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Buspirone

Pronounced

"byou-SPY-rown"

Common brand names:

Buspar, Bustab

Uses

This medication is used to treat anxiety. It may help you think more clearly, relax, worry less, and take part in everyday life. It may also help you to feel less jittery and irritable, and may control symptoms such as trouble sleeping, sweating, and pounding heartbeat. Buspirone is a medication for anxiety (anxiolytic) that works by affecting certain natural substances in the brain (neurotransmitters).

How to Use This Medication

Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually 2 or 3 times a day. You may take this medication with or without food, but it is important to choose one way and always take it the same way so that the amount of drug absorbed will always be the same.

Buspirone may come in a tablet that can be split to get the correct dose for you. Follow the manufacturer's Patient Instruction Sheet or ask your pharmacist how to split the tablet to get your dose.

Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication unless your doctor or pharmacist says you may do so safely. Grapefruit can increase the chance of side effects with this medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at the same times each day. When this medication is started, symptoms of anxiety (such as restlessness) may sometimes get worse before they improve. It may take up to a month or more to get the full effect of this medication.

Inform your doctor if your symptoms last or get worse.

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Information expires December 2025.