Continued Dizziness on Zoloft?

[Zenboy10]

Looking for some reassurance here -
Some background -
My wife and I have been working really hard the past year to lose weight, and I've managed with diet and exercise to lose about 80+/- pounds. I mention this because it might have some bearing on what I'm trying to figure out here - also, I use a CPAP for apnea. (And don't believe them when they tell you that apnea will go away - it's improved with my weight loss, but still very much there...)
The last few months I went back on Zoloft after a period of not using it. At first, I got the hot flashes/cold thing, but since at least April now I've been struggling with dizziness/lightheadness. I've been tested for anemia, thyroid, had an eye exam, infections, even an MRI and the best the docs seem to think is BPPV. I went to a PT for a few sessions and some relief for a few weeks, but the dizziness has returned with a vengeance.
So -
Can anyone (perhaps a doctor, nurse anyone with lots of Zoloft experience?) help me out here? If it were heart related, I would assume that when I do an hour on the Stairmaster in the gym or run for 1/2 hour the symptoms would be worse (or fatal). I have a Fitbit, and my heart rate gets up to 140-ish and the dizziness is no worse (or better).
Is it "normal" to have this prolonged issue on a med? I've ruled out a tumor or other nasty stuff, so I'm really stumped here, and my wife is ready to punch me if I bring it up again.

[Paxiled]

If you're taking Zoloft because you haven't been able to treat your anxiety in therapy, I'd ask, how's your anxiety doing?  The reason is that dizziness and lightheadedness are symptoms of anxiety, and taking an antidepressant doesn't mean you're free of anxiety.  Often, it just means it's not as bad, the best I've ever gotten.  Often, it doesn't work very well.  Often, it stops working.  Now, you say you've been on Zoloft for the last few months but don't say how many months, and you've also had dizziness the last few months as well -- April is a few months ago.  If this started right after going back on the Zoloft, it could be a side effect.  Going back on a drug you were on before isn't usually going to result in the same experience -- sometimes a drug doesn't even work after stopping it when you try it again, especially Paxil, as an example.  You know a whole lot more about the timing and your current level of anxiety than we do, what do your instincts say?  I'd also look at your weight loss -- you've lost a lot of weight in a year.  Are you getting your nutrients, or are you severely cutting food intake?  Especially, are you getting enough Vitamin D from the sun and electrolytes in your diet?  Are you eating sufficient green leafy vegetables?  Antidepressants use the same channel to get to the brain that magnesium uses, so people on these drugs can have too little magnesium, which can throw your electrolytes out of balance and cause the symptoms you're complaining about.  Of course, the ultimate test would be to quit the Zoloft, if that were easy to do, but unfortunately it's not.  If you could do that, like you can quit taking a new supplement, if the symptoms go away, you'd know it was the Zoloft.  But antidepressants take time to stop taking and it's hard, and if it's helping you in ways nothing else does, you might have to find away to compensate rather than try quitting.  Hope this gives you at least some avenues to think through.  And nobody ever said CPAP cures apnea -- there is no known cure -- it just stops the symptoms if it's fitted properly for you.  It might not be.  Good luck.

[Zenboy10]

Thanks for the response - many things to ponder there. Yes, anxiety is a beast. The fact that much of mine is tied into health issues doesn't help - it's a vicious circle where I begin to analyze each new sensation and spin off into more anxiety, which causes more symptoms, so on. You get the cycle. My question regarding Zoloft in particular is the length (time) of these side-effects. Most of the info I've found refers to what I've experienced as a "temporary" side effect or in relation to withdrawal, not an ongoing symptom (in terms of months). As I'm sure you're aware, it's hard to be patient when you feel so physically "off."

[Paxiled]

Boy, am I ever!  It's no fun.  I think the block you're running into is one I've run into -- when things go wrong, we find our doctors don't actually know much about the drugs they give to us.  Which is also not much fun.