Buspirone Hydrochloride (Page 4 of 7)
Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions
Buspirone hydrochloride may interfere with the urinary metanephrine/catecholamine assay. It has been mistakenly read as metanephrine during routine assay testing for pheochromocytoma, resulting in a false positive laboratory result. Buspirone hydrochloride should therefore be discontinued for at least 48 hours prior to undergoing a urine collection for catecholamines.
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility
No evidence of carcinogenic potential was observed in rats during a 24-month study at approximately 133 times the maximum recommended human oral dose; or in mice, during an 18-month study at approximately 167 times the maximum recommended human oral dose.
With or without metabolic activation, buspirone did not induce point mutations in five strains of Salmonella typhimurium (Ames Test) or mouse lymphoma L5178YTK+ cell cultures, nor was DNA damage observed with buspirone in Wi-38 human cells. Chromosomal aberrations or abnormalities did not occur in bone marrow cells of mice given one or five daily doses of buspirone.
Pregnancy
Teratogenic Effects. Pregnancy Category B
No fertility impairment or fetal damage was observed in reproduction studies performed in rats and rabbits at buspirone doses of approximately 30 times the maximum recommended human dose. In humans, however, adequate and well-controlled studies during pregnancy have not been performed. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
Labor and Delivery
The effect of buspirone hydrochloride tablets on labor and delivery in women is unknown. No adverse effects were noted in reproduction studies in rats.
Nursing Mothers
The extent of the excretion in human milk of buspirone or its metabolites is not known. In rats, however, buspirone and its metabolites are excreted in milk. Buspirone hydrochloride tablets administration to nursing women should be avoided if clinically possible.
Pediatric Use
The safety and effectiveness of buspirone were evaluated in two placebo-controlled 6-week trials involving a total of 559 pediatric patients (ranging from 6 to 17 years of age) with GAD. Doses studied were 7.5 mg to 30 mg b.i.d. (15 mg/day to 60 mg/day). There were no significant differences between buspirone and placebo with regard to the symptoms of GAD following doses recommended for the treatment of GAD in adults. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that, for identical doses, plasma exposure to buspirone and its active metabolite, 1-PP, are equal to or higher in pediatric patients than adults. No unexpected safety findings were associated with buspirone in these trials. There are no long-term safety or efficacy data in this population.
Geriatric Use
In one study of 6632 patients who received buspirone for the treatment of anxiety, 605 patients were ≥ 65 years old and 41 were ≥ 75 years old; the safety and efficacy profiles for these 605 elderly patients (mean age = 70.8 years) were similar to those in the younger population (mean age = 43.3 years). Review of spontaneously reported adverse clinical events has not identified differences between elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older patients cannot be ruled out.
There were no effects of age on the pharmacokinetics of buspirone (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: Special Populations).
Use in Patients with Impaired Hepatic or Renal Function
Buspirone is metabolized by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. A pharmacokinetic study in patients with impaired hepatic or renal function demonstrated increased plasma levels and a lengthened half-life of buspirone. Therefore, the administration of buspirone hydrochloride tablets to patients with severe hepatic or renal impairment cannot be recommended (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY).
ADVERSE REACTIONS
(See also PRECAUTIONS)
Commonly Observed
The more commonly observed untoward events associated with the use of buspirone hydrochloride tablets not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients include dizziness, nausea, headache, nervousness, lightheadedness, and excitement.
Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment
One guide to the relative clinical importance of adverse events associated with buspirone hydrochloride tablets are provided by the frequency with which they caused drug discontinuation during clinical testing. Approximately 10% of the 2200 anxious patients who participated in the buspirone hydrochloride tablets premarketing clinical efficacy trials in anxiety disorders lasting 3 to 4 weeks discontinued treatment due to an adverse event. The more common events causing discontinuation included: central nervous system disturbances (3.4%), primarily dizziness, insomnia, nervousness, drowsiness, and lightheaded feeling; gastrointestinal disturbances (1.2%), primarily nausea; and miscellaneous disturbances (1.1%), primarily headache and fatigue. In addition, 3.4% of patients had multiple complaints, none of which could be characterized as primary.
Incidence in Controlled Clinical Trials
The table that follows enumerates adverse events that occurred at a frequency of 1% or more among buspirone hydrochloride tablets patients who participated in 4-week, controlled trials comparing buspirone hydrochloride tablets with placebo. The frequencies were obtained from pooled data for 17 trials. The prescriber should be aware that these figures cannot be used to predict the incidence of side effects in the course of usual medical practice where patient characteristics and other factors differ from those which prevailed in the clinical trials. Similarly, the cited frequencies cannot be compared with figures obtained from other clinical investigations involving different treatments, uses, and investigators. Comparison of the cited figures, however, does provide the prescribing physician with some basis for estimating the relative contribution of drug and nondrug factors to the side effect incidence rate in the population studied.
| Adverse Experience | Buspirone Hydrochloride Tablets (n = 477) | Placebo (n = 464) |
|---|---|---|
| — Incidence less than 1%. | ||
| ||
| Cardiovascular | ||
| Tachycardia/Palpitations | 1 | 1 |
| CNS | ||
| Dizziness | 12 | 3 |
| Drowsiness | 10 | 9 |
| Nervousness | 5 | 1 |
| Insomnia | 3 | 3 |
| Lightheadedness | 3 | — |
| Decreased Concentration | 2 | 2 |
| Excitement | 2 | — |
| Anger/Hostility | 2 | — |
| Confusion | 2 | — |
| Depression | 2 | 2 |
| EENT | ||
| Blurred Vision | 2 | — |
| Gastrointestinal | ||
| Nausea | 8 | 5 |
| Dry Mouth | 3 | 4 |
| Abdominal/Gastric Distress | 2 | 2 |
| Diarrhea | 2 | — |
| Constipation | 1 | 2 |
| Vomiting | 1 | 2 |
| Musculoskeletal | ||
| Musculoskeletal Aches/Pains | 1 | — |
| Neurological | ||
| Numbness | 2 | — |
| Paresthesia | 1 | — |
| Incoordination | 1 | — |
| Tremor | 1 | — |
| Skin | ||
| Skin Rash | 1 | — |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Headache | 6 | 3 |
| Fatigue | 4 | 4 |
| Weakness | 2 | — |
| Sweating/Clamminess | 1 | — |
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