Weight Gain From Zoloft

[merman2222]

Hi,

This is for anyone else experiencing weight gain while on SSRIs. I really want to get to the bottom of this so any info would be greatly appreciated. I started this med when I was in my late 20s and my weight literally changed overnight. I went from 168 lbs, which I maintained for years prior regardless of how much I ate, to almost 200 in less than a month. At first I was thrilled, because I had been trying to put some meat on for years. That didn't last long once I realized how hard it would be to take the weight off. It's nearly impossible.

Before anyone says anything about diet and exercise, let me preface this by saying neither changed before or after I started taking this, nor did my sleeping habits. I have been an athlete all my adult life. I run and/or lift weights approximately 2-3 hours a day, every day, plus swim and practice jiu jitsu (which in my class is an hour of intense cardio). As for my diet, it was pretty much the classic "american" diet before and after – meat and potatoes, with fruits and vegetables mixed in and something sugary for dessert after dinner. Again, before the med, no weight gain. After, massive weight gain.

As for metabolism slowing down as you age, I got off of this med several times trying to find an alternative. Unfortunately, nothing worked so I ended up getting back on it. However, WHILE I was off of it, my weight quickly normalized. So it's definitely the medicine that is causing this.

I tried for years to pinpoint EXACTLY what was happening in my body and experimented on myself many times. I came to the conclusion that it is fluid weight and that it is either caused or exacerbated by refined sugar (natural sugar or Stevia is okay). If I eat anything with refined sugar, my weight jumps up drastically in a very short time.

So the only solution I derived is to stay on a very restrictive diet, like keto, because pretty much everything has sugar in it these days. If I do that, my weight is manageable, but it also makes for a miserable life because I can't enjoy food (and the keto versions of bread etc don't taste nearly as good as the real thing).

I did an experiment recently where I weighted myself after a week of healthy eating, then again after eating some KFC, and I recorded both weigh-ins. Before the KFC, I was 188. Afterwards, less than an hour later, I was 194. That's a six pound gain from one meal. And that's not even the worst example. I once gained 11 lbs from eating a slice of white bread.

I guess I am not looking for dietary recommendations so much as I am trying to figure out what is going on in my body. I would like to get checked out over an extended period of time while I eat different things to see how my body reacts to it. Like, put some sensors on me and have a doctor monitor my internal organs and glands to see what biological reactions occur. Is there such a clinic or lab that can accommodate that?

Because all the info I find online basically says doctors don't know exactly why these meds cause weight gain. That's not good enough for me. I need to know a little more and I'm sure others would appreciate that info as well.

[specialmom]

How is it going?  Have you been able to lose any weight since writing this?

[specialmom]

Ugh, weight gain with SSRI's is frustrating.  I was on prozac years ago myself and FELT better but it took 40 mg to have an effect and I started putting on the weight.  Some people gain, some don't. It's hard with weight gain because SO many factors can impact it and each person leads a unique life with a unique body.  When I'm highly stressed, I am like high adrenaline, I can't sit, I don't eat.  I almost always lose a little weight. Other times, I'm immobile and sedentary. So, treating my mental health an impact my eating.  And my activity level. Serotonin IS known to also regulate appetite.  So, a drug that acts on that may impact that as well. Unfortunately it's a risk/benefit decision.  My son gained a bit of weight on his psychiatric medication. But he was miserable without it.  Worth it to him.  And the ways to lose are the same for all. Lifestyle. Proper sleep eating and exercise.