Zoloft and weight gain

I have been on Zoloft for about 8 months. I began taking it for anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and eating issues. Since I have been on it, my eating issues have gotten a lot worse. I began binging, something I've never done before. I have racing thoughts and feel like I am just floating through life. My weight has gone from about 120 to 155. I am not happy, and am considering coming off of the medication. Has anyone else noticed they have not been able to control their eating while on Zoloft? However, my anxiety did subside.

Anorgasmia (inability to orgasm) was the only symptom I had. No weight gain. Actually in addition to the anorgasmia, I had no sex drive, and no drive to be physically "close" to anyone (hugs, etc). I ended up going off because I felt that I could but I got MAJOR headaches despite the fact that I tapered off VERY slowly.

Makes my stomach hurt like a gas feeling and burning really bad.
Night sweats are horrible. I have to change my PJs about 5 times a night and the bed is soaking wet. It really messes up my sleep. It is helping with my anxiety I think. I'm just not sure if it's worth it with all these bad side effects.
Now I am getting tingling on the tops of my feet and tops of my toes.
It's all so strange. I also have depression and this is helping a little.
I feel unmotivated lately and tired...oh did I mention weight gain because it makes me eat more? What a mess I am.

weight gain started almost immediately i gained 20 kgs during both pregnancies on zoloft. Although my anxiety/panic and outbursts of uncontrollable anger, and irrational thought patterns all stabilized remarkably on zoloft I have NO interest in sex, and uncontrollable urge to drink alcohol and I cannot stop until i pass out. Also, void of emotion ...haven't cried in years despite traumatic events that have included the deaths of grandparents, a divorce in the family and a miscarriage. Each time I try to go off this stuff I end up experiencing amplified symptoms of my original problems as well as severe depression and paranoia so I get scared and go back on it.

I was on Zoloft for 3 years. While it helped with my anxiety, I sometimes felt it increased it. My biggest complaint was the weight gain. Over the 3 year period, I gained 35 pounds. While still on it, I did South Beach for 3 months and lost 5 pounds. =(
Last summer, I worked out 6 days a week for 1- 1 1/2 hour a day for 2 months. I didn't lose a single pound! My size 12's were still fitting pretty well. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was never even over a size 7.
I got off the Zoloft in October and have actually gained 7 more pounds since. It is really depressing. I think the company should have to pay for a gym membership or personal trainers! =)

anxiety. weight gain, voices telling me to end it all it;s not worth living, severe panic attacks, can't sleep, shaking all the time, break out in a sweat, then chills, nightmares, and on, and on..........

Those of you that has experienced weight gain....do you think its because the Zoloft as increased your appetite? I can handel being tired and going to the bathroom all day... but I would be in worse shape if I gained weight....what else is more depressing!! My husband started Zoloft a few weeks ago for anxiet, and his main complaint is exhaustion. My OBGYN gave it to me for severe PMS.

Best of luck to everyone here....

I have been on 100 mg of Zoloft for 8 months after a several years of prolonged stressed leading to depression. It has been a life saver. I feel like I have my happy, balanced life back. No weight gain, no anxiety, no mood swings. However, I do have problems recently with my jaw. I feel like I have TMJ. I have jaw pain and my bite doesn't feel right. I also have very vivid dreams, so vivid I sometimes have to stop during the day and ask myself did I dream that or was it real when the dream pertains to daily living. I am wondering if I need to cut back now to 50 mg.

I started on zoloft about 11-2006 i started of on 50mg and was increased to 200mg daily, it's been able 8months the side effects that I have had weight gain, skin rashes, nightmares. Then 8 months on all of a sudden i started getting moody, verbalily an physicalily aggressive, snappy, unable to think clearly, remembering normal things like names, loosing things, no time for anyone or thing, no focus on things being said, zoning out of my mental alertness, nerves always on edge, headaches, sleepy, a sense of fear, depression. Coming off zoloft just heightened the side effects. I was placed on zoloft due to PTSD and major drepression.

