Losing weight after Sertraline?

clairecooper36

Hi. I have been on sertraline for about 5mths and increasdd to 100mg near 2mths. I have gained weight rapidly in this time and am now 2 dress sizes bigger. I walk 5 mile aday and run around after my 18mth old and have a balanced diet. I am at the biggest I have ever been apart from during pregnancy. My motivation levels are low due to constant tiredness. I feel spaced out most of the time and my memory is shocking. I have had a number of other problems/side effects ...so all in all these meds make me feel worse. I tried a few weeks ago to come off the tablets but made me feel my head was disconnected from my body and palpitations.

rahlpn

Hello. I started taking it right after my daughter was born (post partum anxiety and OCD) so around April of 2011, I took it all of 2011 and more than halfway though 2012, a little over a year and gained over 30 lbs in that time frame. I weaned myself off of it and have been fine! I'm no longer STARVING all the time like I was while taking it. I have also been eating healthier and caring more about myself and getting in my exercise, my "me time" because I feel important enough now. I have lost 33 lbs since January first and still have over 50 to get to my goal. You CAN do it!

ladyshands

I am so glad I am not alone! when my daughter was about 6 months old, my ob put me on this drug to battle postpartum depression... All the weight I lost breastfeeding came back in what seemed like DAYS... I put on about 12 pounds and that sucked! I weaned myself off of it and have started back exercising... It was a great drug other than that... great sleep, a carefree mood about everything.. but I would eat everything I saw!

ladyshands

Hello. I started taking it right after my daughter was born (post partum anxiety and OCD) so around April of 2011, I took it all of 2011 and more than halfway though 2012, a little over a year and gained over 30 lbs in that time frame. I weaned myself off of it and have been fine! I'm no longer STARVING all the time like I was while taking it. I have also been eating healthier and caring more about myself and getting in my exercise, my "me time" because I feel important enough now. I have lost 33 lbs since January first and still have over 50 to get to my goal. You CAN do it!

LOVE THIS!!!^^^^^^^

Such inspiration! And you know, what I have found is that a good workout provides the same effects on the brain and body as this medication... plus you will look better (in my own experience). I wish I had figured that out before taking this drug.

stephanj

I have been on it for years, and it isn't affecting me in that way, that's not to say it can't though, I have heard stories along those lines. I'm also on the lowest done (25? 50?) Look at it this way, though...is having emotional difficulties instead going to make it easier to lose? probably not. I would discuss it with your doc, there might be alternatives.

I haven't successfully come off of it, I am on it longterm at this point (after yoyoing many times) but once I reach goal I may look into talking to a naturopath about alternatives, St. John's wort or 5HTP...
Yah, when I forget to take it, I get a sensation like "bubles" in my head, or popcorn popping, it's weird and I don't like it.

jesskreg

I was on Sertaline for about 2 years. It caused me to gain close to 50 lbs. I'll admit that I felt hungry all the time, so I all wanted to do was eat. Anyway... It's been about 4 years since I've stopped taking it and I've lost all of the weight, plus 5 lbs. My goal is to lose 60-65 lbs. The Zoloft was not the only culprit for my weight gain, though. In short, I agree that side effects can cause weight gain. It's great that you are med free! Good luck!

Mharren

I presented with severe panic disorder at the age of 7. I simple do not make enough serotonin. It's not an imbalance...it's lack of a sufficient monoamine. They finally treated me at 13 with Paxil and then I was switched to Sertraline at 14 (25mg) and that was never an issue. But then I smoked some laced marijuana and something changed. I wad admitted to hospital and they had to jack up my dose to 200mg (the legal max here). I was 16. While the weight gain expected from an SSRI is small in comparison to what is reported by users, I didn't develop a weight issue until the meds. Its not all the meds of course, I have been very fit while on them in the last 11 years, but it certainly took much more effort. Exercise seemed to matter more than calories, where as before Zoloft exercise didn't really matter, but calories did.

Regardless, when going through the dissassociative panic cycles where I got maybe 10 min of semi-calm between attacks and I prayed for help and would trade anything....trading my waist line is a small price to pay for sanity, imo.

Revving up cardio seemed to help the most for me when losing and/or maintaining weight while on Zoloft. I could eat less than 400cal a day and gain weight, or eat 4000cal a day while running in the mornings and be fine.

Cheers,
- Mharren

rahlpn

Hello. I started taking it right after my daughter was born (post partum anxiety and OCD) so around April of 2011, I took it all of 2011 and more than halfway though 2012, a little over a year and gained over 30 lbs in that time frame. I weaned myself off of it and have been fine! I'm no longer STARVING all the time like I was while taking it. I have also been eating healthier and caring more about myself and getting in my exercise, my "me time" because I feel important enough now. I have lost 33 lbs since January first and still have over 50 to get to my goal. You CAN do it!

LOVE THIS!!!^^^^^^^

Such inspiration! And you know, what I have found is that a good workout provides the same effects on the brain and body as this medication... plus you will look better (in my own experience). I wish I had figured that out before taking this drug.

Thank you! And yes, working out gives me such a mood and confidence boost! Makes me realise that making time for myself to get healthier is helping my whole family in the long run because I will have more energy to use around them and be a happier mommy at the same time

vegannewbie12

bump

SoViLicious

I lost weight actually.

xhereinmyheadx

Zoloft is the only AD that made me lose weight. I lost 25 pounds in 3 months. Totally curbed my appetite.

fresh_start59

Been taking sertraline (Zoloft) for panic attacks for the past 6 or 7 years. Whether the medication contributed to my weight gain, I have no idea.

