15
My father has been in the hospital this past week and is going through the hospital psychosis. He was in the hospital earlier this year and we saw it then and were horrified to say the least.
He is seeing things: "Is that a mouse in the corner?" and it is the most devastating experience I have had in my life. The doctors and nurses do not talk about it and don't have any solutions.
I had to explain this psychosis to one of the doctors, but she didn't understand. The therapist didn't know about it.
It is totally crazy that this goes on and there is no discussion about it at all!
When my father came home from the hospital the last time, poof! It was all gone.
Good luck to you all and I know what you are going through.
- anon52371
14
Anon48133, you have my sympathies. My mom has been through that. However, once your husband gets his meds regulated and such, he will improve. This is not permanent. Can you take him outside, even briefly? You might be surprised how much just a short trip outside in the sun might do for him.
Good luck and I hope your husband gets better very soon.
- amypollick
13
My husband is in the hospital now on IVs and has been in the hospital for two months. He has lost touch with reality. He has not slept in three days is not eating and grasping at air talking to people who are not in the room. The doctors just told me it could be hospital psychosis. I had not heard of this. My husband has never experienced this before even though he has had a lot of surgeries and many hospital stays. I am very concerned because he is not near ready to go home and he is begging to come home. I hope he snaps out of this soon as it is very scary.
- anon48133
12
My father has been in the ICU for 2 weeks for respiratory failure. He has been hallucinating and being combative at night. He was on Versed and Morphine but has been off those for four days. I'm thinking he could have sundowners or maybe even anoxic brain injury. He oxygen sat went down to 69 percent. Anyone have any clues?
- anon48085
11
MY husband had a motocross accident over two months ago. He has only been home for three weeks. He was in the hospital 10 weeks, due to various set backs. He has currently been in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks. Family had been staying with him until the last week and all of the sudden he started experiencing slight confusion. We didn't think much about it as they were getting him ready to move to another hospital for long term IV antibiotic treatment, and thought it was due to this. As the evening wore on and he kept calling me more and more confused and wild, I became very concerned and called his nurse. We live about two hours from the hospital so I couldn't just run up there to check on him myself. It was 11 p.m. then and by 3 a.m. he was "over the edge" and the nurses were calling me asking us to get down to the hospital as soon as possible. For the next 14 hours, he showed all the signs and symptoms of HP. He was hallucinating, seeing people that weren't there, picking bugs off himself and everyone else, became very aggressive hitting nurses and had to be restrained with straps on every possible place on his body just to hold him down. As quickly as it started though after 14 hours, he began to come back to us. What an exhausting and frightening time.
- anon41089
10
wonderful article ,thanks to all who have contributed..
My mum has been in hospital now for over seven weeks. she origionally went in for an operation to remove a colon tumour. this was a success, but the night before she was due to be discharged, she got an infection at the site of her internal wound, causing six more trips to the O/R ,and numerous procedures, anesthesia, drugs etc..
this has i believe led to an episode of H/P...where my mother would pick at imaginary objects...see people and things that weren't there ,and in general behave nothing like her usual self...
I know she too has been frightened it meant she has the start of alzheimers (my nan..her mum had this)....the doctors, as well as her family (us) ,have reassured her that this is not the case....even testing her for such conditions..
having read your posts, i feel a lot calmer and reassured myself, that this should subside....the doctors have offered her anti depressants to help with the dreams and frightening symptoms...they have reassured her she will return to her usual sprightly self...
I`m so grateful to have the oportunity to read of others' experiences...it does leave you feeling helpless and worried... many thanks...sharon...
- anon37596
8
My father is going on his 7th day in the hospital and has exhibited all of the above mentioned behaviors. This is the 3rd time that it's happened to him in 2 years (a few surgeries, strokes, etc.). The first time we were taken completely by surprise and were given almost no answers at all. Fortunately, a kind-hearted nurse told us what he suspected the issue was, so the 2nd time that it happened, we were more prepared, but horrified nonetheless. Two days ago was his latest and he was given haldol--big mistake! It sent him over the edge. Horrific to witness. We're hoping to get him out asap and into a more "home-like" environment.
- anon34130
7
Why are medical people so afraid to talk about this? It happened to me and no one including the surgeon would talk to or help my family understand.
- tintalker
6
My cardiologist acted as tho' I had insulted his mother when I asked about anesthesia psychosis I had experienced for a week after open heart surgery.
"You mean ICU Psychosis", was his all too quick reply. Garbage in, Garbage out.
I had been given a dose of anesthesia that kept me in ICU for three days. Seven weeks later I can close my eyes and slip back into that horror.
- davnlndy
5
Are there any specific medications that are known to induce sundowners or increased restlessness and agitation? Thank you.
- anon17186
4
I went a little nuts while coming out of a twilight anesthesia; I received some sedative, but no verbal intervention. I was told about it a week later and the doctor lied about why (it was a very obvious lie) it happened but on my record he said it was due to my own psychological problems (but I don't ordinarily go psychotic ever!) I think I should have been told immediately, and not lied to. And I should have been offered a legitimate explanation. Can some anesthesia cause this? How about IV antibiotics? Where can I get more info?
- anon7869
3
Does Hospital Psychosis affect pediatric patients also and if so, are there any differences in the symptoms displayed?
- blevata
1
My mom recently experienced hospital psychosis due to multiple hospital stays in a short time period. The symptoms such as hallicinations, no sleep, picking in the air at imaginary things, bugs, snakes, people in the room, talking to deceased people, etc. were all very frightening. My mom is 89 years old. 3 days after we brought her home and stayed round the clock with her, she started to improve. By day 6, she was lucid without any recurrence of the hallucinations, picking or strange conversations. It took round the clock care from her children and being in her own home and bed to return her to normal.
- anon2803