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I have just been prescribed 50mg Lustral (Sertraline) by my GP for depression and to hopefully help with the bulimia I am currently struggling with.
I am very scared of weight gain due to antidepressants (because of my eating disorder) and wondered if anyone has got any experience or weight gain or loss on these?
Thanks.
Karen
Hi Karen,
I'm on Setraline, 50mg for almost 5 weeks now. going to 100mg next week if my CPN agrees.
I havent had any weight gain or lose through it. Nor any other side effects. It seems to be working too as people have noticed a change in me already.
Nikk x
Thank you Nikk :hugs: I am glad you are doing well on it.
For me the whole point of going onto an antidepressant really is due to my eating disorder - in a bulimic phase at present - as the depression is a result of the weight I've gained. So I am hoping I lose weight on these. Weight gain would be a disaster for me.
I still don't know whether to take it. My therapist originally suggested a high dose of Prozac - as it is prescribed at high doses for bulimia - but my GP wanted to give me a low dose and I've read about weight gain when taking it at that level.
I think I'll be too scared to even try this as I'm expecting my weight problems to get worse :scared15:
Karen xx
Hi Karen,
Im sorry to hear this.
If i'm honest, I'm coming out of anorexia after 2 years and I have been Bulimic before I took this for about awhile. now it seems I'm not doing the old ways anymore. It took awhile to settle but It has. I'm no longer self-harming anymore either. I have found something to help then punish myself now.
I think if you start at a low dose It wont have the full effect as taking a high one to start. My CPN wanted me to go from 50mg to 200mg without slowly doing it but I refused becasue of the side effects. but as I havent had any one 3 differnet AD's I might not get any.
Someone else in chat takes it too, and I dont think this has happened. I cant be sure but I havent spoken about it.
The choice is yours if you take it but if you want the help from it.
Pm if you need anything.
nxx
Thank you Nikk :hugs:
Sorry you've had eating disorder problems too. I am glad you've found a way through it as that is encouraging to read. At the moment I feel very trapped.
I bottled out of starting the Sertraline this morning :blush: Fears about even more weight gain got the better of me over night :scared15:
I'm going to try again tomorrow morning. I don't really want to risk taking it at night in case it makes my insomnia worse. I've read it can do that.
I will try tomorrow though as things can't really be a lot worse than they are at the moment.
Karen xx
Hi Karen
I've been on Sertraline (this round!) for about 15 months. During that time (and while taking if before) my weight has gone up and down. Sorry I can't be more specific!
I just wanted to say this - my big issue is emetophobia, so I'm VERY reluctant to take any kind of meds at all. If there is any mention of stomach problems in the list of side effects I won't take it. But, I HAD to do something about my anxiety/depression (maybe caused by severe emetophobia? Who knows??!) so I agreed to the sertraline again anyway. If I get ill, I can always stop taking it right?
I know emetophobia and bulimia are 2 completely different things, but the 'side effects' of them both are often intolerable. I think what I'm trying to say is, try the meds. You've got nothing to lose, and if you start to put weight on you don't have to stay on them.
Good luck x
Hi Karen
I have been on Sertraline for about 4 months and I have not put weight on I take 50mg in a morning. I have found them to help me I am not as anxious as before. The only think that I do get with them is I can go hot with them after a few days all side effects wear of. If you want anymore information please pm me.
Joan:welcome:
Thank you both.
Despite deciding last night that I would start the medication this morning I chickened out again :blush:
I know my fears are irrational because I can always stop taking it if my bulimia gets worse but I am finding it really hard to get past this fear.
I think what I really want is a guaranteed way to lose weight since that would help alleviate my depression but the bulimia is so out of control.
Making plans to try again tomorrow but I really am not sure if I can get past my fears about this.
Karen xx
Hi Karen.
This has really been playing on my mind - what I wrote yesterday about taking the meds anyway. If I needed to take something but there was a possibility that it would make me be sick, nothing on earth would make me take it. The way you feel about your weight is no different, or less traumatic. Thinking about what I wrote, I was worried it would seem insensitive, but I really didn't mean it that way :hugs:
Angelai - Don't worry. I wasn't upset by your post, nor did I think it insensitive.
I do realise the fear I have of taking these antidepressants is a bit irrational because it is true I can always stop them again if I notice any problems with food or my weight. However, anxiety doesn't follow logic as we all know :wacko:
So, I've had the prescription since Friday and as yet I haven't convinced myself to take even one of them. I know it is silly and every night I go to bed and promise myself I will start tomorrow, but tomorrow comes and I still don't start :wacko:
Maybe tomorrow :shrug:
Karen xx
I was exactly the same with citalopram a few years ago - never did take them! And there have been times when I couldn't finish a course of penicillin, so ended up with recurring chest/throat/sinus infections...
We know it's irrational, but we can't help it :wacko:
Yes exactly. I still haven't managed to start them :wacko:
Hi
I've been on 50mg of Sertraline (Zoloft) for about 5 months and I haven't put any weight on. In fact, I've actually lost the weight that I put on from being on Seroxat for 10 years before that. I think Zoloft is considered 'weight neutral' (it doesn't seem to cause weight gain like Seroxat). Hope this helps.
Jax
Hi Karen
When i was diagnosed with depression 2 years ago ive been on an off sertraline. Its a great drug and it does help, the side effects kill you for a few weeks but then you get back on track... i LOST weight on these... however i was on 200mg which is the highest dose and i lost so much weight cos of the depression and anorexia the drug causes... it does make u feel ill... like your going to throw up but you dont
hope that helps
i'm on 150mg of sertraline and i've lost weight as my appitite has dissapeared and been feeliong sick...but not sure if thats the anxiety or the sertraline.
i know that when i came out of hospital when they increased it from 100 to 150 i put on about half a stone, but my psych said that was cause i was feeling better and hadn't been eating before i went into hospital, and VERY unlikly to be because of the sertraline.
i came of zispin cause of weight gain, and loved prozac cause lost weight!
how ou doin g now???
love
LucyE
Hi I'm new to the forum ,just wanted to introduce myself :) and really in need of some advice
I too was put on Sertraline 50mg because of a sleep dis-order I was having.(I'm an Ashmatic so my GP could'nt prescribe my sleeping tablets)
I've been taking them for about 6 days and had some side effects , the most noticeable being acute arousal disorder and extreme difficulty achieving orgasm whilst having sex of which really worried me as I've always had a very high sex drive before starting
Sertraline, and never had a problem ejaculating, in fact I more than often premature ejaculated
They have calmed me down to an extent but Im worried if this continues it could effect my relationship
I have stopped taking them for the past 2 days and still having trouble having sex.
Should I carry on Sertraline, in hope this problem will finally eraducate after its in my system, or should I just stop them completely and get back to my normal sex life and life with an abnormal sleep patern...advice needed!
Has anyone had the same troubles?
Please help
Many Thanx
I'm on sertraline 50mg too and one of the problems I've had is reduced libido. It gets better after several weeks but you have to be patient I'm afraid. It varies for people too in terms of severity, with some people experiencing no problems at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allsop
I think you should consult your GP before you just quit taking them though because I think sertraline is the only SSRI that I've taken that's had a positive effect on my sleep.
This is an old thread but welcome to the forum and I hope my reply helps.