Bad dreams

[989-2841]

My dad is out of Icu and slowly recovering but is having very strange dreams do we ignore him or tell him they are dreams or go along with it can anyone enlighten me please

[Dollyplum]

Hi Hun, I was in a coma for a month and the delirium affects your dreams. I thought I was being raped, that doctors were going to switch off life support and because of the tracheotomy I was unable to speak. From what gather, this is really common. Looking back, reassurance and letting him talk it through with gentle reminders that it is all due to the drugs etc would probably be the best way to go. X

[Rhyl1 Partner Moderator ICUsteps]

He may be becoming delirious at night so the hospital staff or your GP (if he is home) should be informed. The dreams shouldn't be ignored and your dad needs reassurance that the events in his dreams didn't happen. But he will also need an explanation of why he is having them. Delirium is common in ICU patients and can continue after discharge. If you google ICU delirium there are some good websites with lots of information which you might find useful. Hope this helps

[BBDEBS]

This is wholly normal, but exceptionally frightening to experience. I had the most horrific nightmares and hallucinations and refused to sleep for 4 nights, I just watched TV all night in the renal ward. Even 2 months after I was discharged I thought I was actually dead and this was all a dream...my dreams lasted for decades, not the 2 weeks I was under. It's extremely common to be very, very scared, just reassure him that he is safe, nothing can hurt him now, he was in a coma, and the drugs cause nightmares but he is awake now, and safe. If you can, check he is sleeping or sit with him until he nods off, as my mum did with me. She sat with me until 11pm, with me awaking every 15 minutes, and her stroking my hand telling me I'm safe, nobody can hurt me. This was the ONLY thing that worked.

It will pass, I promise, but your Dad will always be able to recall his nightmares, but they will fade from his immediate consciousness.

Please please encourage him, when he is able, to attend ICU steps support group.

Is he still in hospital? Get your ITU support nurse to visit him.

Keep in touch,

Debs xxx

[989-2841 in reply to BBDEBS]

Hi yes he is still in hospital in Barts in London

[uthomas]

I was myself twice in the ICU and from experience it takes some while to wake up fully. I was mixing heavily dreams and reality and it took me some while to realise, that certain things I remembered weren't real. Fortunately no nightmares, not sure how to deal with them, but my wife managed to show me with logic, why certain things weren't real.

I would second the other posters here - listen to him and remind him, that he is/was dreaming this.

[angelrock]

Hello,

These dreams are perfectly normal, I had some awful ones and still remember them two years later !!!! Please be reassured that they will be a thing of the past.

[bunnyrabbit1234]

Hi I was in icy for 2 weeks . I had lots of dreams most of them were very scary . I found it helped to talk about them . One of my dreams was so realistic it took three weeks to pluck up courage to ask if it was

[AJH1709]

I'm wondering if my dad is starting to suffer from nightmares too. My uncle got a phone call about 10pm the other night and they told him my dad was very restless and worried about my mum. He is still in ICU but there has been some talk of moving him to a ward soon - still getting a few hours of ventilation support a day at the moment. Looking forward to seeing him today as I haven't seen him for a few days and now he has a speaking valve in for a bit each day I'm hoping he can talk to me!!!! First time in weeks

[jaymevaughn]

Bad Dreams , I fully understand what your dad is gong though. I was in ICU 6 months ago with double pneumonia and on resperator for 9 days. I had bad dreams of people coming in my room and hurting me, also about dieing, so just be there for him and listen to him that's all he wants is someone to open a ear and listen to what he went thought.

[Mactravel]

I was in icu for 16 days with pneumonia , sepsis and ARDS and when I got into the ward and started telling my family all about things that had happened to me. Fisherman were trying to kill me to feed me to the Saxon children and that's only 1 dream. It's called delirium and the doctor told my family that I would say things that couldn't possibly have happened to me. Its apparently sounds and little things you may see if your brought around occasionally from sedation that your brain can't piece together so you imagine all sorts.