I am on 200mg of Zoloft. I started it last January, and have slowly increased my dosage to find the correct dosage. I am starting to feel anxiety again, and feel as though your body gets used to the meds, and you continually need a higher dosage. I am jittery, have insomnia, have very vivid dreams, tremors, my eyes tremor when I try to close them and I see flashes of light, when I nod my head down towards my chest it tremors, i am restless, it has made my add worse, it causes slight weight gain, muscle twitching...it worked fine, but the higher the dose, the worse the side effects, and here I am with anxiety again. I suppose I need to switch my meds - maybe try lexapro. But definitely get a new psychiatrist.

I forgot to list my side-effects; My teeth chatter at night as I'm falling asleep and I have noticed a little weight gain. But like one of the others below, I'd rather gain a few pounds and be happy then lose a few pounds and be depressed and anxious all the time. Good Luck to you!

I have only been on the Zoloft....for just about a week moday. I am being weaned off of Paxil, which I have been on for 2 years. I started to have my doc change my meds just b/c of all the weight gain I was having....so right now I am taking two AD to get the other out of my system. I have this feeling of having a small buss like I had a beer or two. So your not the only one.

My mother has been on Zoloft on and off for 10 years and really depends on it. I started taking it after the death of my youngest son. It has made a remarkable difference in my life. The only big side effect is the awful weight gain!! Will this side effect lessen over time?

I have benn on Zoloft for the last 7 years. It has helped me considerably with panic attacks, however it has caused me to gain about 50 lbs. I am skeptical about asking my DR for another drug since Zoloft has helped me so much, but the weight gain is getting to me.

I have been on Zoloft for approximately 6 months, I do feel much more in control of my depression and do not have the constant thoughts of harming myself anymore but the weight gain is a problem and that in itself is a cause of low self esteem. Has anyone found a way around this?

I am 26 years old and my husband and I have 4 common children and we are currently raising his son from his first marriage so I have 5 children at home. after the birth fo my first child in 1998, I suffered a severe panic attack that came out of nowhere, I rushed to the emergency room thinking i was dying, and for 5 years after that i suffered and lived with major deppression and severe anxiety. I literaly thought i was dying everyday of my life, my file at the doctors office was really getting thick from all my visits. Finally in 2004 for the sake fo my children I agreed to take medication and my doctor put me on zoloft I started at 100mg. and slowly increased to 200mg. I was on it for a year and for the first time in 5 years I felt good, I didnt' think about dying , my patience with my children increased I was a new person, unfortunatley I had a substantial weight gain so I requested to try a different medication so they switched me to wellbutrin 400mg my appetite has decreased but my anxiety has increased not to the point it was before i had any help but it definatley isn't as controlled as when i was on the zoloft.
I think zoloft is excellent for anxiety but it didn't work for my severe p.m.s.

I started taking Zoloft 6 months ago. I have gained 15 pounds since I started taking it. It has helped me with being moody though. I have started to bite my cuticles and pick at them which I am not sure why I do this. I have to put bandaids on my fingers so I wont pick them till they bleed. It is so embarrasing that I make up stories that I cut myself gardening. I am 36 years old and am happy now and content. I dont have panic attacks anymore but the weight gain issue is really a problem for me. I am not sure what to do now. Zoloft really helped me but I dont want to be fat and chew on my cuticles anymore. I take 50mg once a day.

I've been on Zoloft 50mg for 4 months due to post partum depression. I was told to take one tablet before bed and when I did I couldn't sleep, my mind would race. So then I would take it first thing in the morning but would feel sluggish and lazy all day. I definetly gained weight from it and hope I can lose it now that I've been off it cold turkey for 7 days. However I've had extreme dizziness almost to the point of where I've fallen since I stopped taking it. Also while I was on it I had no sexual desire at all and couldn't reach climax. At first I felt the pill really helped, maybe it was more of a placebo or to low of a dose. However now that I've stopped I feel better and much more mentally motivated. It could possibly be that I feel better because I don't have post partum depression anymore, but I do now I won't be using it anymore.

I have been on Zoloft for 14 months for panic disorder. I don't find it at all effective as Paxil, but I didn't like the weight gain I got from Paxil. Weird Brain shocks - very agitated heightened anxiety.