But I can tell you that I had my dosage increased in January, to 100mg, and I've lost 12 pounds in the past 2 1/2 months. So, while the medication can lead to weight gain (for whatever reasons), it does not make weight loss impossible.

Xoamber2010

Hey everyone!

I have been taking Sertraline (generic Zoloft) since I was about 16 for depression and anxiety and have recently decided to try to come off of it. (I turn 21 next month). I read up on it and talked to my doctor about it who said the best way to do it was to wean myself off, so over the course of 2 weeks I went from taking 200mgs to stopping the drug completely. Yet I felt I had to take 50mgs earlier this evening due to severe Discontinuation Symptoms that had developed over the days of completely not being on the medication. My symptoms include fatigue, anxiety, agitation, dizziness, blurred vision, irritability, and sweating. A couple hours after taking the 50mgs the dizziness pretty much completely disappeared. So for those of you saying you went off of it cold turkey, I cannot even imagine!! As for weight gain/loss, before I was put on the medication, I was a STICK! I am close to 5'7 and remember weighing about 105lbs my freshman year of high school. I had ALWAYS been thin growing up, and my mom's best friend even used the nick name "skinny minnie" for me. I started noticing the weight gain during my sophomore year, and by my junior year I felt I was actually becoming 'fat'. I couldn't understand the reasoning behind me gaining the weight, other than the change in taking the Zoloft. I am now 21 and I've been riding the struggle bus for trying to drop the pounds for a few years now. I am at my heaviest I have ever been, weighing 165lbs. My boyfriend is a Marine, so as you can imagine he is pretty fit and actively likes to workout. I will join in on gym sessions and eating right, yet my weight seriously will NOT budge. This just makes me even more depressed and I give up. So I'm hoping that once I can get this medication out of my system and I get back to tagging along with my Marine during trips to the gym the weight will come off. I doubt I will ever be 105lbs again (not that I would even want to be THAT tiny again..) but I hope it will help me lose 15-20lbs.

monica0888

Been taking sertraline for two years and gained 12 pounds...my doc is helping me to stop taking the med slowly but i just feel so bad for the extra pounds and i been watching what i am eating and workingout but cant loose not even a pound......anybody knows if is possible to loose the weight gained after taking sertraline, please give me some hope...gracias!

monica0888

hello!!! how are you doing after stop taking ssertraline....did you loose the weight gained???

Rainy5000

I was switched in June from 20 mg Celexa to 200 mg of Zoloft. I was having temp anxiety because all the offers we were making on houses were getting outbid. I just wanted some sleeping meds to knock me out so I could sleep. I didn't realize that was such a drastic medication change. Needless to say I had horrible side effects and reduced the dose myself to 100 mg. I've had memory issues and gained 20 lbs in a month. I weened myself off the meds, don't need them. I do hot yoga and Zumba and have only lost 3 lbs, none of my clothes fit and all the weight gained was in my stomach. I'm furious this was done to me, I was fine on Celexa. About 2 weeks off the meds and still sound like doorknob at work because I can't remember certain words. Hopefully I can restore my metabolism and not look pregnant anymore.

monica0888

I was switched in June from 20 mg Celexa to 200 mg of Zoloft. I was having temp anxiety because all the offers we were making on houses were getting outbid. I just wanted some sleeping meds to knock me out so I could sleep. I didn't realize that was such a drastic medication change. Needless to say I had horrible side effects and reduced the dose myself to 100 mg. I've had memory issues and gained 20 lbs in a month. I weened myself off the meds, don't need them. I do hot yoga and Zumba and have only lost 3 lbs, none of my clothes fit and all the weight gained was in my stomach. I'm furious this was done to me, I was fine on Celexa. About 2 weeks off the meds and still sound like doorknob at work because I can't remember certain words. Hopefully I can restore my metabolism and not look pregnant anymore.
[/quote.
Have lost any weight??? I can't and I am feling so depress my cloths don't fit any more, help please!!!

deborahannemo

Hi. I am so relieved that i am not the only one struggling with weight issues linked to sertraline. This has made me feel so better already! Thank you for this well needed confidence boost, i have taken myself off this drug after taking it for approx 2years. I haven't really had many problems with that but i have put on so much weight, but thanks to you guys i now have the motivation needed to do something about it!

Thanks and good luck to all of you x

rebekahstrachan3

i was on sertraline for approx 15 months and in that time i piled on 7 1/2 stone (even though i was eatting the same). i was aboslutley exhausted on it and all i did was sleep, was really dizzy and nauseous. had to go to another doctor to have my perscription changed. i've lost 2 stone 2lbs since april.

rachies_bug

I was taking Sertraline for over 4 years for anxiety and depression. I was 25 years of age when I started taking it, and I never really realized that it was making me gain weight! I gained approx. 10 pounds when I started taking it. I was hungry all of the time, and no matter how much I exercised or dieted I could never shed those 10 pounds. Recently, and now that I am 29 years of age, my doctor switched me to 40 mg Celexa, and all of a sudden I have shed 8 pounds, or so. I have not been trying to lose the weight, it just seems to have dropped right off of me! Has anyone else had this experience?