should I get off zoloft?

[Estrella1980]

Hello,
I started taking Zoloft at the end of August of 2010 to treat my panic attacks and agoraphobia.  I started with 25 mg for 2 weeks, then  50 mg for a month and eventually went up to 75 mg.  At the same time I’m going to therapy and practicing yoga and are feeling tremendously better.  When I first started the medication I felt horrible had the worst side effects for 2 weeks but they eventually diminished but now that I’m on 75 mg my only problems are that I’m a little slower like I’ll forget my cell phone number my address or very common things like that but eventually I remember it’s only a few seconds that I forget that information also I’m super hungry so far I have gained 8 lbs and I cannot control my eating and I know it’s due to the medication bc I regularly exercise.  I wanted to get off the medication to stop the weight gain but I just don’t want to stop it “cold turkey” so my QUESTION is should I decrease my dosage to 50 or 25 mg to stop the weight and also since I feel back to normal?  My psychiatrist wants to keep me on medication for a whole year but I really don’t want to and I have found that through my theraphy, yoga, and meditation I have controlled my anxiety.  Also I plan to get pregnant in a year and my doctor said that I can be pregnant and on Zoloft but that just didn’t sound right to me so my other question is can you be on Zoloft and be pregnant? Is it healthy for the baby?.

[lindahand]

As one psychiatrist said bluntly to me. You may not be able to control that you eat, but you can control what you eat. Things such as watermelon and celery won't pack on the pounds no matter how much you eat.

The other thing is sometimes a similar medication in the same class or drugs may help with weight - but it also may not work as well for the depression. And you have to taper off one, and taper back onto another one which may cause depression issues in the meantime. Wellbutrin doesn't cause as much weight gain but it is a bugger for discontinuation symptoms. It was like the worst achey flu you've ever had (minus the vomitting)

Hard choices and a lot would depend on how bad the depression was. For me there is no choice. The depression was so bad I'd eat dirt if they told me it would prevent another one.

I'm no professional - just someone whose been around the block.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Zoloft does not cause significant weight gain compared to some of the other SSRIs, but there is an average weight gain of 15-20 pounds reported. It is not clear, however, if the weight gain is dependent on the dose of Zoloft. Hence I cannot say with certainty that stopping Zoloft will restore the weight. The decision to taper off Zoloft should be based on the clinical symptoms. It is best to take your treating psychiatrist's opinion regarding the weight gain issue.

Zoloft can be gradually discontinued over 3-6 weeks. You can reduce 25mg/week for a 3 week taper. If you experience symptoms of the discontinuation syndrome, you may go back to 75mg and try the slower taper (25mg every 2 weeks). Studies have shown much less discontinuation symptoms with Zoloft compared to others in the SSRI group.

Though the overall association of SSRI use and birth defect has not been clear, Zoloft has been reported to have specific birth defects. There is no evidence yet to prove Zoloft is absolutely safe (or unsafe) for the baby. This link might help a bit.



Long term treatment is recommended to prevent relapse of symptoms. Studies have shown that taking Zoloft for a continuous period of one year significantly reduces the relapse rate.



In view of these facts, you may have to weigh the benefits against the risks.