ZOLOFT 100mg HAS RUINED MY LIFE FOR 1.5 Years! WILL THIS EVER END?

My name is Mykaela. I am 22 years old and I struggled with depression.

I was first commenced on Fluoxetine 20mg when I was 17 years old. In December 2013 I went through a difficult time with family health and deaths, I spoke to my GP and they changed my anti-depressant to Zoloft 100mg. I took Zoloft from the start of December 2013 - until the end of July 2014 when I ceased the anti-depressant cold turkey due to weight gain. (Yes I know I should have probably tappered my doseage down but either way everyone seems to get side effects and at the time I was so upset and hurt by the weight I had gained). It was during this time that I gained 15kgs and experienced terrible symptoms. I could not fit in any of my clothes, I went from a size 6 all my life and being skinny to a size 10 in a matter of months! I am only 153cm tall, so 15kg was extremly noticeable. I was so upset, embarrassed to go out and see or meet new people. I looked like I was pregnant. My abdomen was so big, bloated, stretch marks, as well as my thighs and my breasts.

I spoke to my GP at this time and they assured me it could not possibly be related to the anti-depressant Zoloft 100mg. The GP went down the cancer route and I had multiple blood tests, urine tests, an ultrasound and CT CAP. From all this the only thing I had was a fatty liver (due to the increased weight in such a small time). 

The day after I ceased Zoloft 100mg I went back on to Fluoxetine 20mg.

The symtoms I experienced included: 

Increased sweating (I couldnt walk a flight of stairs without getting sweaty especially around my face, head, neck and chest. I have never been a sweaty person before).

Cold sweats at night shivering but the sheets are soaked.

Abdominal pain.

Constipation.

Significant weight gain especially abdominal area.

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Fatigue, yet I cant sleep.

Hot flushes - I thought I was going through early menopause and told my GP this.

Flu like symptoms, for around 6 or more months last year I would be sick with a cough, temperatures, muscle aches, run down. (I asked my GP to chest my immune system as I was going to the GP every month with the flu. My Immune system was fine, just the usual a little higher WBC count as I was sick)

Light headed.

Tight chest (I sometimes would get this, I remember one time last year in particular having a coffee with mum and I felt like I could not breathe, my heart was racing, my chest was tight, I could hardly speak).

Bilirubin increase (I had a fatty liver).

Stretch marks.

Dizziness.

Rashes (and also I had the dermatitis on my head a few times where it weaped).

Shaking (a few times my leg for example would shake uncontrollably that I would have to pull over the car for 10 minutes because it was like I had no control of it).

Restless.

Impaired concentration (I cant concentrate and feel like my head is foggy. My memory is bad and I am doing silly thing, like the other day I was transfering my Cards from my purse and went to put them into my wallet but instead I threw my bank card and ID in the bin without even realising or thinking and then when I realised they were not in the wallet I could not even remember throuwing them in the bin).

Emotions are all over the place.

Some times I feel like I am almost unreal, like I am not really there sort of like I am not apart of my body. A drunk sensation.

Irritable.

Boils on my skin.

Some times I feel like my brains rattling around in my head.

My eyes I find it hard to focus on anything without my eyes flickering all over the place and it makes me feel like I am drunk.

I was eating 2 diet shakes and one meal a day for over 6 weeks and lost no weight at all. I also tried just generally eating extremely healthy 3 meals a day.  I am generally a healthy person regarding eating with the ocassional bad food like everyone else. I walk 5km almost every day! Yet I have not lost any weight.

My GP referred my to an endocrinologist two months ago who thought I may have Cushings Disease and again I had multiple blood tests, urine tests, a CTABDO. The only thing that was found was a slightly elevated cortisol level. I then had my cortisol retested and still found it to be slightly high but not high enough to be Cushings Disease. I was also referred to a Gastroentrologist and he diagnosed me last week with IBS.  As soon as I mentioned Zoloft he said thats it thats why you gained all that weight.  After going home and thinking about everything I came up with many questions for them and emailed them but have not heard back yet.

I have decided as of 3 days ago to cease my Fluotixine 20mg cold turkey because I am so angry that the Zoloft 100mg has ruined my life, made me extremely unwell, over weight and feeling depressed, so what is the difference really. I dont want to touch another antidepressant ever again. Yes they both helped with my depression but gaining all this weight and being so sick made me more depressed than ever. I am hoping that by taking no anti-depressants if this is the reason for my sickness that it will eventually come to an end and I will go back to myself? 

I want to hear from people on a relatively high doseage of Zoloft like I was on (100mg) about their side effects?

How long they experienced side effects from once withdrawing from Zoloft, particularly if they stopped cold turkey before the side effects went away? 

It has been 10 months since I ceased Zoloft 100mg and I am sick of feeling horrible. It has ruined the last 1.5 years for me! Surely my body would have recovered by now?

Will I lose weight and will my metabolism go back to normal?

By taking no anti-depressants should I stop experiencing all these symptoms quicker?

I am at the point where I feel like I can not keep putting up with this! I want this to end and I want to be myself once again! I really do appreciate everyones experince and taking the time to answer my discussion. Thank you.

2 likes, 5 replies