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Flu/Fever - Hallucinations
Ferdy
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My housemate is very ill with flu, and has been for about a week. He has a fairly low immune system, so this isn't unusual - but last night, whenever he fell asleep he was immediately wide awake again, hallucinating that there were loads of people standing in his room. He barely got any sleep and he has a really high temperature. He's on paracetamol, and I've tried looking for information on how to stop the hallucinations on the internet but the information is too vague or just says 'urgent medical attention' - anybody looked after someone who is hallucinating before? Would getting his temperature down work? I'm fairly inexperienced, as myself or my family are rarely ill.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ferdy on
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If it were just hallucinations from possible sleep deprivation I'd likely just try to get him to sleep, but since the guy also has had a protracted infection, is immune compromised (?), and has a severe fever I'd seek the services of a medical professional.
Do you have any information for his family or local doctor? If you're lucky and he's with some HMO like Keiser, you can call a 1-800 number to get advice from trained nurses.
Heck, I'm pretty sure you can call any local hospital and get that kind of information.
Murphy's Paradox: The more you plan, the more that can go wrong. The less you plan, the less likely your plan will succeed.
His mum is a nurse and he works for the NHS so asking him to go to a doctor or something is usually laughed at, however, if he gets even worse during the night, or is no better tomorrow, I think I will take him myself.
The only thing is I am a little worried about being seen in the hospital, the media keep telling us we're in the worst flu epidemic for 9 years and people just aren't getting seen. At the very least I will call his mum and ask her what to do.
It's 2.30am now, and he seems to have quieted down, so hopefully getting some sleep. I will keep checking up on him. Thanks for the advice contributed.
1) Give fluids. Dehydration is easily preventable. Sprite or Water or anything liquidy (optionally sugary). The sugar water also rules out hypoglycemia. No one is going to die from having too much sugar at once (well... okay, usually not), but too low sugar can easily induce hallucinations or coma.
2) Check for rashes. A number of arthropod-borne illnesses cause hallucinations and fever. They usually take the form of a peculiar rash at the bite mark. Was the housemate out and about camping? Complain of a rash or itchiness?
3) Take a temperature. Like, now. Is it really a fever?
4) Any pre-existing medical conditions? Any current medications?
5) Been to the bathroom at all? If not, since how long?
Find someone to call soon; you can wait to take him to a hospital, sure, but there's no reason to wait to make a phone call - especially his mom, since she's both a nurse and a family member, she should be able to offer advice AND be understanding as to your concern. Better to wake the mom up for what turns out to be nothing to worry about then waiting and finding out that there is something to worry about.
Murphy's Paradox: The more you plan, the more that can go wrong. The less you plan, the less likely your plan will succeed.
Have you phoned him mum or NHS Direct or your doc?
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"The power of the weirdness compels me."
I'd say his temperature isn't high enough to hurt my hand, but he does feel quite hot, and he is all clammy despite the house being cold. He is complaining that last night he was so hot his pyjamas were soaked through with sweat and was waking up every hour. It seems the hallucinations aren't so bad now, still having horrible dreams though.
He had just come back from New Zealand before Christmas, but I have checked, and he doesn't have any rashes.
When he last spoke to his mum on Friday night she thought it was probably a sinus infection as he is complaining of severe headache and earache. She said that there was probably not much he can do to make himself better. We're going to ring her again today to update her on his status.
Tomorrow at 8.30am I am taking him to the emergency surgery at the medical practice - I would take him today but it's closed. I've been on the NHS direct website but it didn't really do much - I'll phone them in a bit I think to see if there's anything I can do for him now.
I've had good luck with lukewarm showers, ice compacts, cold cloths etc. Bad luck with bed-baking, where you just put on as many blankets as you can to 'get warm' which makes the fever worse. Getting sick from foreign travel is a rough ride; after a week, (or if the fever ever hits 106) seeing the doc is a very good idea.
His mum reckons he will be better in 2 weeks, the pharmacist reckoned he would be better in 2-5 days, so we shall see what the doctor says and then see which one of them was right.
He knows that his hallucinations aren't real, but this knowledge doesn't make them go away. Very creepy, I wouldn't wish them on anyone.