zoloft question.?

Question

Ever since i started 5 months ago all i do is eat. ive gained about 10 pounds already and that depresses me so its basically pointless to take an antidepresent thats side effects are depressing me. right?

Anyone else find that zoloft made them eat more?

Additional Details


Before i wasnt eating enough from depression. No appitite but now its out of control. Im not emotionally eationg. Im just eating because im happy? But its nit a real happy. Its a fake happy. if that makes sence. But now im not happy because im gaining weight. My docotr now perscribed me adderal. Because maybe i was depressed because i had so much aneity from having to sit still.

anything else ppls??

Answer 1

Same thing happened to me. And I agree, I wasn't eating out of being happy from the meds because they made me more numb than happy, but I did gain some weight when taking them and it also made me sweat and I also had constipation and dry mouth.

Answer 2

When I took zoloft, I felt like it kept me from sinking down into deep depression, but it didn't improve my mood a whole bunch. At the time, it served it's purpose. For me it was more of a short term safety net. I did not experience much change in appetite (and I eat when depressed anyway - I just don't care what I eat and eat a lot more junk because I have no motivation to actually fix anything).
However, I did take another antidepressant, effexor, that had a huge effect on appetite. I ate and ate and was hungry ALL the time. I felt like Sesame Street's Cookie Monster all grown up! I went back to the doctor, and told him, "I think it might be helping my mood, but I've gained 20 pounds..." I didn't even finish my sentence, because he smiled and finished for me "so now you're getting depressed about your weight." Apparently that is very common. He just prescribed a different antidepressant for me to try. So talk to your doctor; there are quite a few different antidepressants available. You just have to find the one that works the best with the fewest side effects. Also, most side effects decrease after you've been on the meds for a few weeks.

Something else you might be interested in knowing is that, for some people, adderall can cause problems with depression/anxiety. I took it for a while for ADD, and it did help me focus and decreased my appetite which was cool. But it also made me very easily frustrated, grouchy, and quick to anger. I also gradually found myself feeling like I was slipping into depression. I loved that I was able to focus and get things done, but it just wasn't worth it. Two good friends, however, have not had any problems with adderall.
You just have to be keep working with the doctor until you figure out what works best for you.

One psychiatrist I saw had me trying a different med (or combination) nearly every 2 weeks. He'd ask me how the one I'd been trying was working, and when I wasn't sure, he'd give me something else. Later, I read a bunch more info on the meds I had tried, and most of them say you need to take them for 4-8 weeks for full effect. Uggh. What a waste of time and money! I later had a family doctor decide after we'd tried 2-3 different things, that it would be better for a psychiatrist to manage my meds. She recommended the same one I had left before, but I still respected the fact that she admitted her knowledge in that area was probably not enough for what I needed. I just picked a different Dr. who listened and was willing to decide together whether we should adjust the dosage or try a new med.
I also had figured out on my own that other things made it easier to fight the depression, too, like: consistently getting 8 hrs of sleep, healthier eating, getting outside, exercise, certain music, and even opening windows and making my bed. (I know, that seems weird, but no matter how I felt in the morning, if I could make myself crawl out and make the bed, then not only was it a little less tempting to crawl back in, but somehow looking at my bedspread instead of the mess of my covers was a tiny bit cheerful. I could hang on to that one accomplishment and not feel totally worthless. And sometimes I would just lay on the bed and read something in my Bible (instead of crawling under the covers); in the long run that helped a lot too.
Hope some of that was helpful.

Answer 3

I've taken Zoloft but my medical doctor took me off because of the side effects which were over eating and nervousness. About the fake happy, I know what you mean. I acted happy, felt happy but knew that I wasn't. It's like your body and mind are in this fight and you don't feel quite right. It's the medication, which is supposed to make you feel happy but it can't make your mind know that it's happy. My doctor said in my case, the depression was my mind's way of seeking rest from excess stress and anxiety and that I should have been given therapy to help me think things through, not medication. Once I moved, filed for a divorce and got another job, I was fine. Hope your problem is emotionally related so you can heal and get off all med's.

Good Luck.

Answer 4

I had the same issue and got depressed because of the weight. I went off of it and had a nervous breakdown and had to be taken to the emergency room by my husband. Now I'm on a different anti-depressant. Moral of the story, if you decide to go off of it talk to your doctor first so you can be monitored by a health professional. You may need to be weened off of it instead of quiting cold turkey. If you have on going depression issues I would ask your doctor if you could be prescribed something else. Most people who take anti-depressants before they find one that works really well for them. Good luck and keep the communication lines open with your doctor! :)

Answer 5

Many are the side-effects of every drug out there.
What works for you at one time may not work for you at another time in your life.
My teen started on a different anti-depressant and immediately gained 20lbs - that was its side effect common to people in that age group. Someone of an older age group might even lose weight on the same med.

There are choices and options available. You don't know how it will effect you until you try it.

I prefer to weigh the medication's positive effects against its minor side-effects.

Answer 6

No, I stop taking it because it had zero effect. It's pure crap.