Zoloft questions

[JaclynDT]

Hey guys... I have been on zoloft for roughly two weeks... I am just now starting to notice that I am more calm and relaxed which is great for me b/c I am usually pretty high-strung and always anxious... [and my fiance even notices a difference]... my only concern is that I am also starting to feel like a "robot" and I feel very quiet... which is unlike me. Has anyone noticed these effects? Should I keep my hopes up that this will eventually fade? Also, I am fearful of weight gain due to this medication, I have heard both- some people say they gain and some people say they do not...
Any suggestions is much appreciated!
Thanks!

[LLFgirl]

Yes, meds tend to make you feel very calm. This has happened to me as well. What dose are you taking? It could be that your dose is a little too high and this is making you feel robot like. Keep talking with your doctor...if they symptoms don't go away. Weight gain is a side effect so you have to watch what you eat a little bit closer. I've taken Zoloft in the past. Now I take Lexapro and still struggle with weight gain. If the meds are helping then your side effects may fade away the longer you are on Zoloft. Only time will tell. Any concerns should be voiced to your doctor so he/she can help. :-).
Regards,
LLFGirl

[romulus]

I've heard of people losing weight on Zoloft so it goes both ways.  It's one of those antidepressants that doesn't cause weight gain.  If people do gain weight, it usually because they are eating more b/c they feel better.  Some people eat when they are happier.  If you were a stress eater, you will probably lose weight on zoloft.  If you didn't eat b/c you were stressed and the zoloft makes you not feel stressed, then you will eat better. It depends on the individual.

I'm on zoloft now and feel like you do.  For me, it's better than when I wasn't on it and was stressed and worrying all the time.  Maybe we just need more time for our bodies to get used to it.  Since it is altering the brain chemistry, it's definitely going to change the way we feel about life in general.

[JaclynDT]

Thank you for your response!! I totally agree with what your saying about weight gain, I do sometimes think that people who gain weight use medication as an excuse [I hope I didnt strick a nerve with anyone by saying that] But then again.... of course, everyone is different, honestly I feel like I have less of an appetite since I've been on it and I get full a lot faster, so we will see.

[JaclynDT]

Thank you as well for your thoughts. Honestly since I have only been on it 2 weeks I think I need to give my body some time, I do feel better though and I am very surprised that it is working so fast! I have been prescribed these medications since I was 16 but was always weary of taking them, after having several anxiety attacks I realized that I needed to try them.

[JaclynDT]

Oh... and I am taking 50 Mg

[romulus]

I'm taking 50 mgs too.  I have noticed a decrease in appetite and feeling of fullness faster as well.  I think I ate out of anxiety and now that I'm not so anxious, I don't need to eat as much.  I'm wasn't overweight to begin with but I didn't want to put on weight.  That would have just made me more depressed.

[JaclynDT]

I totally agree! It's so funny to me that antidepressants can make you gain weight, it's like "yeah lets take this and gain a bunch of weight then I will be SUPER happy" hence the sarcasm. =) Tell me again how long you've been on it...
Has it been a drastic change for you or a gradual change. It's weird, yesterday I felt better than I do today... I don't get it.

[faeryonthegate]

I started Zoloft about 1 1/2 weeks ago, at 25 mg the first week and 50 mgs the second. I feel a bit dazed, too, and dizzy sometimes. I started taking it in the morning and I was absolutely zonked all day, so tired I couldn't function. I started taking it about 30 minutes before bedtime and I'm fine now. I feel more relaxed although I still have moments of anxiety, but not to the extreme I was having.
I am really worried about the weight gain too. I'm about 145 and 5'4" and happy, but if I gain even 5 pounds with my bone structure I look pregnant and start getting "cottage cheese" thighs. I am actually trying to loose about 10 pounds just for health.
Let me know how things go for you! :)
Caroline

[Hensley258]

I used to take Zoloft at 200Mgs a day (back when it used to work for me)

I never really noticed that it made me feel like a robot, then again at the time I was so happy that I no longer wanted to die that I may not have noticed that "robot" effect.

Today I am on much more powerful antidepressant and they do not make me feel funny like that either. They pretty much just help to make me feel normal. (or at least semi-normal)