Zoloft Weight Gain, Anyone?

OrangeStars88
OrangeStars88 Posts: 13
in Getting Started
Has anyone gained weight while on Zoloft?

A year ago, I weaned off Paxil and lost the ten pounds it had caused me to gain. I am currently on Zoloft and have gained the same ten pounds. I'm hoping at my doctor's appointment next month, he will allow me to start weaning off the Zoloft.


Has anyone had this problem?

Replies

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I take Zoloft. It did give me somewhat "lazy" feelings about controlling my food. But I didn't gain weight because of Zoloft, it's because I ate too much. And Zoloft lets me live a reasonably normal life. So I track my food on mfp (so I don't eat too much), and take my Zoloft and it's all good.
  • Mustgetbuff
    Mustgetbuff Posts: 267 Member
    There was a recent thread about the effects of anti-depressants and weight gain. I believe a lady mentioned she gained weight on Zoloft:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1094387-cymbalta-weight-gain
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Antidepressants are know to make you gain weight, sometimes many lbs.
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
    About 50 lbs. Though getting married, having kids, and getting complacent over the course of 10 years may have helped as well.
  • zanyzana
    zanyzana Posts: 248 Member
    I'm on Effexor, not Zoloft, and it helped me lose weight. I stopped being depressed and started liking myself and my life and wanted to do more to extend and improve my life. That lead to losing weight, eating better food and portions and getting my decreasing *kitten* off the couch and into the great outdoors. So nope, antidepressants didn't make me fat, they made me live again!
  • sweet_blasphemy
    sweet_blasphemy Posts: 129 Member
    I've never tried Zoloft, my old pdoc almost put me on it after I didn't have any luck with Prozac. But I remember gaining a ton of weight on Effexor and Risperdal as a teen (Effexor the more likely culprit).

    I was in the process of losing weight a few years later when I was put on Citalopram and Lamictal and it didn't affect my weight loss.

    I lost a few lbs when I started Wellbutrin last year, but gained it back once my appetite came back.

    A few days ago, my pdoc added Tegretol, which he said is weight-stable, yesterday I had extremely suppressed appetite, but today it seems normal, so we'll see...

    Some psych meds make you gain, some make you lose, some are neutral and everyone responds to each med differently. Any time my doc wants to try something new I extensively research it and read reviews before I will even think about having the Rx filled...
  • Marsidote
    Marsidote Posts: 100 Member
    UGGGGG I did! I gained almost 15 lbs in about 2 months when I started Zoloft. Didnt realize what it was that was making the gain the weight. Went to my doc and he said it was a side effect. Yeah, that's smart... give an already despressed person a pill that is going to make her fatter. lol

    Needless to say, I switched to Welbutrin. Love it! Its actually supposed to be an appetite suppresent too. I dont see that though. But I do know, it hasnt plumped me up like Zoloft!
  • mjwsdmiller
    mjwsdmiller Posts: 1 Member
    I had a panic attack last year and lost 10 pounds. My Doc put me on Zoloft, eventually I was at the maximum dosage. I experienced no weight gain. This year my counselor wanted me on Lexapro. As I came off the Zoloft I began to put on weight, about 15 pounds. I haven't been able to get it off. I do know that on Lexapro I am always hungry and I have to fight the urge to eat.
  • dad22eagles
    dad22eagles Posts: 2 Member
    Did you eat more because of the Zoloft ? Having similar issues but am not eating more and am sticking to my calorie diet as well as intense exercise.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    UGGGGG I did! I gained almost 15 lbs in about 2 months when I started Zoloft. Didnt realize what it was that was making the gain the weight. Went to my doc and he said it was a side effect. Yeah, that's smart... give an already despressed person a pill that is going to make her fatter. lol

    Needless to say, I switched to Welbutrin. Love it! Its actually supposed to be an appetite suppresent too. I dont see that though. But I do know, it hasnt plumped me up like Zoloft!

    Everyone is different. Your doctor should work with you to find the right one. Unlike the poster above I was on Zoloft a few times over the last 10 years with no noticeable gain as was my sister. The last time they had my sister Welbutrin instead of Zoloft and she gained 40 lbs in a year.
  • bonnymom
    bonnymom Posts: 107 Member
    I am on Zoloft and have not experienced any weight gain. I am on a low dose, so I don't know if that's why. It has allowed me to actually care about my self and my health. Before Zoloft I didn't care to try. It was much harder and I feel it's because of my depression that I couldn't succeed in weight loss before. I am hoping now that I have my depression under control, I can get my weight under control and finally become the person I am meant to be.
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    I was around 170 pounds when I started taking medications (I was on Zoloft for over one year) for depression and anxiety and over the course of four years, I gained 70+ pounds. And I don't credit any of those medications with helping me in any way.

    ETA: Not everyone will be the same, I'm just giving you my honest experience. I think I actually had my lowest gains the year I took Zoloft, but I don't remember.
  • Sarahh789
    Sarahh789 Posts: 2
    I put on 8lbs in about a week and a half of being on Zoloft and I wasn't eating lots, it literally just appeared overnight. Only managed 3 and a half weeks on this med and the weight disappeared a few days after stopping :)
  • mhoeff1
    mhoeff1 Posts: 163 Member
    I no longer take the zoloft 100 mg a day for panic attacks after being on it for 6 yrs I slowly took myself off and I am doing fine . When I started taking the zoloft I weighed about 155 when I went off them I weighed 225 been off it since April this yr. SO in my case I did gain weight 70 pounds . I have heard that welbutrin is supposed to help some loose weight on the welbutrin. I hope you everything works out well and that you find a good medicine that helps and that you can eventually get off them all together. The zoloft helped me not to have panic attacks but it made me tired and put me in a I dont care about anything state.

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