Zoloft + weight-bulimic questions.

Um, just 2 little questions here... people say antidepresants make you gain weight.

Do they magically make you gain weight, or do they increase your appetite which in turn makes you gain?

People say that bulimics experience 10-15 lb weight fluctuations. Is this real weight or mostly water weight from binging and purging?

Anti-depressants only make some people gain weight and only some of them do it to those people.  I am pretty sure they slow down your metabolism, they don't make you retain water.  You gain fat....REAL fat.  You have to watch your weight for side effects for a while before deciding that it's the right one for you.  There's plenty of other anti-depressants out there that you can try if the one you are first prescribed causes problems.

I've never heard of an anti-depressant which alters your metabolism, so I would assume it's an effect on the appetite. I could be wrong though, I do know that some antipsychotics can affect the metabolism.

as for the weight fluctuation thing, some of it will be fluid shifts definitely. I would not have thought 10-15lbs worth of fluid shifts is usual though. personally I have experienced that much, but only after 2 huge bags of IV potassium, when I was at a very low weight and my kidneys were damaged which makes huge fluid shifts more likely. plus I could literally see the swelling on my body at that point, bizarre stuff. in general though dehydration from purging could account for a few lbs either way, yes. but as far as I know it's common for bulimia sufferers' actual weight to fluctuate too.

I'm on Zoloft! Started it back in May but am currently trying to get off of it. 

My weight has been really weird this past summer. I got down to my smallest weight actually a month into the Zoloft. Then I gained a little back the next month. And now I am 13lbs heavier than I was back in June. Fantastic, right? I don't know what's causing the weight gain. There are a number of factors. I tend to think it's just because I'm eating more haha - I don't attribute it to any medication I'm on. 

But to answer your question - no, Zoloft did not cause me to gain weight. Like I said, I gained weight later, but that was after being on it for 2 months, so I don't think it was because of the Zoloft. 

As far as the fluctuating weight thing goes - my weight has fluctuated 13lbs this past summer. Crazy, because I'm not bulimic or anything like that. I look pretty much the same, though, so I'm not too freaked out about it. A lot of things affect your weight, such as medications your on, current stresses in your life, amount of exercise, your menstrual cycle, and of course how much you eat. Also, I'm thinking (hoping) that some of the weight gain is muscle, as I just started lifting weights this past summer. 

Take pictures of yourself to see if it's true weight gain or just fluctuations that don't mean anything. I know when I get annoyed that I've gained weight, I look at myself naked in the mirror. See my profile pic? I look exactly the same as that, even with 10 extra pounds on me. If you look in the mirror and can actually see fat that wasn't there before, then I would be more inclined to think it's true fat that you gained.

Good luck! :)

I've been on a Zoloft-generic for a couple months now, and I noticed a definite increase in appetite when I started with it (especially the first couple weeks). Since I was already counting calories on this site, I didn't gain any weight, but it's definitely a possibility if you aren't careful and staying aware of what you're consuming. 

ive been on prozac for 10 years i was told that they dont have any side effects they just made me feel happier and more motivated and able to eat h x