Community Chat

[Sunnyfield]

Wondering if any of you have encountered this? 

My husband has been hospitalized for a month and has started having halluciinations.  someites he is extremely fightened by them (i.e. nurses trying to kill him; Al Qaeda taking him prisoner, etc.) - other times they are just odd - like telling me he was just outside putting up a Christmas Tree...

They are very distressing and I had never heard of them before I started researching on the Internet.  He is on lots of meds which the doctor has agreed to start dialing back on to see if that will help reduce/eliminate the hallucinations.  The worst part is seeing my husband frightened and upset - having these very real (to him) experiences - and not being able to help.

According to what I am being told, the onlly things that seem  to help are (sometimes) anti-psychotic medication or going home - neither of which is an option right now....

Just wondering if any of you have had eperience with this kind of situation...

[NoelSeven]

What are his doctors saying?  Surely they've run tests and are trying to find out if it's a medication or his illness?

[Maxine49]

Do you have a  list of his meds and his dosages? You should. If you don't, ask for them. And you should start doing research on-line about them so you can talk to his doctors about what you "may" find. It sounds very distressing for you both. I hope there is a solution soon.

[NickNack1]

I know someone who was just in the hospital for a couple of weeks.  He was in cardiac ICU.  The same thing happened to him.  His doctors said that it was common when someone was in the hospital for a while.  Is your husband in the ICU?  They told my friend's family that it was more common in there.  As soon as he left the hospital it stopped.

I'm so sorry that you and your husband are going through this.  I hope they'll find something to help him.

[meem120]

The same thing happenned to my FIL, he was very disoriented, hallucinating and picking things out of the air.  Fortunately, he was able to be discharged home with care and it only took a couple days and he was fine.  Once he could see he was home and safe he was ok. But its pretty scary to watch!

[fortune]

So sorry about your hubby, sunnyfield.  This is upsetting to both of you!  Did he have surgery?  Sometimes anesthesia can really have a lot of side effects--especially for older people.  My son's dad is still having side effects after over a year ago from surgery for spinal stenosis.  I hope you have a team approach for his care and are being very assertive about getting some answers.  Maybe a second opinion should be considered.

Try to get a list of the medications he's on and look up their side effects online.  The best way for you to help him is to find out as much as you can.  I can't imagine anyone being in the hospital without a family member or friend riding herd over his or her care!!  Hugs to you and your husband!!

[Vivian]

When my father was in the hospital for gastric cancer surgery, he was put on high doses of pain medication. They made him hallucinate and lose all short term memory. It was terrifying to us all. The doctors were quick to change his meds when we told them what was happening.

[Fashionista17]

Yes, I have been through this with an elderly relative who was hospitalized for a couple of months for major surgery and began to see things that simply weren't there.  It was not due to drugs or the surgery, we were told that it sometimes happens with older people who are hospitalized for a long time. They get disoriented and their mind starts playing tricks. Not sure of your husband's age, but I guess it could happen to anyone even if not elderly.  I am hopeful that it will go away once he is better or goes home.   My relative was fine after she was released.  Praying for you!! 

[Irshgrl31201]

Sunnyfield, I have no answers to this but I just wanted to say I am sorry you are going through this, it must be extremely frightening for you to watch your husband go through this and be so scared.

[YorkieonmyPillow]

Happens often in ICUs.