Confusion and Hallucinations

[ventine]

Hi! I've beem reading this site, but haven't seen anyone discuss and issue which I am very worried about. I hope that someone here might have some insight for me!

My 84 year old grandmother had a heart valve transplant and a bypass, about 3 weeks ago. While she had been weak physically (has had a hip replacement, cancer is in remission for 5 years) she had always been 100% lucid. She read voraciously, up to 3 newspapers a day, and multiple 500 page books a week. She did the NY times crossword puzzle religiously.

Then she had the surgery. It lasted only 2.5 hours, which I believe is a short amount of time. But then a day later she had a complication where there was some sort of minor leak in her stomach (possibly due to trauma when removing tubes) and had to go back under anesthesia to have a second surgery. Luckily the doctors said they fixed the problem, and she began the healing process.

She was in the ICU for about 5 days, and was then transferred to the regular part of the hospital. During that time she remained very puffy and sleep-deprived, but began to become clear-headed again. She wasn't strong enough to walk yet, but after about 9 days she was sorting through her mail, and doing crossword puzzles.

Then her state began to regress! Physically she was definitely healing, but mentally she began acting confused. She would go in and out of clear conciousness. She used the wrong words, and sometimes referred to actions and events which hadn't occured (such as having been moved rooms, etc.). Then the next day she began having hallucinations (paperclips in the air, needles in her bed.)

She has been like this for about 5 days. Yesterday she seemed a little more "present", but she's nowhere near how she was before, or even how she was a week after the surgery. The doctors say it is just severe depression, and put her on Zoloft. (The again the doctors couldn't detect any confusion or hallucinations!)

Does anyone know anything about this behaviour post surgery? The doctors don't seem to understand what our family keeps pointing out to them. If anyone knows ANYTHING about this topic, I'd love to hear about it. I am desperate.

Thank you all for this wonderful site, and I hope to hear from someone soon!

Victoria

 

[LauraB]

ventine... I cannot help alot due to me being new at this too but I can tell you that my gram recently had surgery, is in her 70's, and one day she'll seem fine and the next she is so confused. She won't remember anything that has happened moments before but can tell stories of her childhood. You may want to check out the posts under "Gram's recent surgery." Ross and Nancy have been very informative. Hope that everything gets better for you and your gram!

 

[Bob]

I am 67 year old male and had both hallucinations and mental confusion after surgery. The hallucinations were visual such as flashing lights, moving neon lights and dreams that were real or seemed to be. The confusion kept me from doing much. Couldnt manage the TV remote and talking and thinking were hard. Both diminished after the first week with the visuals totally gone and the confusion reduced. It took about a month for the confusion to disappear. Of course the residual confusion always reappears when the wife talks about doing the dishes or taking the garbage out. I suspect that will be a lasting result of the surgery.

My cardiologist said both condtiions were quite common and due to medications and being on the heart machine.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Victoria-

Welcome to the site. I'm sorry that your grandmother is having these problems. It is very important that you know exactly what medications your grandmother is on. There are some pain medications which can cause confusion and hallucinations. They will go away once the pain medicaion is no longer needed.

My husband had hallucinations from his, and he slurred his words, and talked nonsense and slipped in and out of consciousness. He is fine now, so if it is med related, it will not be permanent.

Sometimes after surgery. there can be anemia, and that can also cause lethargy and confusion.

You must remember that she has been through two very, very major surgeries in a short time. It would be natural to expect that she will be somewhat incapacitated for a while. Her body is all banged up and in a major healing phase.

Please read through the posts in the Post Surgery forum, and see if there are similarities there. Many folks have mentioned post surgical hallucinations.

Have you spoken with the surgeon or cardiologist about this. You should run it by them and get their take on it, particularly since she seems to be having these problems after having a period of normal recovery. But do not get alarmed. Most people have good days and then bad days. It takes time to get everything on an even keel.

Here is a site where you can look up different meds:

http://www.medicinenet.com/medications/article.htm

Please give your grandmother my best wishes, and tell her she will come out of this OK. Keep her encouraged.

 

[Mb]

Hello!

Gosh your post reminded me so quickly of my Dad.

He had major surgery, to remove his bladder. His mental state was fine for 3-4 days after the surgery, and then he kind of "slipped". He actually was more than just confused, just like your Gram. He went way back in time. He thought I was my mother, he "saw" fat in my hair that he kept trying to pull out, and he was picking at things in the air. He also would "smoke" cigarettes, and really seemed to enjoy them. This actually lasted for weeks. You could see the improvement slowly, as he actually moved forward in time.....from being a young man, to the present. Never remembered a thing. The doctor's were never really concerned about it. They said it happens sometimes with anathesia, and that it was more common in men. He definitely improved when he was able to come home. Afterwards, it happened every time he had surgery, taking him longer and longer to "come back". The last two surgeries he had (amputations), they just did a spinal. I know there was a name for it, but it was many years ago, and I just can't seem to remember what it was called.

I agree that his cardiologists should be kept aware of what is happening, and you and your family should have a big "heads up" on this one. But, it might be just what my Dad experienced. By the way, he really did recover completely each time it happened, and he never remembered any of it.

Best wishes.

Marybeth

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Hello, Victoria

Confusion and even hallucinations post-surgery are very common. While in the cardiac care unit, I was confused by an Infomercial on TV (it was for some sort of mega-vitamins). I was convinced I worked for the people on the TV and they were there to yell at me for being sick. I told the nurse "I need to find my box of vitamins...have to get to work." I also have an acquaintance who kept asking for his ex-wife after waking up from bypass surgery, which uses many of the same drugs and procedures. Didn't go over too well with his current wife..

I'm sure the doctors will figure it out, it is likely just time that she needs.

My best wishes for her to feel better soon!

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi victoria!welcome!
i'm sorry that your grandmother has to go through this. it must be frightening for you all to see her this way, especially since she is usually such a vital and alert person.
joey had terrible hallucinations after his surgery as a result of a bad reaction to percoset.
it was the week after 9/11 and i would drive into n.y.c. every day to see him. he thought that the bridges were rigged and begged me not to come and to please take him out of the hospital (beth israel, jewish hospital, more likely_ according to him_ to be a prime target). he was very serious too.
i wonder if your grandmother is reacting to something they are giving her or have given her.
i hope she gets better with each passing day.
wishing you all the best, sylvia