hallucinations?

[satman]

Did anybody hallucinate in ICU after surgery?  I did.  The reason I ask is now that my doctor found a meningioma growth.  I might have to face another brain surgery and I really didn't like that part of it.  So, I was wondering if that happens to all of us or was it because my AN surgery was 17 1/2 hrs long, or the size of the AN I had - which was 8 cm - or are the hallucinations just part of it ?  What was your experience ?  I saw a 10 ft rabbit and Darth Vader in the rafters.  I also thought that the staff had wheeled me out to a wooden shack.  I thought my bed was tilting and folding up on me and it was all I could do to stay in the bed without falling out. 

I can face another surgery but I really don't like the thought of those feelings.  Granted, I was in an induced coma for 3 days in ICU and that may be the reason for all the weird thoughts.

[jtd71465]

I just had pictures on the wall come alive...only lasted while I was on the steriods that I was given for the first day or two.

Joe-

[HeadCase2]

satman,
  It may have been from the drugs you where given in NICU.  For me, memories of that first day post sugery are a little hazy.  I think they had me on morphine. I don't remember having any pain, that's for sure.  I didn't have any halucinations, but the steriods gave me little sleep, and odd dreams.
  Ask the docs about this, they may be able to adjust the drug coctail to have less affects on perception.
Regards,
  Rob

[Jim Scott]

John:

No hallucinations that I can recall.  Whatever you had was very likely due to the drugs/anesthesia/induced coma.  Scary stuff.

Jim

[Cheryl R]

I agree that it was due to many factors and the odds of it are less with more surgery unless you are under similar circunstances which is unlikely.                I have now been thru 4 surgeries and do remember having one small episode where bet it wasn't more than an hour I did also.         There were these white walledsections of where people could stand and 4 old people were in one section and one old lady had on an orange coat and a hat.         Funny that I still remember what I saw.
But that was it.                            It would be a scary memory of what you went thru.         You also should be albe to tell your drs of this as some different meds could be used this time also which should be of help to you.
                                                      Cheryl R

[leapyrtwins]

satman -

no hallucinations here either.

In fact, my drugs were so good, I don't recall the first time I woke up post op.

The first thing I recall was waking up in my hospital room (which was categorized ICU) and the room was spinning around me.

As I told my neurotologist, I hadn't seem the room spin that much since the last time I had too much to drink at a really good party in college  LOL

I also told him that the next part of the experience (tossing my cookies) fit right in.

The rabbit and Darth sound very interesting.

Jan

[Kaybo]

Satman~
I didn't really have "hallucinations" but I had HORRIBLE dreams that I that seemed SOOOOOOOOO real and apparently I kind of acted on them...I thought that the nurse (male, not that that really matters) was trying to steal me & kill me.  The "scene" was like in that old movie "Flatliners" where they were redoing a part of the hospital.  I tried to grab his badge (with my good hand) & put it under my leg b/c I thought if he was going to kill me, I was going to turn him in!!!!     My mom & MIL thought that this was SOO funny when I finally told them & were amazed that I was thinking somewhat clearly (but not really) after 14 hours of anesthia!!

K 

[EJTampa]

Not AN related, but my dad recently had open heart surgery (bypass), and when he was starting to come out of the anesthesia, the nurse was trying to redo his IV.  He became very agitated and upset saying "Why do you insist on poking me with those needles when I'm already dead!".  We all got a good laugh out of that one.
 
When I was very young, I had to have a tooth exposed so it would grow in.  Back then, they used general anesthesia.  Before I fully woke up, my parents said I was playing with a yo-yo (which I didn't have).  Must have been pretty funny.
 
I think anesthesia could be the cause for more than just a few cases of hallucinations, regardless of the surgery.
 
Ernie

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Hallucinations post surgery?

Oh ya!....
Well all the lights had rainbow halos around them (eye was affected with post op swelling)  and I definitely remember the “I am going to fall off the bed!â€?    :-[feeling (that would be the brain trying to figure out which way is up after the vestibular/acoustic nerve was snipped -to remove the tumor…)

OH gee SATMAN SUPER 8- another surgery? Can’t they do the radiation type- like Gamma or something?

HUGS from your other half- “4â€? 
DHM

[chelsmom]

Hi Satman,

I'm so sorry to hear of your new diagnosis.  Like it was stated before, can it be treated with radiation?

As far a hallucinations go, my daughter, Chelsea, experienced this also.  It freaked me out a little but I had to go along with it until they stopped.  One night while in ICU she sat straight up and started hitting at me as she was slapping black widows off of my shirt.  She started screaming and brushing them off her bed and her blankets.  Turns out the the meds she was on have this side effect.  She was on everything (meds) at the time but the one that seemed to trigger this reaction on hallucinations was too much 'emetics' (spelling).  She was on several at the same time to control vomitting due to hydrocephalus.  The one that seemed to work best for her, yet in high doses caused hallucinations, was compezine.  Percodan gave her nightmares.  She was also in surgery for a long time.  First one 16 hours, second on 2 weeks later was 15 hours.  I'm sure the anesthsia for that long has to do something to the mind.

I sure hope you can escape the knife this time.

With all my best,

Michelle

[Omaschwannoma]

I remember hearing my son tell me "Mom, they're going to inject potassium and it will hurt."  Yep he was right, little did I know or remember that was their fourth attempt as all veins they tried went kabluhy! 

Looking at my hand I saw it looked like one of those giant floats in a Thanksviging Day parade high in the sky! 

Then I remember waking myself up with "jibberish" as I was having a conversation with   and was telling me the secrest of the universe! 

My son, who worked in the SICU at the time of my surgery said it was the meds and happens frequently!   

[wendysig]

I'm not sure I was hallucinating -- my doc said the first thing I said was "Did you remember to walk the dog?"  I don't have a dog now but I dreamed or hallucinated that my parents and my dog, Princess (I got her for my 10th birthday and she lived to be almost 18 -- my parents are deceased) were there together.  For a moment I felt like they were watching over me -- maybe they were.

Wendy

[oHIo]

Satman,
Sorry to hear of your possible need for more surgery.  I can only imagine the anxiety it must be producing.

I hallucinated not only in ICU, but in my room for days.  It was felt to be high dose steroid induced.  I thought the IV machines were talking to me (I reported they were saying "Who's your daddy" and "Bob"    I saw people in the room who weren't there and remember being very concerned because I realized I was confused.  It all passed several days after the steroids stopped.

With a surgery your length, the medically induced coma, and the time in ICU, I am not really surprised you hallucinated.  ICU psychosis is fairly common in patients who are in the ICU for a while and very ill.  I'd say you qualified. 

If you need more surgery, I would let the doctor, anesthesiologist and your family know of your concerns so they may be addressed by the nursing staff and doctor.  I wish you well.

[AMD]

Satman,

Again, seeing this day in and day out......  if you only knew what anesthesia and the drugs they give you while you sleep and while in ICU can do to people's minds.  I have MANY memories with patients.  Hallucinations are normal, even though it is very real and frightening at the time, I can imagine.  Especially with drug-induced comas.  Hopefully you won't have issues again, but if you do, I wish only fun hallucinations for you..... Good luck with everything.

-Amy 

[kenneth_k]

Hi Satman.

I wish you the best of luck with the new situation.
I had no hallucinations post surgery, but i was pretty confused for some time. (surgery took 5½ hours).

Kenneth