BuSpar Side Effects

Before delving into BuSpar side effects let's get a little background on this medication first. BuSpar is used to manage anxiety disorders as well to provide short-term relief from the symptoms of anxiety. BuSpar is not intended to be used for the regular stresses that come along with daily life and are a part of just being alive and living. Typically, BuSpar is not intended to be used for more than 3 to 4 weeks and all the side effects listed below are based on clinical trials that were conducted for short-term use of the medication only.

BuSpar Side Effects - Frequently Occur

• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Excitement
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Nasal congestion
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Sore throat
• Tinnitus - ringing in the ears

BuSpar Side Effects - Sometimes Occur

• Abdominal/Gastric Distress
• Akathisia - restlessness
• Altered smell
• Altered taste
• Anger/Hostility
• Anorexia - loss of appetite (NOT "anorexia nervosa")
• Arthralgias - pain in joints
• Blisters
• Blurred Vision
• Chest congestion
• Confusion
• Conjunctivitis - inflammation or infection of the outer layer lining of the eye; also known as "pink eye"
• Constipation
• Decreased Concentration
• Decrease or increase in libido
• Depersonalization - an altered or unreal perception of oneself; a feeling that one is or is becoming unreal
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Dissociative reaction
• Dream disturbances
• Drowsiness
• Dry Mouth
• Dry skin
• Dysphoria - general feeling of distress, discontenment, or low mood
• Dysuria - painful urination
• Easy bruising
• Edema - swelling due to fluid retention
• Euphoria - an exaggerated feeling of elation or well-being
• Facial edema - swelling of the face due to fluid retention
• Fatigue
• Fearfulness
• Fever
• Flatulence - excess gas
• Flushing
• Hair loss
• Hallucinations
• Hypertension - high blood pressure
• Hyperventilation
• Hypotension - low blood pressure
• Incoordination
• Increased appetite
• Increased salivation
• Increases in liver enzymes
• Insomnia
• Involuntary movements
• Irritable colon
• Loss of interest
• Malaise - a general feeling of discomfort or "not being well"
• Menstrual irregularity and spotting
• Muscle cramps
• Muscle spasms
• Muscle stiffness and rigidity
• Musculoskeletal Aches/Pains
• Noise intolerance
• Numbness
• Paresthesia - numbness/tingling feeling; "pins and needles" sensation
• Pruritus - itching
• Rectal bleeding
• Redness and itching of the eyes
• Roaring sensation in the head
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath
• Skin Rash
• Slowed reaction time
• Suicidal ideation
• Sweating/Clamminess
• Syncope - fainting
• Tachycardia/Palpitations - fast heart rate
• Tremor
• Urinary frequency
• Urinary hesitancy
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Weight gain
• Weight loss

BuSpar Side Effects - Rarely Occur

• Acne
• Alcohol abuse
• Amenorrhea - no menstrual period
• Bleeding disturbance
• Bradycardia - slow heart rate
• Burning of the tongue
• Cardiomyopathy - a type of heart disorder
• Cerebrovascular accident - stroke
• Claustrophobia - fear of being in enclosed or confined spaces
• Cold intolerance
• Congestive heart failure
• Delayed ejaculation
• Enuresis - bed-wetting
• Eosinophilia - a type of low white blood cell count
• Epistaxis - nosebleeds
• Eye pain
• Galactorrhea - abnormal discharge of breast milk without childbirth
• Hiccoughs - hiccups
• Impotence
• Inner ear abnormality
• Leukopenia - a type of low white blood cell count
• Loss of voice
• Muscle weakness
• Myocardial infarction - heart attack
• Nocturia - excessive nighttime urination
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Photophobia - sensitivity to light
• Pressure on eyes
• Psychosis
• Slurred speech
• Stupor - a state of lethargy or reduced/impaired consciousness
• Thinning of nails
• Thrombocytopenia - low white blood cell count
• Thyroid abnormality

Post-Marketing BuSpar Side Effects

The following BuSpar side effects were reported AFTER BuSpar was approved and being used by the general population. You should note though that they were reported voluntarily by folks in the general population so there is therefore no way to determine how often they occur or if there is even really a true connection between them and BuSpar.

• Allergic reactions (including urticaria i.e. hives)
• Angioedema
• Ataxias - inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements
• Cogwheel rigidity
• Dizziness (rarely reported as vertigo)
• Dyskinesias (acute and tardive) - involuntary, uncontrollable muscle movements
• Dystonic reactions (including dystonia) - abnormal tension or stiffness in muscles
• Ecchymosis - black and blue bruising/skin discoloration
• Emotional lability
• Extrapyramidal symptoms - a group of symptoms that result in abnormal muscle movements
• Parkinsonism
• Restless leg syndrome
• Serotonin syndrome
• Transient difficulty with recall
• Urinary retention
• Visual changes (including tunnel vision)

The history of medicine is a story of amazing
foolishness and amazing intelligence.
- Jerome Tarshis

Drug Manufacturer Information

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Princeton, NJ 08543
800-332-2056

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October 14, 2009

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