Zoloft - Excessive weight gain - PLEASE HELP...SCARED!

Hi and welcome!

Easy for the doctor to say 'Don't worry about it' right? Unfortunately weight gain is a common side effect of A/D medications.

However, it is usually from increased appetite and/or cravings for things such as sugar or high calorie foods, and decreased energy levels.

If you are gaining weight while exercising more and eating less, then I would encourage you to bring this up with your doctor again...and don't take his previous response for an answer.

Ask why this is happening, and what your options are to reduce any further gain or undesirable s/e's.

I hope that you get the answers that you need soon!

Keep posting with us...hopefully others will be along to share their advice as well.:)

Scaredy Cat

canadagirl73 said...
Hi:

I started taking zoloft in May 2012 and it's June 16, 2012 and I have gained more than 15 pounds. My appetite has gone down and I have been working out more.

My doctor said not to worry about it, and my pharmacist said to wait it out but my clothes dont fit and I cant take gaining more weight.

I dont know what to do.

Honey. Please check out my post I keep updating about how I am currently weaning myself off of Zoloft. Then, search these message boards for weight loss and Zoloft. Also, read this very popular thread from our own healingwell.com: www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=19&m=248208.

You are not alone. I'm a 27 year old woman. I started taking Zoloft in September, 2009. I am now weaning myself off of Zoloft. In September, 2009, I was wearing a size 6 jeans. I am now wearing a size 16 jeans. Read that again.

Ever since I have been weaning myself off the Zoloft, my jeans are already looser on me. My appetite is human again. It turned me into an unstoppable pig.

EVERYONE'S doctor says that it's not the Zoloft making you gain the weight!!! Then...how come all of us GUINEA PIGS are blowing up?!!!

I exercised like a mofo while on Zoloft, for the first year and a half on it. I was going to spinning classes where I would literally burn 800 calories, three times a week, besides working out at home. I tried Weight Watchers.

Nothing worked for me.

My latest mission, since it looks like I'm going to be successful with stopping Zoloft, is to lose the weight I gained on Zoloft, so that I feel pretty again. Yeah, it's kinda sad.

Just...think about it.

(DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor! Just my story! lol)

Hi CG
your not alone in weight gain. I was on zoloft for a long time the first time round. My anxiety had affected my appetite and I was quite underweight. for the first few years I didn't have a problem with weight gain and then suddenly I started packing it on. I went from being around 50kgs to nearly 75 at my heaviest in about 2 years. I got quite down about it especially when my friends and family started pointing it out. I got sick of it and joined a gym and started watching my diet. For a while I didn't loose any weight but I stopped putting it on which was a start. I noticed I was retaining a lot of water and cut back on my salt which helped some then cut right back on my sugar. I didn't think I ate a lot of junk food but obviously what I was having was too much. I went off the zoloft the end of last year and then back on early this year. I did seem to loose more weight after coming off but I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out at the same time and was on a pretty limited diet for about a month so it's a bit hard to tell what was the real cause. I have been worried about gain the weight back but it seems to be holding steady for the moment.
I actually have a doctor that agrees that the a/d pack on the weight but unfortunately didn't know why or how to stop it except of the old diet/exercise thing. just remember it takes a couple of months for the medication to take full effect and your body chemistry is a bit out of whack atm which can affect everything else. I hope everything settles down for you soon

best of luck

I forgot to add, I once read somewhere, if I can find it again I'll post it, that anti depressants affect the same part of your brain that controls your metabolism and appetite. So as the med is calming down your nervous system, it is actually "calming" your metabolism too in some people.

I'll look for it again....

Fox


Here's a link to a good site.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5369941_do-antidepressants-cause-weight-gain.html

NOTE that is says: "This is not surprising since antidepressants affect your brain chemicals, which besides regulating mood, control appetite."

Post Edited (Fox7) : 6/17/2012 12:23:35 PM (GMT-6)

I must be very lucky then o.o. I have been taking Zoloft, well the generic brand, for over a month now and have not had any side effects. Which I am very thankful for, the side effects would cause me more anxiety and most likely would not help in the matter. I do wish you all the best, and hope things get better for you. I know pills act differently with different people, maybe talking to the doctor about changing the pill for something else?

Hey,
I too take zoloft and I've gained 25 pounds. I'm extremely depressed about this... So... Why take it? I'm thinking of not taking it anymore.

I started sertraline 8 months ago and have gone from 10 stone to 12 stone. I am on a permanent diet of 1500 cals and am more active than before but still month by month the pounds keeps coming on. I was a size 10 and now I'm 14 to 16. I am 5 ft 7 and recently checked my bmi and I am now in the over weight category which I have never being before. I weighed this at 6 months pregnant. My uniform at work doesn't fit and none of my clothes. It's a nightmare. I was on prozac before and didn't gain weight but slept all the time. Sertraline makes me feel better mentally but this weight gain has made me depressed and unhealthy. I sweat climbing the stairs xxx