Zoloft Weight Gain?

I gained weight on Zoloft as well as Lexipro. I also had awful withdrawal after Zoloft =/ Best of luck!

It hasn't made me gain weight. I've been on it for years a few years now but even when I started it, it caused no weight gain for me....

I was on it after my son was born and I did have a much harder time losing weight than when my daughter was born. I did come off in the last few years because I was on it for so long (8yrs) and it wasn't working as well as it had. Within a year I did lose the excess weight and then with diet and exercise I finally met my goal.

Having said that I would not encourage to not take the medication. If it is something you were prescribed for a reason then you should take the medication. I don't know your situation or if this is permanant but your mental health is important too.

I've been taking it for a few years and it hasn't caused weight gain. I guess it depends on the person. I take it for ocd and anxiety

Yes, I actually took zoloft then Wellbutrin, then Celexa for post partum depression about 10 years ago. I did not gain weight but looking back I had a hard time losing any weight. Then I got off when I got pregnant for the 2nd time. i was able to lose weight after that pregnancy but was not on any antidepressants. I ran a lot. Then I got injured and could not run anymore got really depressed started Prozac and then Lexapro and gained 15 pounds in about 6 months. Got off of it a year ago and I still have not lost that weight. In fact I gained another 5. So for me I absolutely associate weight gain with antidepressants. I think it depends on the person though. Everyone is different. I will not take them again unless I absolutely have to. The weight gain made me more depressed so they did not work for me personlly (did not like the side effects were not worth it) and I tried many different ones. Also, the withdrawals are AWFUL with zoloft. I had panic attacks trying to get off of it and switching to another. They are not worth it it me. Way too many issues.

Some SSRI's are prescribed for their appetite suppressing tendencies. My son ended up taking a prescription amphetamine that helped counteract his loss of appetite - he was 6' 6" and weighed in the 180's!

I just started Zoloft (9 days) and started exercising again. And I've lost weight.

Everyone responds to meds differently-and sometimes you have different reactions to the same med. I took Effexor twice, the first time I gained a good 60lbs, the second time I took it for 3 weeks and lost 15lbs.

I also take Zoloft and have gained weight. I recently stopped taking it because it was making me very Ill in the middle of the night.

I find that replacing it with exercise has helped slightly with the withdrawal.

I've been reading all the forums regarding Zoloft and weight gain. Before I was on Zoloft, I was at 13-14% body fat, lean, toned and extremely fit. I've now been on Zoloft for 8 months and am now up to 17-18% body fat and have gained 10 lbs. I eat very healthy, exercise 5-6x a week (strenuously), eat and burn the same calories as I have before the medication. But I keep gaining weight, mostly in my abdomen and my pants are fitting tight. 10 lbs may not seem like much, but on my 5'4" frame it is. The whole reason I got on the medication in the first place was to control my depression and anxiety, but this weight gain is making the anxiety just as bad. I think I am going to wean off of it and control my mood naturally, through yoga, meditation, exercise. It's just not worth it.

Hey there. As you can see from all the varied responses, Zoloft (like all medications) can have different effects on different people. Personally, I haven't really had any bad side effects from it. I have been taking it for years now. My weight has fluctuated, but I attribute that more to my own eating habits than the medication. This thread does make me wonder though if taking it is hampering my weight loss efforts. Regardless, considering the difference it makes for me, it's worth it. The best thing to do is keep in frequent contact with your doctor as you start taking it. If you don't like anything about how it makes you feel, try something else. Also, I recommend working with a psychiatrist rather than going to a general physician. They are much more able to help you find the right med or combination of meds. Hope this helps!

Yes im on it and have gained weight about 15 pounds all in abdomen.
I will switch to Wellbutin .Good luck.

Thank you so very much for these posts. I am getting married in a week and have tried to lose weight for two months now. I have stayed at 1300-1600 calories and have exercised everyday. The scale, I swear, was stuck and I was incredibly frustrated. Unfortunately other scales agreed with mine!! Like other posters, I was at my highest weight ever except for during pregnancy.

I went to my doctor and she said "increase the cardio". I did. Nothing changed. I decided to look up my meds and found this thread. In the past 6 days I have weaned my Zoloft from 150mg a day to 50mg. And in those six days I have dropped 4 pounds. Plus, I was having severe ups and downs-losing 4 pounds in a day then gaining 4 the next (cortisol carousel!). Those ups and downs are gone now. I know about the cortisol signs because my former spouse who has now passed had Cushings and he would lose/gain 15 pounds a month for no reason.

I am on track now and feel so much better about myself. And my wedding dress will fit me now.

I would encourage everyone to consider the Zoloft/weight gain as a possibility. However, as others have said, it's not worth your mental health so if you really do need an anti-anxiety/anti-depressants to ask your doctor about other options.

Thank you again-I am getting "me" back and am so very happy.