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Zoloft and weight gain - loss

Hello all zolof so called addicts!
I have been on Zoloft for 10 years (!) and finally decided to try without it. I don't think I need it anymore and I'm sick of being about 50 pounds overweight...My doctors tell me I have to lose weight and lover my blood pressure..I kind of get annoyed because I eat very healthy, cook my own food, bake my own bread (whole grain), exercise,and HARDLY EVER eat suger. I don't even like it!

I have tried numerous of times to get off Zolof but always ended back on the meds. This time I have done better. I tapered off and I now only take 1/10 of 50 mg once a week. I haven't felt dizzy or anything but my conern is - HOW DO I LOSE MY WEIGHT???? I have gained 50 pounds and I would REALLY like to get back in shape. I eat right, exercise, and really try to keep my carbs down...

I think it's been easy to get off the med since I'm really happy at work and I also think I'm in love...
Anna
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Avatar universal
I can completely sympathize, I have been on and off of Zoloft for 7 years.  When I'm taking the medication I have insatiable cravings for sugar, most often doughnuts, soda, and iced tea.  While taking Zoloft I gained 24 pounds.  I slowly tapered down my dose about one and a half years ago until I was completely off of the drug, and by that time figured that this was just a normal body weight for me as I got older.  Lo and behold, about six months after I stopped the drug entirely I started to lose my cravings and the weight just dropped off (I don't exercise, and I wasn't trying to diet).  It took a little over a year for me to lose all of the weight.  I just wanted to let people know that it really IS the Zoloft causing cravings, and that they will go away.  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
I can empathize with you. I was on Zoloft from Jan '10-May '10. My dosage was 50 mg. I gained 30 pounds! I went on zoloft because my doctor said one of the side effects was that I would not gain weight and I figured this was the best route for me. I have not been able to loose a pound. I am on weight watchers, which was successful for me three years ago (lost 30 pounds) I walk 2-3 miles everyday in less then an hour at the gym. I am eating lots of veggies, staying within my points range, drinking lots of water and nothing. I rather be depressed then fat. Reading this at least allows me to see that I am not going nuts and something with my metabolism has obviously changed. I wonder how long this will last for. I wont give up on my healthy eating or gym habits I just wish the pounds would start to come off. Don't know what to do at this point. Will it ever come off?
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Avatar universal
i am more depressed now than ever! i have ballooned an easy 25-30 pounds on zoloft- tapered off finally and wondering how long until i am my normal weight? it made me crave wacky carbs- same thing happened 10 yrs ago on neurontin ( i also have migraines) but all women know fat can not occur- plus i am 43 and single in nyc-please help- i really would rather be thin & depressed b/c this is worse than awful
Helpful - 0
470217 tn?1360565361
I have to respectfully disagree with you there, M4YOU.  I was on Zoloft for about 4 months and gained about 30 lbs and my eating habits were nearly identical during that time as they were previously.   That was what was so bizarre about it, really.  It was like my body just decided to store every calorie once it got some Zoloft in it.

But my cousin had the opposite reaction - she lost weight.  I thought SSRIs generally caused weight gain and figured her experience was a fluke until I read this thread and see that this is very common as well.

Anyway, I wanted to respond to those who are afraid that they would never lose the weight.  I got pregnant immediately after discontinuing Zoloft and gained another 35 lbs during my pregnancy, naturally.  So if you're keeping track at home, that's 65 lbs total weight gain in a little over a year, albeit some of it baby :)

Well, here I am with my 1.5 year old beautiful daughter, looking into taking Zoloft again in order to PUT weight on.  I went through a horribly stressful year (divorce) and the anxiety caused me to lose a ton of weight.  I just could not choke down food.  Now I look like a bag of bones and want to put some back on as well as deal with this horrible anxiety.  I may or may not go the Zoloft route, though, as I remember the weight gain came very rapidly and I didn't like the sexual side effects and general numb feeling.  I'm just exploring ideas.

But anyway...yeah.  Your weight can come off after taking Zoloft.  Hopefully not too much though, and hopefully not due to anxiety but rather as a natural consequence of no longer having Zoloft + good diet and exercise.
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1042487 tn?1275279899
Zoloft isn't supposed to give weight gain as a side effect. It is more related to habits, depression and such.

M4
Helpful - 0
217448 tn?1274735143
HI everyone, Zoloft actually does not cause me to gain weight, but i can eat when i start to feel better.  I get so sick with depression that I cannot eat, physically can't eat, but when I get stabilized with Zoloft I can eat again. My weight fluctuates.  Exercise is important though, for mood and weight.  good luck everyone
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