HOW DO I DEAL WITH BUSPAR SIDE EFFECTS? Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness HOW DO I DEAL WITH BUSPAR SIDE EFFECTS? Question: I have been on BuSpar for 6 weeks. I am a 65 year old female in good health. I exercise and take care of myself. I was on 5 mg 3x a day and just upped dosage to 5 mg 4x a day. I was OK but started to lose my appetite again after 6 weeks. I then increased the dosage. I am very nauseous–like morning sickness in the morning. It gets better during the day, but comes back in late afternoon. Will this side effect go away? I thought after 6 weeks my body would have absorbed it enough not to feel the nausea. I am losing weight and can’t afford to I am only 5’2 and 102 lbs. I could cut the dose back to 15 mg but I felt the nausea before I upped to 20 mg. I talked to the Doc and he said it was OK to increase it. I also was told that every time you increase the dose, the side effects can come back. But for how long and how do I know when to get off? No one seems to know the side effects. Everyone is different. Should I get off this and go to another drug? I am not depressed and I don’t tolerate any drugs well. I get nausea easily. I am hitting a brick wall and don’t know where to turn for guidance. Can you give me some insight on this drug? I’ve read everything there is, but it’s all the same. Thank you so much. Dr. Heller’s Answer: Some people have a hard time with BuSpar. The side effects you describe are usually managed by using very low doses and going up very slowly. Even if it takes 6 months the benefits will be worth it. I’ll generally use 2.5mg one daily for two weeks, then twice daily for two weeks, and increase the dose by 2.5mg daily every two weeks. If it’s taken with food, most of the nausea is preventable with this approach. Grapefruit juice has a bad drug interaction with the BuSpar. I’ve had some patients literally start with crumbs of the BuSpar, but slow and steady increases eventually worked. The side effects you describe do happen. It’s not common–fortunately–but they do happen. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home Video DVDs now available! You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind. By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery. “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World. Dr. Leland Heller Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E Okeechobee, FL 34972 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness, BiologicalUnhappiness.com, & Dyslimbia Press are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)