Delirium post surgery?

[james e]

Monday is my 4th anniversary for my translab surgery, and I had delirium/hallucinations following my surgery. My April 2014 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN magazine just arrived and has an interesting article about anesthesia and its lasting effects.

I was put under at 0700 and awakened at 1700, ten hours later. I was 60 years old and in excellent health except I had a stroke 11 months prior to my AN surgery and a surgery to close a hole in my heart that caused the stroke (PFO). Six months later I started working out lifting weights again and I was muscular and in tip top shape for my surgery.

While in the hospital my sleep was normal and I was physically active, walking the halls for exercise, reading, watching TV, eating, bathing, wanting to go home. I was released on the 3rd day following surgery.

On about the 2nd night home I had hallucinations while sleeping. I was on a ship that was sinking and it rolled over on its back, the lights went out, and I was trying to find my way out as it was filling with water. I sat up in bed yelling that we had to get out and started running out of the room. My wife tried to calm me down, but my heart was just racing and it seemed so very real. This happened several times and it caused me some anxiety about falling asleep, but it finally stopped.

The article reminded me of my delirium, so I am asking if any of you had a similar experience? The article is a great read and you might even talk to your doctor about it. I am not saying this could happen to you, but it did happen to me, and I wish I had know it could happen. Read the article.

[arizonajack]

I had hallucinations while sleeping.

That's called "dreaming."

I was on a ship that was sinking and it rolled over on its back, the lights went out, and I was trying to find my way out as it was filling with water. I sat up in bed yelling that we had to get out and started running out of the room. My wife tried to calm me down, but my heart was just racing and it seemed so very real. This happened several times and it caused me some anxiety about falling asleep, but it finally stopped.

That's called a "nightmare" and was likely due to the trauma of the surgery during which you were anesthetized for many hours.

The nature of the dream suggest that the images of potential drowning (suffocation) relate to the period when you were anesthetized and had no control over what was happening to you.

The article reminded me of my delirium, so I am asking if any of you had a similar experience? The article is a great read and you might even talk to your doctor about it. I am not saying this could happen to you, but it did happen to me, and I wish I had know it could happen. Read the article.

Would help if you posted a link to it.

[ewhitese]

I had GK radiation treatment with no anesthesia 6 months ago, for several weeks after surgery I recall vivid dreams.  I could not tell you the nature of the dreams but I do remember very vivid dreams in color and very real.  I think they were not nightmarish in nature but I can't really remember.

I wonder if there is a connection with the location of the tumor near the brain stem?  I do believe that any surgery is a  traumatic  stressful event and would cause some night time reactions. 

My mother had hip replacement surgery at age 74, while recovering from the anesthesia she exhibited dementia symptoms.  The symptoms subsided after a day or so.  She is now 81 and currently is in late stage dementia which is not directly connected to the surgical event but rather a genetic connection. 

[james e]

Before you make such a broad assumption about "dreaming" you should read the article.

[ewhitese]

As for me I neglected to mention that I had general anesthesia during sinus surgery 2 months prior to GK.  And I may be confused as to the timeline for my increased dreaming, it may have taken place prior to GK surgery.  What I do know is the frequency and intensity of the dreaming has faded at this point.  My mother's situation is different, she has a family history of dementia, father, three aunts, uncle, grandmother.  So many precursors to lay blame such as high blood pressure, extended estrogen replacement therapy.

I read the article it is an interesting hypothesis,   we are definitely in a time of huge milestone discoveries about the brain, chemical, learning, proteins.  I am 54 years old, looking at the genetic connection to Alzheimers disease and dementia for myself.  I feel hopeful that the strides being made now will be there for me and my descendants.

I do see the connection to increased blood flow through physical and mental exercise as a quality of life issue that we can connect to now and have a personal impact on our own health, not just our mental conditioning.  I have no medical back ground but I think keeping a positive attitude finding ways to enjoy the moment, looking for the brighter side, laughing, loving, giving, religion will go a long way to improve our mental health.

I found myself in depression when my AN symptoms really kicked in and didn't realize how negative I had become until I was really in it (depression).  As I started documenting my symptoms tracking my issues I became aware of my mental state.  I made a decision to change my behaviors and look for the brighter side, instead of concentrating on what I was loosing.  I don't notice those things much anymore.  Maybe I am becoming accustom to my situation or spring is around the corner, always a boost to my spirits, but am better to be around now than I was just a month ago.

Every one of us is unique in our frequency of issues and symptoms post surgery post AN.  Research I'm sure is going to dig deeper into our commonalities in the near future and watching the discoveries unfold is exciting.

Thanks James E for the heads up on the article very interesting.
Good advice, have a family member stay in the room post surgery, ask for lower dose of anesthesia or at least brain wave monitoring.  Check with Dr's to see if  they are familiar with the studies.

[Crazycat]

James,

 You would not believe the intense dreams I've had before or after surgery—my whole life. I've written them down at times.

Don't worry about it.