Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 11, 2015, at 21:16:23
In reply to Delusions, posted by 90%there on February 4, 2015, at 18:24:18
>I believe they gave me drugs without my knowledge.
There is no doubt you will have received a variety of medications. Due to your illness, it would not have been possible to discuss this with you in detail at the time. All ventilated pts receive multiple medications. I imagine your delirium was exacerbated by abrupt withdrawal of your medication. Due to stopping clonazepam, you may have required more IV sedation than most pts. You probably received midazolam (Versed) and/or propofol. You are also likely to have received alfentanil, or something similar. While psychotic, you may have been given haloperidol (Haldol). Unfortunately, antipsychotics are rarely very effective in reducing hallucinations or delusions during delirium because they do nothing to reverse the highly abnormal state of brain function which occurs during critical illness.
>I had hallucinations, time changed speed (thru Halloween, New year and into 2015 - it was still August!), I saw famous people, weird things happening, sexual abuse (and witnessed others suffer the same) and heard the staff watching their recordings laughing over and over mentioning my name. A robbery went down. I was the focus. I changed countries. Was put in a 'game show' like prison in Thailand where we are submerged in water for days and have to kill each other off. The winner is set free. I cut myself free.
Visual hallucinations are common during delirium, as are vivid nightmares. Complete disorientation is the norm, for place and time ie. no understanding of current time or location.
>It sounded just like one of the doctors was beating a captured 'someone' to death.
That's called an illusion ie. a misperception of an actual sound heard or something seen.
>Strange thing then was that the guy in the next bed seemed to be hearing the same same things. "No you can't do that! Nurse! Help! You're out of order! Thats wrong!" and so on. So was he hearing what I was hearing?
It's impossible to say because the actual events will be highly distorted in your mind by the delirium. In general, paranoia is common during delirium, so pts tend to perceive a lot of events as being some form of abuse. A common example is that a patient is being washed in bed and is in pain, confused or distressed. The other patients of the ward will hear their cries and will wrongly assume they are being abused.
>Also all the Nurses had drawn the curtains around the bed as if hiding the patients, for their sakes and ours.
The curtain is always drawn during a procedure eg. a catheter being put in, and during personal care eg. enemas, toileting, washing. This is for everyone's benefit!
>I wasn't wired up to things anymore.
You were obviously much improved medically at this point, so the confusion and hallucinations should have resolved. Also, the unfamiliar noises would have been less once you were out of intensive care.
>Things seemed to make sense too
They often do during delirium or psychosis. It's not like LSD where insight can be retained.
>Is it worth getting legal help (no win no fee).
No, but... Perhaps you could speak to a member of staff on ICU to help put your mind at rest? You've obviously been though a critical illness causing severe trauma to your mind and body. This trauma often needs help to fully recover from.
>So do I make a claim for medical negligence?
Well, you don't have evidence of negligence. A large proportion of seriously ill pts will be delirious. The brain cannot work when the body is so profoundly dysfunctional. It's distressing to see people in that state. It sounds like you made a good physical recovery at least :)
>Flicking thru the footage would be enough.
I suppose you could ask but you'll never see what goes on behind the curtain so I doubt it would help.
>Too much for it to be one big DELUSION
Delirium is complex. You know that for sure. You really did experience the worst of it.... going to Thailand, changing to different times, being in a game show. These are signs of severe confusion.
I hope you're OK and can get over this gradually.
Take care.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1075995
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20140702/msgs/1076285.html