What is buspirone?
Buspirone is used to treat anxiety disorders or in the short-term treatment of symptoms of anxiety. Buspirone is in a class of medications called anxiolytics. Buspirone may be used as part of a combination therapy. This means you may need to take it with other medications. It’s not fully known how buspirone lowers anxiety levels. It decreases some of the activity of a chemical called serotonin in the brain. This decrease is thought to affect anxiety.
What is Xanax?
Xanax is a brand of alprazolam, a benzodiazepine that works by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Generic Xanax is also available as the brand-name medications Xanax and Xanax XR. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Generic blue, green, and yellow Xanax are considered to be just as safe and effective as the original drug but tend to cost less.
Xanax is prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders and anxiety caused by depression. Xanax is also used to treat panic disorders with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia). Xanax is also a federally controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence.
How Many Buspirone Equal A Xanax?
Although both Buspirone and Xanax are used for the management of anxiety they are not chemically similar as such the issue of equivalency does not arise. In fact, buspirone is not related to other anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or other sedative/ anxiolytic drugs. It is approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
In a study comparing buspirone and Xanax, both drugs were found to be equally effective in treating symptoms of anxiety, and buspirone was found to have fewer side effects and fewer withdrawal symptoms than Xanax.
Another study looked at buspirone and Xanax, as well as Valium (diazepam), and the effect on daytime sleepiness. The study found buspirone to cause the least drowsiness of the three drugs. By day 7, the differences between the drugs in terms of daytime sleepiness were not significant, but the patients who took alprazolam or diazepam had slower reaction times on a visual reaction timed-performance test. The authors concluded that although the drugs are similarly effective, buspirone may be better in patients where daytime alertness is critical.
The most effective medication for you should only be determined by your doctor, who can look at your medical condition(s) and history, as well as other medications you take.
How much buspirone can I take?
Typical starting dosage: 15 mg daily (7.5 mg twice per day).
Dosage increases: Your doctor may increase your dosage by 5 mg per day every 2–3 days.
Maximum daily dosage: 60 mg
Can you mix Xanax and buspirone?
Taking Xanax and buspirone together may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination.
