A study of buspirone coprescribed with bronchodilators in 82 anxious ambulatory patients

This was an open multicenter study wherein patients requiring anxiolytic therapy were treated with buspirone 5 mg t.i.d. for 4 weeks. A subgroup of 82 patients was concomitantly treated with bronchodilators. Theophylline and terbutaline were the most frequently used preparations. A matching cohort of 82 patients who used no concomitant bronchodilators was retrospectively selected as the control. Both groups of patients showed substantial and comparable improvement as measured by the physician and patient ratings. The bronchodilator group had an incidence of adverse effects (16%) slightly higher than that of the control group (12%), due mainly to a higher incidence of dizziness (8.5% versus 2.4%). The results indicate that buspirone is effective and well tolerated when taken in combination with a wide variety of bronchodilator medications.