ICU Psychosis

[offwego]

I can't believe I never saw this thread!

The only difference I guess with my paranoid delusions is that I was a bit more um...'active' in them.

It took me a long time to resolve what had happened. It really messed up my recovery. I felt terribly for the nurse, although she was not injured seriously....but most of all I felt that I could easily have hurt someone if I felt they were a threat to me.

It was one of the most powerful (and horrible) things that ever happened to me. I was also furious that they did not listen to me when I warned them this was starting to happen..I could have really hurt someone or myself...as it was I got some bad cuts from the shattered window..

It makes a 'funny' or interesting story but I even think I still have a bit of PTSD about it...I discussed it at length with the doctors and nurses during this recent stint at the hospital...unfortunately the net effect was they were cheap with the pain killers and I had to almost fight to get enough meds.

They say these reactions are common (minus my actions)..and that it happens all the time...

 

[offwego]

Joe saw kitties in his room and wanted me to catch them so he could pet them. One was calico and one was striped. He really enjoyed them LOL At least it was a pleasant scene. Other times weren't so pleasant. Once he thought I plotted against him. And another time he said the aide was always dropping his pills on the floor and got mad at her. Another time he saw a mountain of paperwork that had to be filed and it really upset him. I had to pretend to file everything, then it was OK.

So Joe saw kittens and I saw Russian spies wheeling patients out of ICU and murdering them and going through my gym bag looking for my will!

Life is just not fair.

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" I had to log in and respond to this thread. I was in the ICU/CCU for 14 days in Oct 09/Nov 09. I had the same issues. For the entire time I was in there, I thought there was a woman in a big floppy hat sitting in the chair across the room, and that she was there to take me away, to where not sure. I also hallucinated that the nurses were all from the Soviet Union and that they were trying to kill me because the surgery did not go as well as the dr wanted it to and they were going to cover it up. I remember I kept saying no please dont do this to me, I will not tell anyone what really happened. The nurses would then say something to me that I could not distinquish, they were really just comforting me, but to me they were talking in Russian. When I tried to tell my husband these things, I think he was really alarmed.
I am just glad I was not the only one to have done this. "

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I'm not the only one who saw Russians????

Those darned Russians are everywhere..in fact I am dating one now...unfortunately...lolol

 

[Paleowoman]

The journalist writing his experiences in the article suggests that most people think that the nurses are out to kill them, he imagined he was going to be eaten by them - ripped all his tubes and drains out like Offwego. Several comments to this article are from other people who did the same ! You would have thought that nursing staff must be given training in how to recognise and deal with ICU Psychosis ?

One of the comments to the article is from a doctor who writes:

"Sedative drugs may also be to blame for confusion and hallucinations.

If anyone has concerns about pain relief or ICU psychosis post-operatively, please discuss with your anaesthetist, who will see you before your operation."

I know I will raise this issue with my anaesthetist.

Offwego - how did it go after your second op ?

Anne

 

[offwego]

The journalist writing his experiences in the article suggests that most people think that the nurses are out to kill them, he imagined he was going to be eaten by them - ripped all his tubes and drains out like Offwego. Several comments to this article are from other people who did the same ! You would have thought that nursing staff must be given training in how to recognise and deal with ICU Psychosis ?

One of the comments to the article is from a doctor who writes:

"Sedative drugs may also be to blame for confusion and hallucinations.

If anyone has concerns about pain relief or ICU psychosis post-operatively, please discuss with your anaesthetist, who will see you before your operation."

I know I will raise this issue with my anaesthetist.

Offwego - how did it go after your second op ?

Anne

No problem whatsoever...but fear was there. for sure and getting meds was a bit tougher...But recover pain, etc was far better the second time.

 

[Julian]

Offwego, I remember reading your story a few weeks ago on another thread. Flipping amazing. This is something I would share with my great grand children every Christmas. "tell us again grandpa!" Wow, amazing story.

 

[Luana]

I think a lot depends on how sick you are and how sedated you are. I was in ICU about 6 days and 98% of the time (the exception was the first several hours after surgery), I was alert, aware and totally with it. I knew who my nurses were and what was going on. Though there were times I didn't feel all that great, I didn't feel fuzzy or disoriented.