buspar

hi there,

i'm new here - i usually post in the crohn's section.  anyway, i've been taking buspar for 17 days now and don't really feel a difference in my anxiety level.  i've heard it takes awhile for this drug to work, but how long is awhile?  i'm really looking forward to some relief - and i just want this to kick in.  do i give it more time?  any thoughts?  thanks so much!

klk

maree,
thanks for your reply! my doc told me a "few weeks" before it works - as well as other information sites that i've seached on line. i'm trying to be hopeful - that it will kick in by next week. i'm curious what others have expierenced. i've been spoiled because i had been taking xanax when needed. and that provides immediate relief!!! i actually had asked to switch from xanax to something else (addiction runs in my family and i was nervous with the xanax).
i see my doc in 2 months - and if it's not kicked in by then, then it obviously is the wrong med for me.

Hi KLK,
I too have Crohn's and suffer from anxiety. I think that maybe the two go hand in hand. Anyway I was taking buspar for a couple of years. I don't think that it did anything for me. I also take zanex as needed and I know that helps but I also am concerned about the possibility of addiction to it.
Four weeks ago I started taking 20 mg of prozac a day and stopped the buspar. I saw the doctor the other day and he upped the prozac to 40 mg per day. From what I understand that this should help with the anxiety when I start feeling the full benefits of it. Then I might be able to cut back or cut out all together the zanex.

thank you all for your replies!  I am hoping that the buspar will kick in and that it really does take that long to feel an effect. 

yes, timmysang - i think crohn's goes hand in hand w/ anxiety.  i've had mild anxiety from time to time but a year and half ago i had my first resection surgery and got the disease removed.  i've been in remission since then and haven't experience any crohn's problems.  first time in 20 years i've been pain free.  you would think this would make my anxiety go away but it has gotten worse since the surgery.   i am so "in tune" with my belly.  and anxiety symptoms for me are tightness in abs, major butterflies feelings and waves of crampiness - all in the tummy area.  then i feel that it might be crohns stuff (which it is not) but it's like this roller coaster that i'm on.  as long as the physical symptoms of anxiety are relieved, i'm fine.  the xanax did help but...............

thanks again - happy sunday!

Yeah Lyn, that seems to be the case with having Crohn's or any other Chronic Illness.

KLK, that sounds familiar. I was dignosed with Crohn's about 12 years ago. It was in remission until last year. Then I had a couple of strictures, blockages and finally a resection last Oct. I have always been a little bit anxious about some things but nothing too bad. I was going along for all those years without really thinking about the Crohn's because I really didn't have any symtoms except my gut made loud crazy noises some of the time. I got used to that though. Then bam, the Crohn's comes back again in a big way. I think that's when the anxiety really took off for me. I think going through all of that last year made it sink in that I do have a Chronic condition and that it's something that I am going to have the rest of my life.