Has anyone developed MH issues from a severe physical health problem?

[LovelyBath]

I became really ill after having operations and developed a kind of psychosis in the hospital environment. It was scary. I think it was to do with the physical problem (is meant to cause 'altered mental status' also not being able to eat for a long time, or sleep, all contributing. Although I still feel a bit muddled as to what went on, (I thought the nurses were all talking about me during the night shift but they were probably talking about the patients in general- it was quite loud though) the hospital didn't deal with it very well. I distinctly remember a nurse telling me 'we can't deal with your kind of needs in here' and another laughing to the others after I'd been frightened by the hospital helicopter noise at night (it has a launch pad on the hospital) I understand they're busy but the could have been a bit more understanding.

I started refusing medicine too and nearly refused a life saving operation, thankfully my husband was there and talked me into it. I thought the IV antibiotics were acid they were trying to poison me with and refused it after several days.

Has anyone else had a similar experience while very ill? I have since seen a psychiatrist who said I'd had "depression with psychotic features while under severe physical stress.

Hi lovely,

I'm mental health professional and just wanted to reassure you that what you describe is not at all uncommon.
Did your illness involve having an infection or perhaps being given very strong painkiller? If the former (infection) then you may have been suffering from delirium, which is well known effect of fever/infection etc in some people, not unusual at all to develop 'psychotic' like symptoms.

Also many of the strong pain killers can also induce confusion, hallucinations, paranoia in susceptible people.

There's lots or research going on at present on the effect people in intensive or critical are also has on people, if this applied to you it might be worth googling, it's very interesting ( and concerning to medical professionals :-(

In any case it sounds like you have had a berry rough time, are you feeling on the path to recovery now?

Hi Taxpanicmum,

Yes I had something called closed loop bowel obstruction which was written up as 'acute ishemia' on my discharge summary, so yes I googled that and it leads to sepsis pretty quickly. It wasn't properly explained in the hospital but it says on my summary that I had tachycardia and fever on admission- unfortunately was treated for gastroenteritis for quite a while before they did a CT and picked up the obstruction.

I'm OK now, however a month later had something similar and had to have another emergency operation with 2 blood transfusions after. Yes I had a PCA (morphine) replaced by liquid paracetamol and on that occasion I got very tearful and low, however not so psychotic iyswim.

I'm in the process, a year later, of slowly coming off antipsychotics which I've been taking in combination with an antidepressant. I saw the psychiatrist last week and we talked about me making a kind of plan for if it happens again- the obstruction. I'm planning on giving a copy to the surgical team also to have on hand for in case of having to go the A and E. I'm going to include brief details of my medical history and basically for them to take care to watch for signs of ishemia, and details of my psychiatrist (who has discharged me but with an 'open door' in case of it happening again.