Key takeaways:
People who have anxiety or other mental health conditions may turn to alcohol to treat their symptoms — this may eventually cause alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Mixing alcohol with buspirone — a medication used to treat anxiety symptoms — may raise your risk of side effects like dizziness and drowsiness.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have anxiety and plan on drinking alcohol.
While some people drink alcohol to relax after a long day or in social settings with friends and family, others may turn to it to cope with stress or as temporary relief for mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.
If you have anxiety, you may be prescribed a medication, like buspirone (Buspar), that can potentially interact with alcohol. It’s important to understand the possible risks of mixing alcohol with this medication and if you should avoid the combination altogether.
In this article, we’ll discuss the possible effects of drinking alcohol while taking buspirone — a popular medication used to treat anxiety — and measures to take if you’re at risk of any complications.
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How does alcohol affect people with anxiety?
Everybody’s journey and experience with alcohol are different.
But, it’s possible that a person with anxiety symptoms starts drinking alcohol every once in a while to feel its effects. This occurs because alcohol may temporarily relax an anxious mind.
In some cases, this can transition to drinking on a more regular basis — and possibly develop into alcohol use disorder (AUD) over time. This is because as soon the effects begin to wear off, a person can look forward to having another drink, and the time between drinks shrinks.
There is a notable connection between anxiety and AUD — research has shown that three-quarters of people who have both anxiety and AUD experienced anxiety first. This is a major reason why people may be asked about their alcohol use if they are diagnosed with a mental health condition.
What is buspirone?
Buspirone (Buspar) is an FDA-approved medication used to treat anxiety — specifically generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Buspirone is available as a tablet, and it’s usually taken 2 times per day.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are considered to be first-choice options for treating anxiety. If SSRIs or SNRIs are ineffective or can’t be used, buspirone and benzodiazepines are considered second-choice options. However, buspirone has recently gained popularity because it often has fewer side effects compared to other treatments.
It’s not well understood how buspirone works in the body, but it’s suspected that it alters chemical signals in the brain, which changes how you react to fear and situations that may make you anxious.
Can I take buspirone with alcohol?
In short, no. Buspirone can cause drowsiness and dizziness as well as other changes in the brain, and drinking alcohol can worsen these effects. This makes the combination of the two dangerous, and they should not be taken together.
Is having one or two drinks OK?
Buspirone hasn’t been shown to worsen alcohol’s effects on people’s ability to control their movements or mental function. However, buspirone’s prescribing information states that it shouldn’t be taken with alcohol. There isn’t any strong evidence that suggests a safe amount of alcohol intake with buspirone use, so it’s recommended to avoid it completely.
If you take buspirone and drink alcohol, it’s recommended to talk to your healthcare provider to discuss your risks of combining the two. Each person may react differently to the effects of the combination, and it’s not recommended to assume that solely limiting alcohol intake while on buspirone is safe.
Are certain people more at risk when combining buspirone and alcohol?
There are many factors that may raise a person’s risk of side effects when combining buspirone and alcohol — this can include people taking other medications and older adults.
People who are prescribed buspirone may also take other medications. Some medications are broken down in the body the same way as buspirone, which limits how quickly your body processes it. This can keep buspirone around longer in your system, which may also worsen your risk of side effects when taken with alcohol.
Medications that may cause buspirone to break down slower include:
Diltiazem (Cardizem)
Itraconazole (Sporanox)
Rifampin (Rifadin)
Verapamil (Calan)
As mentioned, older adults are also at a higher risk. As you age, your body may process alcohol slower, which may cause it to stay in your system longer. It’s especially dangerous when alcohol is combined with buspirone in older adults because it may worsen the risk of dizziness and result in falls and injuries.
Drinking grapefruit juice can also cause buspirone to process slower and linger for longer in the body, raising the risk for side effects.
How does alcohol interact with buspirone?
One of buspirone’s most considerable side effects related to alcohol usage is the effect that it has on your central nervous system (CNS) — your brain and spine. The CNS consists of your brain and spinal cord, and it’s responsible for many voluntary and involuntary functions such as walking, talking, and breathing.
Buspirone and alcohol work in different ways to affect the CNS, but taking them together can cause unwanted side effects. These may vary from person to person — more on this below.
What are the typical side effects?
A few side effects that you may experience when taking buspirone include:
Headache
Nausea
Excitement
Nervousness
CNS-related side effects that you may experience when taking buspirone include:
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Confusion
Taking buspirone with alcohol can worsen CNS side effects, especially dizziness and drowsiness.
Are there any serious risks or side effects?
While there are no reported deaths linked to overdose of buspirone alone, overdose cases have been reported when using buspirone with alcohol and other medications. This shows the importance of not taking buspirone with alcohol.
When should I seek medical attention?
You should seek medical attention right away if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms — which alcohol may worsen:
Difficulty breathing
Changes in your balance or ability to walk
Unusual behavior
Memory problems
When can I start drinking after I’ve stopped taking buspirone?
Since buspirone is used for anxiety, it’s important to be aware of the greater risk of replacing or supplementing it with alcohol to treat your symptoms. As such, there’s no general timeline of when alcohol can be consumed after stopping buspirone. It’s recommended to talk to your healthcare provider if you plan on drinking — they can help outline a potential timeline.
How long does buspirone stay in your system?
As mentioned, many factors may cause buspirone to stay in your system longer, including other medications you may be taking and your age. It may take at least 10 to 15 hours for one dose to leave your body completely, if not longer.
Buspirone is broken down by your liver and released by your kidneys — any impairments with these organs can also prolong the time buspirone stays in your system.
Are there any anxiety medications that aren’t affected by alcohol?
Anxiety is defined by constant tension or worrying, and it can take control of your CNS. The medications used to treat anxiety can work to calm your mind by relaxing your CNS.
Alcohol works similarly on the CNS — this makes it difficult to find an alternative medication that may achieve the same effects without interacting with alcohol.
Antidepressants and benzodiazepines are also used to treat anxiety, and the interaction between them and alcohol is discussed in separate articles. But — as a spoiler — alcohol should typically be avoided while taking them because of worsened side effects.
If possible, consider alternative ways of relaxing rather than drinking alcohol, such as calming exercises and meditating. In social situations, consider non-alcoholic versions of your favorite beverage.
The bottom line
Anxiety is a mental health condition that can be worsened by drinking alcohol. It’s possible that a person with anxiety may turn to alcohol to cope with their feelings — this can potentially lead to AUD.
Buspirone shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol as it may worsen dizziness and drowsiness,which may be particularly dangerous for older adults. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have anxiety and plan to drink alcohol during or after stopping buspirone.
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References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Anxiety.
Anker, J. J., et al. (2019). Co-occurring alcohol use disorder and anxiety. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews.
Anxiety & Depression Association of America. (2016). Clinical practice review for GAD.
Aurobindo Pharma Limited. (2021). Buspirone hydrochloride [package insert].
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2018). What are the parts of the nervous system?
Haass-Koffler, C. L., et al. (2020). Translational dynamics of alcohol tolerance of preclinical models and human laboratory studies. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Alcohol use screening tests.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Older adults.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2014). Harmful interactions.
Wilson, T. K., et al. (2021). Buspirone. StatPearls.
