Zoloft and Abilify hindering weight loss?

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FitFabFlirty92
FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi again, I just posted a topic about not being able to lose weight following the SAME methods I've used in the past to drop 10-20 pounds. I only later added on that I am on anti-depressants, Zoloft and Abilify. I started on very small does of them about one year ago, but in August of this year, my doses were doubled due to severe suicidal thoughts and ideation.

Are any of you suffering from depression and on this medication? What has your experience been? How has it affected your weight loss?

Replies

  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
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    I'm on both Zoloft and BCP, two meds known to encourage weight gain. I am on Zoloft more to control anxiety than depression and I have my anxiety under control so I'm on the lowest dose of Zoloft.

    That being said, I'm sure it IS impacting my weight loss. Due to a variety of factors, one being that I really have NO way to measure/weigh/etc. what I eat at work for lunch (work offers a very cheap lunch buffet) I generally try to leave myself a deficit once I include eating back exercise calories to account for the unknown factor.

    Talk to your doctor about the weight gain you have when your dose was doubled. I had a really bad combo about 3 years ago that caused me to go balloon about 8 kg, I've only just recently got that all off. There is a chance that your meds can be adjusted and there are SOOOOO many options that you shouldn't have to deal with it.

    Drink water, religiously count calories, talk to your doctor. I found as I lost weight/got healthy that I actually have felt so much better and in control. Make sure you're getting plenty of exercise as that will produce all kinds of "feel good" chemicals in you that NO combo of meds can help with.

    I also did a week at a juice retreat which I feel really helped me with my anxiety. I find if I'm particularly bad, doing a few days of juicing and cutting out all refined sugars and processed foods really help.

    Good luck! I don't know that I've helped at all, but I hope so.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I'm on both Zoloft and BCP, two meds known to encourage weight gain. I am on Zoloft more to control anxiety than depression and I have my anxiety under control so I'm on the lowest dose of Zoloft.

    That being said, I'm sure it IS impacting my weight loss. Due to a variety of factors, one being that I really have NO way to measure/weigh/etc. what I eat at work for lunch (work offers a very cheap lunch buffet) I generally try to leave myself a deficit once I include eating back exercise calories to account for the unknown factor.

    Talk to your doctor about the weight gain you have when your dose was doubled. I had a really bad combo about 3 years ago that caused me to go balloon about 8 kg, I've only just recently got that all off. There is a chance that your meds can be adjusted and there are SOOOOO many options that you shouldn't have to deal with it.

    Drink water, religiously count calories, talk to your doctor. I found as I lost weight/got healthy that I actually have felt so much better and in control. Make sure you're getting plenty of exercise as that will produce all kinds of "feel good" chemicals in you that NO combo of meds can help with.

    I also did a week at a juice retreat which I feel really helped me with my anxiety. I find if I'm particularly bad, doing a few days of juicing and cutting out all refined sugars and processed foods really help.

    Good luck! I don't know that I've helped at all, but I hope so.

    I have an appointment with my gynecologist to go on BCP, so then I'll REALLY be at high risk for weight gain, lol. Before I went to the hospital and had my dosage doubled, I was super depressed and lying in bed all day. Being so sedentary probably had an impact on my weight as well. I just didn't think it would be so hard to get it off once I gained. The scale refuses to go anywhere but up right now. :(

    I will take your advice and be more diligent about my water intake and exercise, I love the rush I get from a good workout. :) Thank you so much for your advice, and for making me not feel like I'm alone in this. It was really hard admitting I was on these meds.
  • StacyCond
    StacyCond Posts: 13 Member
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    I was on Abilify and I was always so groggy that I had a hard time getting up and walking to class. I ended up gaining a lot of weight because it made me feel worse. Granted, that was several years ago. I ended up stopping taking anti-depressants all together (because of other complications - I don't recommend it for everyone!) and started being more active and finding alternative ways to control my depression.

    As far as BCP, I changed from pill to the Mirena IUD and have not looked back since. It has several benefits for me at least, including no monthly visitor, no more migraines (which has drastically improved my depression), and I haven't had any weight issues with it... oh, and no babies for 5 years! Just an option to throw out there :). It's a little expensive, but came out to be more cost effective for me in the big picture.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I was on Abilify and I was always so groggy that I had a hard time getting up and walking to class. I ended up gaining a lot of weight because it made me feel worse. Granted, that was several years ago. I ended up stopping taking anti-depressants all together (because of other complications - I don't recommend it for everyone!) and started being more active and finding alternative ways to control my depression.

