Here's my story: I went on Zoloft in April 2012 for mild depression and anxiety. Prior to this, I am a very fit 29-year old woman, work out 4-5 days per week, generally healthy eater. To give you an idea of my fitness level at this time, I ran my first full marathon 6 months earlier and competed in the Tough Mudder (13 miles + 21 obstacles) event in May.
At my consultation, I specifically asked the psychiatrist about the risks of weight gain. I had worked very hard to maintain a level of fitness and steady weight and this was a big concern for me. He advised that with Zoloft there is a small chance of mild weight gain, but he didn't expect to see it as a problem.
Fastforward to mid-May, I have been on 75-100mg for about 6 weeks, and while most of my body remains the same, my belly is bloated to the point where I look 3-4 months pregnant (I have been asked!). There was no ties to what I was eating and no other symptoms to suggest it was another issue. Call the doctor - he says this is the first he's hearing of something like this in his 40 years of experience. Go online - and here I am with hundreds of stories just like mine, as a result of the Zoloft. Reduce dosage for a few weeks under his supervision - nothing changes - so he moves me to Effexor (another SSRI).
Again, in the consultation, I ask the doctor about the risk of weight gain and get the same response. I ask about the terrible withdrawl effects I have heard about with Effexor - he says with my dosage (75mg) I won't experience them.
Bloating continues and actually gets worse. I start getting concerned - Over the next month I see my family doctor, have bloodwork and urine tests, see my gyno, get two Ultrasounds, referrred to a specialist, probiotics, colonics...and on and on. In the meantime, I continue to read similar stories about the SSRIs and nothing I do is helping the issue.
At this point, I have gained 15+ pounds in my stomach ALONE. Being a generally thin girl, this is very noticeable and embarrassing. After working so hard to get fit, I was ballooning (literally, stomach felt like a water balloon) out of my control, and no one could diagnose or help the issue. My shirts fit, my pants don't. I became more self conscious and depressed about my weight and my issue than I had been before the SSRIs.
June 2012 I finally decide it's time to go off the SSRIs alltogether to be able to rule them out as a cause. I experienced terrible withdrawl effects coming off Effexor (though I weaned according to doctor's orders) - hallucinations, night terrors, headaches, dizziness...etc. It's only been two weeks but the bloating seems to slowly be reducing. Having already kept a healthy lifestyle I am doing what I can additionally to try to take the weight off, but nothing seems to help.
Bottom line - SSRIs can cause abnormal weight gain and in this case my doctor was not willing to help me through the process of finding out what it was and helping me get on something better for me. Having been through (and still going through) the weight issues and side effects, I will never take an SSRI again. Felt great while on them, but not worth the stress and issues I've developed FROM THEM.
All the best to you.
I gained 35 pounds on Zoloft in 4 months...i am off it now... hope the weight comes off now because of it.
I gained 10 % of my previous weightt in 9 months and wonder when it is going to stop. i probly need to switch to cymbalta or buproprion or stop taking ssri
Anybody I hear from is gaining weight while taking these both together. For me, I lost weight just like you
I am 35 and have been taking zoloft for 2 years. I started on 25mg because I couldn't take the pill at the time(for hormonal reasons) and ended up going up to 100mg after a death in the family. I very quickly gained a minimum of 20 kg and IT WOULD NOT BUDGE even with diet and exercise. I have tapered myself off Zoloft and am now losing weight. I find it very distressing to be so heavy and also because the weight does not come off easily. It is really hard to get the weight off and is a really slow process. I have decided to deal with my anxiety in other ways and even though some days are really tough, I am getting through it. I now manage my lifestyle/emotions/mentality better with diet, exercise, sleep and by seeing a psychologist who does this rapid eye movement technique.. It is so good to read other peoples experiences on here. I don't care what the docs say....Zoloft DOES cause weight gain.And even though it has it's place in society and even though I was an advocate for Zoloft for quite awhile, I am very happy to be off it now.
I have been on 100 mg of Zoloft for a little over 2 years now, I have gained a total of 70 lbs since starting Zoloft. I was put on zoloft for anxiety. I tried to quit cold turkey last week, but the withdrawls were so bad that I had to start taking it again, but I cut my dose in half. I'm hoping to wean myself off of it. I am so glad I found this site. I have never done research on Zoloft and decided a couple of weeks ago to start really checking into it. I have found so many places where people have gained a lot of weight since they started taking this medicine. It's really depressing to be so big now after being small all my life, even after the birth of my children, I always lost the weight. I am very active and walk at least a mile a day. I find myself being depressed now because of the weight gain, and I wasn't depressed before Zoloft, just had anxiety. I'm so glad to have read everyone post, I know that there is hope!!
So glad I found this form. I went up 2-3 pants sizes in 10 months since taking zoloft. I don't eat any more than before And i am even more active. I did help me greatly witbh. Depression though .
I was always underweight growing up, 5'4" and barely 100lbs in early my 20s. I started taking zoloft at age 23 and and gained about 30lbs over a 3 year period. It didn't bother me because I could still fit most of my clothes but just looked more womanly. I don't look great very small. Any ways, I stopped taking zoloft in May 2005, had to go back on in July 2005 and I gained 20lbs by September. I didn't attribute the weight gain to zoloft until a friend of mines gained weight on an antidepressant. I was a size 6-8 in July 2005 and a size 12 in October 2005. I was never a heavy eater, but didn't eat well either. But almost 10 yrs later, I am double in dress size although I eat much better now. I know it was the zoloft that contributed to most of the weight gain. My weight has been relatively stable since I came off, but I can't lose any. Just started weightwatchers....I hope I can lose 20lbs.
I am a 25year old woman and i have been taking zoloft for 5 months now and in the past month in a half i gain 20lbs and i am a very healthly eatter.