I remember being told by my pdoc in grad school that he didn't use Buspar because he felt it wasn't very effective in most cases. He preferred to treat anxiety with ADs (this was prior to my BP diagnosis). Obviously some people get great results or it wouldn't still be on the market but none of the pdocs I've seen have ever recommended trying it and I'm on a decent amount of benzos and have been for years so I think if it was likely to work someone would have had me try it. I can't take it now b/c it interacts with my MAOI but that's only 6 years; I've been seeing pdocs for almost all of the last 18 years and meds managed by a family dr prior to that and whenever I didn't have a pdoc.

I don't know what that means for you but maybe it just isn't the best drug for you? I have no idea. I think if it were me I'd try the gabapentin but see how low you can keep the dose. It sounds like you gain water weight on that so maybe your pdoc can help suggest how to decrease that, or your family dr can (since they deal with that more).