    As far as BCP, I changed from pill to the Mirena IUD and have not looked back since. It has several benefits for me at least, including no monthly visitor, no more migraines (which has drastically improved my depression), and I haven't had any weight issues with it... oh, and no babies for 5 years! Just an option to throw out there :). It's a little expensive, but came out to be more cost effective for me in the big picture.

    I would try Mirena, but isn't it only recommended for people who have already had at least one child? I'm 21 and a virgin, so definitely not a member of the club yet, lol. I agree about the grogginess with the Abilify, I was so tired ALL THE TIME for awhile, and I'm still a little out of it in the mornings. Did you get nauseous in the mornings as well? That's been happening to me lately and I hate it.
  • littlekat1
    littlekat1 Posts: 53 Member
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    I've been having bouts of depression for a number of years. My first doctor put me on Celexa and I gained about 25lbs! I didn't change my eating or workout habits and no matter what I did, could not lose any weight. I went to another doctor and he switched me to Wellbutrin XL and I was able to lose the weight I gained on the other meds, but it was SLOW! Super slow.

    I still have trouble losing weight and I think as long as I am on the medication, it will be like this. I know I'll never be "skinny" while I'm on the meds, but I'm ok with that. My goal is to be healthy, both physically and mentally.

    Here is what I do: log what I eat every day (seeing it written down helps me), drink a ton of water, limit my sweets, limit soda (I'm a diet dr. pepper-aholic and have limited myself to 2 per day) and work out every day. I have found that just getting outside and moving helps with my depression and bad thoughts. Yoga is also helpful, it helps me focus. I'm injured right now, but I'm a member of two running groups. Being around other people with similar fitness goals is also very helpful.

    The other person was right about the refined sugars and processed foods. Get those out of your diet. I have gone to a semi-clean eating program and feel great!


    Hang in there! The weight will come off! Give it time!
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
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    Believe me, it's a crux to bear having to be on meds. I don't talk about considering I live in Asia now where mental health is a taboo subject, but when I didn't live here I had to learn to keep a sense of humor about it. Yes, there is always the concern that somebody I know will see this (I wish I could change my username for more privacy...damn facebook) but for me it's under control.

    If you're feeling down can you force yourself to go out and take say a 20 minute walk before you opt for the bed? I know it's not that easy, but even a short walk around the block could help.

    Don't let yourself get down as to the meds, as a very good friend once told me, if you're diabetic you take insulin. If you have high blood pressure you can take meds. Taking meds for the head is just like anything else, don't let it get to you, for some reason though it's not as accepted.

    Does the area you live in have any depression support groups? When I was back in the States there were always signs for support groups. How about friends? Do you have some good friends you can talk to? I found that having 1 or 2 good friends in every place who know what's going on really helps. If you aren't seeing a psych you may want to consider it if you have health insurance. If not, often mental health places will work out payment plans, though for people like me who are GAD that often causes additional headaches!
  • StacyCond
    StacyCond Posts: 13 Member
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    I'm 24 haven't had a child, and I have Mirena since 2011 :).

    I was pretty nauseous too on Abilify. My best story about Abilify side effects - I met up with my mom at the bowling alley to bowl with my family. I usually bowled around 160, and I was barely breaking 100. My mom thought I was stoned... and didn't let me drive home.

    Honestly, I didn't have a lot of luck on antidepressants because I was always fighting side effects.It got to the point I was being medicated to control side effects from my antidepressants... and it got obnoxious. I even had to be taken off of the medications slowly over 3 months when I decided to stop so that I wouldn't go through 'with drawl'. My response: REALLY?! Now, I write in a journal, walk/run/bike, and sing a lot of Beatles music in my car!

    However, I know some people who have done much better on antidepressants! So I don't want to tell anyone not to take them.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I'm 24 haven't had a child, and I have Mirena since 2011 :).

    I was pretty nauseous too on Abilify. My best story about Abilify side effects - I met up with my mom at the bowling alley to bowl with my family. I usually bowled around 160, and I was barely breaking 100. My mom thought I was stoned... and didn't let me drive home.

    Honestly, I didn't have a lot of luck on antidepressants because I was always fighting side effects.It got to the point I was being medicated to control side effects from my antidepressants... and it got obnoxious. I even had to be taken off of the medications slowly over 3 months when I decided to stop so that I wouldn't go through 'with drawl'. My response: REALLY?! Now, I write in a journal, walk/run/bike, and sing a lot of Beatles music in my car!

