Chuck asked
What is the best way to wean off 30 mg of Buspar?
Answer
For most individuals who take Buspar (buspirone) and are looking to discontinue it, it does not need to be slowly tapered. The vast majority of people can simply stop taking it "cold turkey" with no risk of withdrawal effects as it is not associated with any sort of physical or psychological dependence.
The prescribing information for Buspar states:
In human and animal studies, buspirone has shown no potential for abuse or diversion and there is no evidence that it causes tolerance, or either physical or psychological dependence. Following chronic administration in the rat, abrupt withdrawal of buspirone did not result in the loss of body weight commonly observed with substances that cause physical dependency."Most guidelines report that Buspar is mildly effective for anxiety if it is used before benzodiazepines. If your have previously used benzodiazepines, there is a greater chance that buspirone will not significantly decrease anxiety levels in users. It generally is better suited for initial therapy as there is a relative lack of serious side effects (when compared to benzodiazepines) and doesn't cause dependence.
The main concern with abrupt discontinuation of Buspar would not be any withdrawal side effects but relapse of anxiety symptoms. Be sure to speak with your doctor regarding your best therapy options. To better assess where your symptoms and disease state are, they may recommend a slow taper, decreasing by 10-25% of your original dose over 4 to 6 weeks, and monitor your progress.
