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Losing weight after stopping Zoloft

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Posted 3/7/2017 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Blue Pixie,

I understand what you're going through...I, myself, unlike some of the others on here was very uniformed of the sertraline weight gain havoc. I had been taking 100mg for almost three years when I quit cold turkey about two weeks ago. Oh my god...the withdrawal coupled with my pms symptoms has been down right atrocious!!! And yet the guilt has me feeling sorry for not only myself, but for my loved ones, who have had to endure my wrath...I quit taking the medication unaware of the withdrawal period, because I knew I'd been wanting to quit for some time now anyway...The bottle was empty, so I just didn't refill it. The weight gain has by far been the most absolutely frustrating side-effect!!! I started going to the gym over two years ago doing rigorous work-outs with weights and cardio and reducing my calories on a consistent schedule. My husband and I teamed up together and it has been devastating to see his wonderful success and payoff and my results yielded maybe a one to two pound loss with almost always a two to four pound gain the following week. This has been going on for months and for the longest I could not wrap my head around it. I was only 35 and a mother of two (ages 4 and 2) when I started zoloft for increased anxiety. I quickly went from 50mg to 100mg and have been on that dose practically the whole time. I weighed only 114 when I started. I'm only 5'2" so this is about right. I now weigh 136 and climbing!!! My endocrinologist (my thyroid Dr) even gave me some Phentermine to help with the weight loss to no avail!!! I am out of options and solutions and am anxiously waiting to see some positive weight loss!!! 22 pounds is wayyy too much and it makes me hate myself. I would rather be skinny, a little anxious/depressed, and still want SEX, than to be Fat, Depressed/Anxious and absolutely no libido and just plain Hopeless. I seriously need to hear more success stories of weight loss after stopping this medication...
Posted 3/7/2017 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
BonnieSean,

How long ago did you stop the Zoloft?

Sometimes it is in our genetic makeup too as to whether or not we lose weight or gain weight. When I took Zoloft it gave me severe diarrhea and I lost weight. I wasn't on it very long though.

It could take a month or so to actually get out of your system completely, depending on it's half life. I sure hope you see the results that you are wanting. Don't give up. Do a lot of walking if you can. It helps both mentally and physically,

Best wishes to you and welcome to the forum.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 5/21/2017 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
I just quit zoloft and wellebutrin. It was never hard for me to lose weight before always had a consistent weight and since these medications it really is impossible to lose weight on these medications. they effected my sleep, bowel movements, and weight. I gained 30 lbs in 1 year i worked my way up to 150mg of zoloft but it did not make me feel any different so i went back down to 100mg then started wellebutrin 175mg a day it did put a holt on my weight gain but didn't lose any so i went down to 50mg for about 5 months now im officially done with it after going to the gym 3-4 times a week and being on a diet for 2 months and not a single pound lost. and before the gym i would walk laps at the park. Wellebutrin didn't make me feel any different the side effects were bad i got the worst stomachaches when i first started. I would not recommend getting on these for long term care, the zoloft helped when I couldn't control my panic attacks but it is not worth being insecure about your body.
Posted 6/2/2017 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, new to this forum thing. I have been on Zoloft for approx 3 years and since that time i have put on close to 40lbs. Not a lot has changed with my lifestyle. I am usually very active and have gone through stints where i would watch my eating very closely. However, the only time i have actually lost any weight was after about a month of starving myself (which i realize was not healthy). Other than that, i have not been able to lose any weight at all, even was training 3-4 days a week intensely all last summer. Initially, i blamed this on getting older (31 now), however, it never clued into me that it could be the Zoloft that was causing this. No doubt some of this was self induced, however, this is the most i have ever gained/weighed so I am thinking that this isnt normal. anyways long story short, i have recently started looking at these threads and it sounds as though many people are going through the same thing. I have quit Zoloft cold turkey 2 weeks ago tomorrow. It def has not been fun, as I have really noticed my anxiety return, thankfully i have a very patient partner. I have an apt with my family dr on June 15 and am hoping to try Wellbutrin. I have not experienced any weight loss yet but im keeping my fingers crossed.
Posted 6/2/2017 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi NOCO,

Welcome to the depression forum. You are right though, once we hit 30, it gets hard to keep weight off. Not anything with lifestyle, just the way are bodies are. So a lot of the weight gain isn't necessarily the antidepressants.

Wellbutrin is known for no weight gain. I hope you can lose. I have lost some with watching what I eat and getting exercise, but it is hard.

Hang in there and have a good day.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 6/16/2017 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
Ok, heres another story! Mine is a little different in that I was only on zoloft for six weeks. I could tell it wasn't affected me at all, except I gained about 10 lbs. Granted I am almost at menopause, but I had worked really really hard, at the gym, paleo at home, for over a year and half to get from 143 to 130. Actually the only way I got past 138 down was by doing the GAPS diet (I have ulcerative colitis flares)...and its bone broth, a few other things but zero carbs...thats a good weight for me...As I'm 5'3"

Ok...so SIX WEEKS on zoloft I gain 10 lbs. That was at least 3 months ago. Since then I've gained another 5 lbs - out of the blue. I know exactly what I eat, have picked up my exercise. I just had a colonoscopy - fasted 24 hours and was basically purged of seemingly gallons of ___...got to the hospital fully expecting to be at least 3 lbs lighter. Had not lost one pound. So I'm short, weight 145 lbs...am literally bulging out of my clothing, my back rolls show through my shirts. Its the most I've ever weighed and its inexplicable to me. I hate my doctor for not saying theres a tendency for weight gain, since I'd tried so terribly hard to lose for soooo long and had finally succeeded. Thanks for listening
Posted 11/16/2017 2:18 AM (GMT 0)

BonnieSean said...
Hello Blue Pixie,

I understand what you're going through...I, myself, unlike some of the others on here was very uniformed of the sertraline weight gain havoc. I had been taking 100mg for almost three years when I quit cold turkey about two weeks ago. Oh my god...the withdrawal coupled with my pms symptoms has been down right atrocious!!! And yet the guilt has me feeling sorry for not only myself, but for my loved ones, who have had to endure my wrath...I quit taking the medication unaware of the withdrawal period, because I knew I'd been wanting to quit for some time now anyway...The bottle was empty, so I just didn't refill it. The weight gain has by far been the most absolutely frustrating side-effect!!! I started going to the gym over two years ago doing rigorous work-outs with weights and cardio and reducing my calories on a consistent schedule. My husband and I teamed up together and it has been devastating to see his wonderful success and payoff and my results yielded maybe a one to two pound loss with almost always a two to four pound gain the following week. This has been going on for months and for the longest I could not wrap my head around it. I was only 35 and a mother of two (ages 4 and 2) when I started zoloft for increased anxiety. I quickly went from 50mg to 100mg and have been on that dose practically the whole time. I weighed only 114 when I started. I'm only 5'2" so this is about right. I now weigh 136 and climbing!!! My endocrinologist (my thyroid Dr) even gave me some Phentermine to help with the weight loss to no avail!!! I am out of options and solutions and am anxiously waiting to see some positive weight loss!!! 22 pounds is wayyy too much and it makes me hate myself. I would rather be skinny, a little anxious/depressed, and still want SEX, than to be Fat, Depressed/Anxious and absolutely no libido and just plain Hopeless. I seriously need to hear more success stories of weight loss after stopping this medication...

HAVE U LOST THE WEIGHT SINCE THIS POST?? PLS SAY YOU ARE A SUCCESS STORY?? because I'm going through the same thing right now and I'm absolutely freaking out.
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