I will resume taking meds for osteoporosis.

Preventing osteoporosis is extremely important for women and men over 50; I am also working to prevent it since women in my family have been. severely affected.

What does the doctor think?

Hope he gets back to normal soon Sorry you're going through this.

I do recall hearing about this type of reaction after surgery from others. What is his Dr telling you?

From my understanding, this may quite be temporary. What’s your husband’s age? That might be a factor in his reaction. I hope you get some straight answers. Not knowing is very tough, I know. I wish you both all the best, I’ll light a candle and think positive thoughts! Hugs

Gonna say a prayer.

that it was needed.

I got paranoid about having a fever/infection and cross examined every nurse or doctor who came in the room. They told me the next day I was pretty nutso.

I was fine the next day

AKA ICU psychosis.

Took a couple of days, but he got back to his normal. He was 87 years old and had heart failure and diabetes, but the hip replacement was remarkably (to me) successful. He was walking around within 48 hours and even going up and down stairs.

The doctors and nurses seemed unsurprised by it. He was yelling and even punched a nurse who leaned over his bed. Very upsetting to witness. When he "came out of it", he didn't remember any of it.

traumatic event, as she had to use a Life Alert system to summon help. The fire department had to break in to her garage where she had fallen. After transport, she had surgery. For days after she was paranoid, delusional, and could not communicate rationally. Doctors assured us that this was common, that each day would get better. She slowly got back to normal, and did not recall any of the strange behavior. Seven years later, (yes, she’s 99) she was recently hospitalized for a severe bladder infection. High doses of antibiotics and other medications produced the same behaviors—she was not herself. Anger, fear, paranoia, etc. It took almost a week until she began to calm down. Seroquel was prescribed. Fear in the elderly, even with a good support system, is difficult to deal with. The trauma of an accident or illness can be frightening for all involved.
Time will really help your husband. Take care and consult with nurses — they have seen it all.

his age but general anesthesia causes strange reactions in older people. My father had gall bladder surgery and was out of it for two days but he was fine after that.

He was 90 and fell breaking his femur. After the surgery to repair he was really out of it. He did know all of our family but was talking about watching the train go by his window, but he was on the second floor. Lots of weird rambling. Fighting to leave his bed and remove his gown until he had to be restrained and so on. He did improve over a few weeks. I was told at the time that older people often are like this after anesthesia and that now the drs are supposed to be very selective about which drugs they use for elders to avoid those issues.

My Dad who was 80 at the time, kept telling me to go get the car because he was leaving the hospital during one of my visits to him. And just rambling on mostly. Fortunately it didn’t last long and he didn’t remember it at all after that. It seems they should try to address this problem with older patients.

He didn’t have surgery for 2 or 3 days because of swelling. During that time, he was heavily medicated which seemed the only humane option actually. My mom had me fly from Connecticut to California to be with her because my dad was behaving so erratically. Usually a polite gentleman, he was cursing at hospital staff and yelling at Mom to get him out of the hospital. Between worry over his hip and processing this new and unwelcome verbal abuse, she needed moral support. When I arrived I was taken aback. This wasn’t the dad I knew and loved. However, after his surgery, although he was still drugged, the drugs were different and he returned to his usual wonderful self.
I hope your husband’s behavior improves soon, too.

Sending good thoughts to you.

Last edited Tue Mar 7, 2023, 07:43 AM - Edit history (3)

that point. She was fine after that. She had Parkinsons' and died of that but she was never lashing out. Not delusional until the dementia at the very end when parkinsons' was at its worst. The meds worked.

into second postop day, he is still confused and at times agitated.

There was some disorientation after her surgery and I was really concerned about leaving her at the nursing home while she healed and got physical therapy, but after about a week her mental functioning was back to where it was before she fell, and she understood where she was and why she was there.

the time I drove 1400 miles to see her, she did not know who I was. I stayed in Florida a week and my sister called me when I was within 30 miles of returning home to tell me mom had passed.

Last edited Tue Mar 7, 2023, 03:00 PM - Edit history (1)

I was "out of it" for 26 days. There were several complications I won't go into, but yes, it happens. Don't take anything he says too seriously, I know I babbled a lot of nonsense. The Doctor assured me that most people don't remember anything about their time in delirium. I remember bits and pieces but the rest is a blur. Then one day it cleared away and I was back to my normal boring self. Take care of your self and get enough rest.

Edited to add: When I "woke up" I had great holes in my memory, I called it "a swiss cheese brain" that went on for months. Things I should have known but had no memory of it. Like how to roll over in bed, My way around town, I had no idea where the post office was, I have lived in this town for 40 years, How old my brother was or his birthday. Just silly stuff.
cheers.

him, but he just kept yelling, "Get out". He even seems to get more agitated and upset when he sees me, so I've come home now. I'm just so worried the longer he remains like this, that it could be permanent. The nurses and doctors say to give it time, so I'm just waiting and praying and feeling helpless. Gave myself a dandy migraine now from lack of sleep and stress

next to me. Have a daughter and step-son close by if I need help.

First time she recovered when she was moved out of icu to a normal room w a wonderful nurse

Second time was in december....I had her in my house forecasters weeks...and it helped..but moving her back into her house surrounded by her things eventually clears the remaining confusion

She is 84 and has memory problems but the delirium was completely different

Much more common than I realized.