I started taking Zoloft October of 2003. I started with 25mg & slowly graduated to 200mg. Over the past year I have gained 25lbs. even though I exercise 4 days a week for an hour & watch what I eat every day. I couldn't understand why I was gaining weight when I was watching so well. I asked my doctor about weight gain with Zoloft & he said that it actually makes you lose weight. I finally decided to check out websites about the side effects & I was so shocked at how many other people had weight gains also. So I decided to take myself off of Zoloft. For about a week I dropped down to 100mg a day but then deiceded to quit cold turkey & have been feeling like crap ever since. I have severe headaches (which I very rarely ever get), constant feeling of nausea, electric zaps that start at my feet & shoot up through my body, feeling when I turn my head too quickly like my brain is slow to catch up with my eyes & I feel like I'm gonna fall if I don't hold on to something or just relax for a minute.

I realize this is my own fault because I quit cold turkey on my own without consulting with my physician, however I want other people out there to know that you aren't going crazy that the withdrawal symptoms are real & really bad.

I just want to know how long before I start to feel normal again without constantly feeling sick on my stomach.

I'm taking alternating 50mg 1 day/100mg next. I was prescribed this for debilitating social phobia/agoraphobia (with a tendency towards obsessive compulsive behaviour) - which resulted in mild depression, so essentially it's been prescribed for anxiety.

I also have been having VERY weird vivid dreams (although that makes a great change from not enough sleep and constant nightmares). I have also found that I'm extremely lethargic.

No weight gain, and I've found it has helped me alot with respect to allowing me to leave my 'safe places' - (I'm getting past the letterbox now!!) as I feel much more relaxed most of the time.

If I forget a dose after a while I feel as though I'm putting my finger in an electric socket and getting a mild electric current running through every few minutes. It's really awful.

My attention span has also dropped to that of a goldfish. I can't concentrate on anything for any length of time - which is rather unfortunate as I having a 'thinking' job, not a 'doing' job. It's like I'm constantly tired and hung over.

I started taking 50 mg of Zoloft about 1 year ago and eventually went up tp 150 mg. I gained 20LBS in 4 months!!! My doctor specifically told me that these meds would NOT MAKE ME GAIN WEIGHT! She had NO IDEA WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT!! I started tapering off the meds a month ago and took my last dose on the 22nd of June. Since then I have felt so tired, but the worst part is the electric zaps. It feels like I am being hit with a tazer gun or lightning or something. ALmost everytime I move I get a jolt through my whole body. I want to cry!!
While I was on the meds, I had heavy spotting between periods. My doctors couldn't figure out why it was happening. I have been trying to get pregnant and I think that Zoloft is the reason I have not been able to conceive.
I would also wake up with terrible night sweats and developed Hypothyroidism while taking this medication. I am 28 years old, and thought I was starting to go through Menopause!

I can not wait for these side effects and withdrawal symptoms to end. I will NEVER take this type of medication again. It is not worth it. I told my doctor that I would rather be depressed than feel the way I did while tkaing this medication.

Good Luck to everyone on this board.

have been taking zoloft for 15 mths, gradually gone up to 300mg, and have been on that dosage for 10 mths. have experienced most symptons, dry mouth, vivid dreams (bad) tremors, weight gain. have recently had suspected seizure and have had eec, cat scan and am waiting for mmr . I have pins and needles on right side of head, involuntary spasms,, vague days and extreme tiredness. I could sleep most of the day and at night. I have to be very careful not to over exert because symptons are worse. have been worried about symptons being like ms but having visited this site am wondering if it's all down to the zoloft. Iwant to stop taking it.

I experienced extreme weight gain as I went from 130lbs to 169lbs and I am only 5 feet tall!!!!! The insert states weight increase is in only 8% of people who take the medication, but after reading today, the drug company really needs to correct this! I have only lost 20lbs of the gain and I am finding I have to work twice as hard to lose the rest----I am VERY dissatified. Also, when being weaned-I experienced SEVERE dizziness and being light headed-That was more scary than the depression.

insidious weight gain - started taking Zoloft in 1997 (7 years ago) - weighed 123 lbs. Now 7 years later I weigh 143 pounds. It happened approximately every time I increased the dosage - 25, 50, 75. 100. 150, 200 mg - weight jumped to 128, 132, 135, 138, 140, 143. I'm 53 so I keep thinking it's menopause, but I think it's really the Zoloft. On 200 mg of Zoloft, who CARES about gaining weight??? After the last dosage increase (150 to 200), I stopped feeling compelled to exercise (jogging, treadmill) - and thus gained the last bunch of pounds.