    However, I know some people who have done much better on antidepressants! So I don't want to tell anyone not to take them.

    Yeah, I heard about that, having to gradually taper off the pills because they can make things worse if you go cold turkey...scary, right? My psychiatrist says that once I've stabilized he'll take me off the pills, so hopefully I won't be taking them for the rest of my life. I want to get a point where I trust myself to just use eating healthy, writing in my diary, and exercising as my ways of keeping it together, but I'm not quite there yet. I attempted suicide less than a year ago and almost died, and I want to make sure that never EVER happens again.
  • SaraLily
    SaraLily Posts: 30
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    I'm on Zoloft 50 mg, I have been on 100mg for 6 months and I gained 15 pounds.
    I know Zoloft is in part to blame because it made me extremely hungry, all the time, and I was craving carbs a lot.

    I've been on 50mg for only a week and I already notice a difference in my appetite. I didn't lose any weight but I don't want to eat as much.

    Also, I've had Mirena for 2 years and didn't gain weight. I have no kids either.

    About the zoloft, I've been wondering if it's slowing my metabolism down a little. I've been able to lose weight successfuly in the past. Using the same techniques today just doesn't work at all...
    Good luck!
  • Coffeeplz_123z
    Coffeeplz_123z Posts: 29 Member
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    I am on Cipralex and Wellbutrin and YES they have caused weight gain and have made losing a very difficult task. I try not to focus on the losing weight part but rather on just being healthy. I can't be without meds or I'll wind up in the same boat as I was (I tried). Anyone with a medical condition takes what they need to take to ensure their health, depression is no different..it's a painful medical condition and is very real! Living life and enjoying life is much more important than reaching a magical number on the scale. I would suggest that you just eat healthy to help you feel the best you can, but don't focus on that number, it's not the end all and be all to our happiness.
  • salsera_barbie
    salsera_barbie Posts: 270 Member
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    When I was on Zoloft I actually lost weight, maybe because I felt happier on the meds.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I am on Cipralex and Wellbutrin and YES they have caused weight gain and have made losing a very difficult task. I try not to focus on the losing weight part but rather on just being healthy. I can't be without meds or I'll wind up in the same boat as I was (I tried). Anyone with a medical condition takes what they need to take to ensure their health, depression is no different..it's a painful medical condition and is very real! Living life and enjoying life is much more important than reaching a magical number on the scale. I would suggest that you just eat healthy to help you feel the best you can, but don't focus on that number, it's not the end all and be all to our happiness.

    Thank you for saying this, it was so inspirational and helpful for me. I very much want to be healthy and happy above all else. If I have to let go of the dream of being skinny to achieve that, then I guess it's a small price to pay. It's just a little scary because this is the heaviest I've ever been (184 lbs), and for my height (5'4) I know that's not a good number.
  • Cherylj13
    Cherylj13 Posts: 4 Member
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    I have heard that Wellbutrin can actually help people lose weight. That is one of the side affects. I was on Zoloft last year and I had a hard time losing weight. It was only 50 mg. Quite frankly it didn't help much so I went off of it. I suffer from depression from time to time because of a few current life circumstances but I do my damnest to be positive on a daily basis. I try to always find the positive in things. Yes some days are harder than others. Some days even if I'm not going anywhere I get up, get dressed, do my hair and make up and that makes me feel good. Also, logging onto MFP everyday and having the support of the wonderful people on here makes things better for me too.

    Talk to your doctor about the Wellbutrin.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I have heard that Wellbutrin can actually help people lose weight. That is one of the side affects. I was on Zoloft last year and I had a hard time losing weight. It was only 50 mg. Quite frankly it didn't help much so I went off of it. I suffer from depression from time to time because of a few current life circumstances but I do my damnest to be positive on a daily basis. I try to always find the positive in things. Yes some days are harder than others. Some days even if I'm not going anywhere I get up, get dressed, do my hair and make up and that makes me feel good. Also, logging onto MFP everyday and having the support of the wonderful people on here makes things better for me too.

    Talk to your doctor about the Wellbutrin.

    I will have a talk with my doctor. :) You and I sound so similar, I also like to dress up and wear makeup to cheer myself up. It's a struggle to get out of bed some mornings, but I do it because I know I can find something worthwhile to do, and I keep reminding myself that my life IS worth living, even if sometimes it's hard.

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