Zoloft and weight gain - Drug Interactions / Side Effects Message Board

lavender01 · 01-08-2003, 10:48 AM

I have been taking Zoloft for about 9 months. About 4 months ago I started gaining weight. I have always weighed about 120 lbs. I'm 46 yrs. old. Now I weigh about 145 lbs. A rapid gain - I don't why - I had blood work done last week but they said my thyroid was ok. I am really thinking about quitting Zoloft. I am at the point I don't know if it is doing anything for me or not.

WeirdedOut · 02-16-2003, 01:49 AM

Hello.

I, too, am suddenly having weight problems that I suspect is related to medication. In Nov. '02 I was put on Paxil, and then switched to Zoloft in Jan. '03. Like you, I had normally weighed around 120-125 lbs. In about one month I went from my normal weight to 140-145 lbs.

I recently talked to my doctor, and she seemed to think that it was related to changes in appetite and a sudden slowing down of my metabolism. Have you been sleeping or eating excessively since you've been on Zoloft? The reason that I was switched from Paxil to Zoloft was because Paxil was causing me to sleep 12-18 hrs a day, which my doctor now thinks played a major role in the slowing of my metabolism. I have also noticed that I am eating more, but not what I feel is enough to cause such a huge weight gain.

I'm trying to research this topic, and so far am confused. Some sources claim it does not cause the actual weight gain, some swear it does. I, like you, am not sure what to do. I hate to quit the Zoloft because there was a reason I was put on it in the first place... but at the same time I think, is it worth it? I guess it comes down to this: Would I rather be thinner and depressed/anxious or heavy and have a chance at happiness? I'm not sure.

Anyone with similar experiences?

lotsacats · 03-06-2003, 09:30 PM

Hi. I've had the same problem and worse. I started taking Zoloft 2 years ago, and had my dose upped a year and a half ago. I started gaining weight pretty quickly about the time my dose was upped, but I didn't pay a lot of attention because I thought it was from eating more and exercising less (since my appetite improved but I was getting sick a lot about that time). But -- I haven't changed my lifestyle that much, and the gain just kept on. Now I'm 60 pounds more than when I started, and I have never been anywhere near this heavy in my life (unless you count 9 months pregnant with twins). And it won't come off -- in fact, it seems to be going even higher, though I'm trying. It took me a long time, but I finally put two and two together and decided it had to be the zoloft. I was on Prozac once before years ago, and I also gained 30 pounds in 6 months on that. I'm at a bit of a loss -- I CAN'T stay on this -- it will kill me. I've become really obese for the first time in my life, and I hate it. But I needed the zoloft for a reason too, and don't know how to go off and what to replace it with. I'd really like to hear from others who've gone through this, and find out what you've done (or who are going through thi, for support and brainstorming). Cat

berola · 03-17-2003, 01:53 PM

I have also gained a ton of weight. I normally weigh about 130 and now I weigh 180. They don't tell you that part. No amount of working out or dieting helps. It is the meds.

Amber

lakedreamer · 03-17-2003, 04:03 PM

Hello,
Ok listen to me please. The weight gain is from the drugs.I went on prozac and gained 20 pounds that would not come off and I worked out 7 days a week. Next thing I upped prozac to 20 mg and gained another 45 pounds. I was always thin.So I went off the drug and lost it all in 3 months time.But the problem is I went back on it because somehow I thought the weight gain was my fault and I did not make the connection back then that it was the drug even after I lost it off the drug . Real smart lady.When I started gaining back 10 pounds of it I asked my doctor about it and he was nice enough to tell me of a drug called serzone that he said had no weight gain assosiated with it. So I switched and to my surprize I gained 45 pounds in 7 days . Yes I said seven days. And guess what I now have an autoimmune disease called hashimotos thyroditis caused by the drug interaction of the 2.On top of the weight gain I have severe fatigue,hiar loss ,insonia,asthma,blurred vision,joint pain and can not work. So the weight gain is not so bad just get off these toxic drugs.It dose effect your thyroid that is why you gain so easy. I bet your T4 and T3 levels are low but in range.the drug affects how t4 is turned into t3 in the liver.I looked back after i read all I could and low and behold my t4 levels where 6 whike on prozac before my bad drug interaction 6-12 being the range, I think it was this low level that made my weight gin so easy.Another thing ssri's mess with is your adrenal level it pumps them out just like steroids and that can give you the big tummy and face a sort of psydo cushings.These drugs are not safe at all. I wish my only problem now was the weight. If your adrenals get taxed to much they will blow out and you will get an auto immune disease just like me.That is why people get withdrawel symptoms when stopping t quickly. The adrenal have been stimulated by these drugs and then you stop and they are like what the heck. So go off real slow. A 2% decrease of the meds a week.Docs know nothing about the effects of these drugs. They kept telling me the weight gain wasn;t from them. Nor the IBS.One thing these drugs do is compomise the p450 system in your liver. That is what protects you from toxins from the world so while they are busy using these pathways for the drug any enviormental toxin can wreak havoc with you because these drugs leave you and your liver a sitting duck for common every day toxins. Lets say your neighbor uses pestisides you would get so much in your sytem because zoloft is using that filtering system up,No one tell you any of this stuff.And you thought the weight gain was your biggest worry.