Am going off Z. soon, will try just Wellbutrin. I can't WAIT.

weight gain, NO sex drive. Then my doctor switched me to WellbutrinXL, it does not make you gain wieght, and no sexual side effects. But, I was alot more moodier. I went back to zoloft and am fine, but the weight gain is back.

i have had weight gain severe headaches diaheria and yes the weird bad strange dreams where i wake up and i am afraid and wondering if it really happen i am glad i found this site cause now i know i am not insane

Vivid & later very distracting dreams, lasting side affects that "punch you in the chest, mentally & emotionaly" as a result of stopping just after 2 weeks at 50mg/day. Can't sleep. Fast weight gain. Zombie status. Rather use pot again. Much better results. Sexual disfuctions. Jaw clenching. Seems that the drug is designed to self replacte it's own exsistance by the delayed
side effects of stopping cold turkey. Should of never started
because stopping is like droping off a clif. I'm ok now that I'm
off sertraline hydrochloride (Zoloft). The vivid dreams seem to
want to live out their vibrance during the day during the few
days after stopping the doses. Give yourself a few days to really know what it's like to be fully off the drug. (diagnosses:
attempting to live in College Station, nepotism capitol of Texas)

I'm 14 and Have just been told to take the drug, to help depression and obsessive compulsive disorder thing, and am very VERY nervous after reading all of the side affects on the page from other people.. Im already fairly big and DO NOT want to gain weight ( its one of the reasons im depressed in the first place!) ... i dont know what to do, was suicidal so need the help but dont want the side affects!.....

I love Zoloft as far as helping depression and anxiety. I do notice side effects which are headaches daily, insomnia, and weight gain. I take other anxiety drugs in addition, so I'm not sure where the side effects come from. The weight gain is really upsetting me and the headaches. I take 150 mg. daily of zoloft. Are the above side effects related to zoloft?

uhh what happens if u snort zolofT......im being put on the medication and im 14....i need to know if i should try something diffrent...i dont want weight gain ill flip out.....Do you get messed up if you take lots of these pills or if u snort them let me know please..

I was on Zoloft for years taking 50 mg., but later increasing to 100 mg. At 100 mg., I started to have Priapism - erections that would not go away but with no sensitivity or sensation.

Also weight gain.

I was put on Zoloft for PMS symptoms and it really has helped. Can someone answer a question about weight gain. I am already a VERY BIG woman and am starting a diet with exercise. Can I lose weight even being on Zoloft????? If not, I want to get off of this. Otherwise, I am doing really good on it.

I TAKE 100MG OF ZOLOFT AND HAVE FOR 2 MONTHS. SINCE I STARTED, I'VE GAINED 25 LBS. I RECENTLY LOST OVER 80 WITH DIET AND EXERCISE CHANGE AND THIS WEIGHT GAIN HAS BEEN A MAJOR BLOW. I ALSO HAVE BEEN GETTING HORRIBLE HEADACHES, I CAN'T HANDLE NOISE AS WELL, AND I'M VERY OUT OF IT. I'VE HAD GAS, UPSET STOMACH, DIARRHEA, AND NAUSEA. I TOOK ZOLOFT ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO WITH MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S CHANGED. LET'S JUST SAY... I'M NOT A FAN OF ZOLOFT ANYMORE!

weight gain, headaches, body pain, no sleep

severe headaches, diarrhea daily, gave me the shakes, insomnia, began grinding my teeth, hypertension, weight gain, couldn't concentrate or focus on anything.

weight gain; tempomandibular tension; lethargy (but may just be my chronic fatigue??); my headache pattern has gone skyhigh!!! Help! My insurance won't pay for my Prozac; the generic makes me sick to my stomach, and so now my "relief" is Zoloft. I even went off birth control thinking that was making my headaches worse and causing the weight gain; and then I took a pregnancy test...none of the above...