Off Oxy for a couple of years, still volitile with anger

[Iflyfish]

I have been off Oxycontin for a couple of years now. When I was in such pain I started to become very reactive, flare with anger at drop of hat. Don't know how much of this was secondary to pain and how much was Oxycontin. I was never on high doseages but my withdrawl was hell, slept only once per week for three weeks after titrating off for a month.

Now two years out and I still am over reactive and volitile. I have a hard time letting go of things that bother me. I used to be very easy going and not reactive at all. I am happy in my life, have no desire for Oxycontin. I am taking Wellbutrin and feel much better on it. I am glad there is a drug that works as well as it does for pain, but I have no desire for it at all. I don't drink much at all and don't use other drugs.

Any one who has been off for a couple of years and dealt with this issue? I am wondering if I have modified my brain structure or chemistry.

[Iflyfish]

Thanks for taking the time to think about what I am asking and sharing your thoughts and experience.

I am going to explore the issue of what role Wellbutrin may be playing in my emotionality. I didn't realize that tramadol was also as addictive of a substance as it is.I also have low testosterone and I am going to go over my medication regime with my doc this month.

It is helpful for me to hear the experiences of others with Wellbutrin. I seem to have a very sensitive system as far as drugs are concerned. I was on a relatively small doseage of Oxy and my withdrawls were hell.

I have also been exploring my anger by looking at what I may actually be sad about, as I know that we often convert sadness into anger, I think that this is particularly true with men. I have discovered that I have suffered a number of losses in the past couple of years, including the losses related to prescribed, and necessary at the time for my pain, Oxy. The entire process of addiction and withdrawl in addition to living with chronic pain clearly affected my sense of self worth and I became angry with myself for not being who I had envisioned myself to be. Anyway, insight and awareness about this has been helpful and in addition I am going to look at my medication regime with my doc, get off tramadol and look at an alternative to Wellbutrin.

[kmb22]

i think that the answers are not in the quitting of the oxy's but in the drug you are taking now, the welbutrin.

a good girlfriend of mine went on that years ago i think because of depression and she was also trying to quit smoking and it supposedly helps with that....she was a nice sweet kids hearted girl and the course of a year she became the polar opposite of all of those attributes.

she lost everything, it took her another year to quit the welbutrin and now she is working on getting herself back to normal.

i don't think any pill that alters who you really is going to have a positive outcome.  and you also have to keep in mind, drugs will react differently in every person.

good luck.

perhaps take up yoga. it's very calming.

also they make amazing tension relief/stress relief teas......

and there are little excersises that you can do when you feel yourself getting angry. breathe very deeply and tap yourself on the forehead ten times slowly.

[Iflyfish]

Thanks for your comment. That is a good question. I also realize that I am taking Tramadol 50mg twice per day, morning and again at bedtime. I read on this forum about the addictive nature of this drug also.....duhh....didn't realize this. I wonder if this also relates to the anger and reactivity I am experiencing. I have sorted out some psychological issues related to this now need to look at physiological. Thanks.

[pharma9]

Wellbutrin can cause anger issues in some people.Do you think the anger maybe a side effect of your drug?.