I find myself a lot less tolerant and less patient due to pain. It is like I have become a different person that I do not even recognize. Things that normally would have annoyed me now make me so angry I could scream.

I no longer "bite my tongue" and I now "speak my mind" even when it may not be the proper thing to do. What happened to the person I used to be?

Did I get "lost" in pain? Anyone else see changes in your own personality as a result of your pain?

Oh gosh you read my mind. Yes yes yes, I say things and do things I would never have done before, little things annoy the hell out of me. I speak up when I haven't before and i so wish I could zipper up my mouth.

I snapped on one of the grandsons Sat night......had been a long day and even through I absolutely LOVE having them all here (10 kids and grandkids total) I was getting to the point of no return in my pain level. Don't get me wrong...he deserved everything I said to him but it was so very unlike me to do that.

When I hurt don't want the tv on or the radio...which recently has been a lot of the time.

Preach on Sister Hopeless.....we got your back....lol

Debi from Georgia

Indubitably. Are men & women different? I ask because my changes seem to be in the opposite direction; I'm letting things slide that I never did before, though honestly I think it's been a process. I keep some kind of external stimulation (tv, radio, music) almost constantly to distract myself from pain. Anything to focus on.

Adrenal hormone replacement has reversed some of the personality changes.

Doc

Dr. Smith,

Lost in space, yes, I was an avid watcher as a kid. I, like you, tend to let things slide a bit also, but that's always been my personality. I do find having the TV on or the radio helps, distracts from pain, I listen to different white noise generators, generally rainfall at night to try to sleep. I'm new to doing these types of web pages but decided I needed to read what others go through. I'm laid back, folks think I'm doing great, but inside doesn't feel great. I'm still fairly patient but I can't do much so not much to "test" my patience. But all in all, I'm more withdrawn, and let more slide past. For myself, I'm in enough pain, I don't need to add mental stress too. Just my thoughts. Now how do I post. Can you tell I'm green at this

Hi kewlgrandpa, welcome.

You just did. If you meant starting a new thread, on each forum page (where all the threads/discussions are listed) there's a button at the top left of the threads entitled "New Thread". Click on that, and away you go.

If you have other questions, check out the FAQ section. Most will be answered there.

Doc

Since then I have made a conscious effort to identify what can trigger me and I have noticed I can be on a short fuse about 40 minutes after I take Endone or, if the subject of money is raised, I become extremely anxious. So, I've stopped taking Endone and told my family and friends not to talk to me about money. It's a bit tough at the minute as our government has just announced the budget that's going to shaft the disabled and those who regularly require GP visits so it's a hot topic. But, there you go, there is hope, and with time I'm sure I can regain my equanimity ....

I hope your doctor has been able to work with you to find an alternative.

Doc

Hi, what pain meds do you take? I have found that oxynorm loosens my tongue, I am impatient with family members and speak out, my tone of voice is louder than it usually is and I get so very annoyed at the littlest if things. I am no longer able to work, but when I was, I would find myself "over sharing" telling stories of my life that I most definitely would not share under normal circumstances.

It got so bad that I restricted my med intake to the barest minimum and now, even though I'm at home all day alone, I still only take the barest minimum because if I took what I'm supposed to I feel great and get up and do things that when the drug wears off I physically pay for.

I take now 20mg OxyContin slow release and that's it for the day. I'm supposed to take it twice a day along with oxy norm 5mg for breakthrough pain, but I would rather grit my teeth and use cold packs than have that feeling of euphoria and conquer the world. With it, I get the urge to search the internet for jobs I can do and get the urge to apply for them. Fortunately my IPad doesn't hold my cv otherwise last week, I would have applied for a job I could do with my eyes closed!

So, the long and short of it, I know that endone, oxynorm or OxyContin make me a monster but I need it to get through the day. Now, I tell people it makes me short tempered and I apologise in advance.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this as well, life has already dealt us a blow.

PamelaJune,

Have you discussed this with your doctor? From your narrative, it sounds like some kind of adjustment (dosage/medication/both) may be in order, and there are options.

Doc