Buspirone Does Not Require Tapering After Discontinuation
Buspirone can be stopped abruptly without tapering, even after prolonged use, as it does not cause withdrawal symptoms or dependence. This distinguishes it fundamentally from benzodiazepines and other anxiolytics that require gradual dose reduction.
Evidence for Abrupt Discontinuation
A multicenter international safety trial of 424 patients treated with buspirone for 6 months and 264 patients for a full year found no evidence of withdrawal syndrome or unusual events when buspirone was abruptly discontinued after more than 6 months of continuous therapy 1.
In a 12-week comparative trial, patients who abruptly stopped buspirone after regular treatment showed no withdrawal symptoms, in stark contrast to diazepam-treated patients who experienced significant withdrawal effects 2.
Buspirone lacks the pharmacological properties associated with dependence: it has no hypnotic, anticonvulsant, or muscle relaxant effects, and early evidence demonstrates limited potential for abuse and dependence 3.
Clinical Implications
You may discontinue buspirone immediately at any dose without a taper schedule, regardless of treatment duration 1, 2.
No monitoring for withdrawal symptoms is required after buspirone discontinuation, unlike benzodiazepines which require careful observation for anxiety, tremor, insomnia, and potentially life-threatening seizures 1.
Patients should be counseled that buspirone discontinuation will not produce rebound anxiety or physical withdrawal, though the underlying anxiety disorder may re-emerge if no alternative treatment is initiated 3.
Important Distinction from Benzodiazepines
This recommendation applies only to buspirone. The evidence provided about benzodiazepine tapering 4, 5, 6 is not relevant to buspirone discontinuation. Benzodiazepines require slow, careful tapering over weeks to months because abrupt cessation can cause seizures and death—buspirone does not share this risk 1, 2.
Practical Considerations
If a patient has been taking buspirone for chronic anxiety, the need for ongoing anxiolytic therapy should be reassessed at discontinuation, but the drug itself can be stopped immediately 1.
Buspirone's anxiolytic effects have a 1-2 week onset lag, so if restarting therapy is needed, patients should be counseled about this delay 3.
In patients discontinuing benzodiazepines, buspirone can be added as an adjunctive agent without requiring its own taper when the benzodiazepine discontinuation is complete 7, 8.