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(for veterinary information only)
AVAILABLE IN
5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg
TABLETS
The relief of anxiety is an area of human medicine which has received a great deal of pharmaceutical attention. In the beginning, there were only tranquilizers, such as diazepam, which were helpful but also addictive and had undesirable drowsiness side effects. The development of non-addictive non-sedating medications to relieve anxiety (called anxiolytic drugs) has been an important area of pharmacology in the last 20 years. The development of buspirone, a member of the azapirone class of anxiolytics, stems from this research. Buspirone is able to relieve anxiety with minimal sedation, minimal muscle relaxation, and no addiction potential.
In veterinary medicine, buspirone has been especially helpful in the treatment of phobias (such as fear of thunder, people in uniform, etc.) and in the treatment of urine marking in cats. In the earlier days of behavior problem management, there were tranquilizers such as diazepam (valium®). Diazepam was found to be safer and more successful than using strong female hormones in the treatment of urine marking but the problem behavior typically returned when the diazepam was discontinued. When buspirone was used, a sustained effect was seen such that after an eight week course, medication could be discontinued, in many cases permanently, without recurrence of urine marking.
Buspirone requires several weeks of administration to achieve effectiveness. Single doses would not be expected to be effective. It is not a helpful drug for panic-like syndromes (like separation anxiety or thunderstorm phobias) either in humans or in animals but is effective for more generalized anxiety.
Another area where this medication has been used is in the treatment of the so-called "pariah" cat. In this situation, one cat seems to be singled out by another in the home and is relentlessly assaulted. Using anti-anxiety medications can produce what is called "disinhibition" whereby the anxious victim cat becomes so much less fearful that he fights back, making the situation worse. Buspirone produces no disinhibition phenomenon and may help relieve anxiety in the victim cat.
The most commonly observed side effect with this medication is an increase in affectionate behavior in the cat. This may not sound problematic but some owners complain of not being able to sleep through the aggressive purring and rubbing.
Side effects that have been reported by humans taking buspirone include: nausea, headache, dizziness, appetite loss, and restlessness.
Increases in heart rate have been an occasionally noted side effect in humans.
Buspirone should not be used in conjunction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as deprenyl. Dangerous episodes of high blood pressure can result when these medications are used in conjunction.
- Buspirone is best taken on an empty stomach according to the manufacturer; however, the presence of food in the stomach with buspirone is likely not to be an important factor in how this medication is absorbed.
- Buspirone tablets should be stored in a way that protects them from light exposure.
- This medication should be used cautiously in patients with either liver or kidney disease.
- Buspirone has not been shown to be safe for use in pregnancy. It definitely crosses into the mammary gland and can be passed to nursing young.
Page last updated: 9/5/07
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