwhile, thanks Genoire, yes, I am looking for a light box too, will check again to see if the health food store has brought some in. Even my pharmacist says they really help!

---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:44 ----------

Urusainaa! Look at you, girl! You're my hero, lol! "Hmmph"! That's so cool! ... Wish me luck, going to defo give it a whirl too!