cirrhosis and withdrawal symtoms

[cirrhosissucks]

My mom is in the hospital for a GI bleed from cirrhosis and is hallucinating really bad (probably withdrawals from only quitting drinking the night of her GI bleed). They aren't giving her any medication to help her sleep or relax. Is this the right thing to do.

[usarmymedic1]

alcohol W/D  is a medical emergancy A person in alcohol W/D may experience frighting Hallucinations and DT (delirium Tremens) a syndrome characterized by restlessness, fever, sweating, disorientation, agitation, convulsions, and death, seizures.  severe acute alcohol ingustion can cause Hypoglycemia (low blood suger).  the reason he is NPO (nothing by mouth) is becouse when you eat or drink it will draw more blood to the stomach which inturn will make it blled more so they have to get that under control first. IV drugs can be administered but they don't want to cover up any of the signs/symptoms of the gi bleed just in case it gets worse. they need to be able to talk to him so he can explain what he is feeling in his stomach so please don't think that the Dr.'s are just sitting by they are doing stuff but it is a hard choice ease his pain and suffering and miss something that can kill him or wait it out to get the GI bleed under control. that is more life threating at this time the the alcohol W/D and DT.

sorry you are going through all this be strong..

Chris

[eagle1950]

I too have the liver problems....sometimes you just have to trust the doc's - but give them your opinion in a non confrontational way..

[Becky102]

My husband had hepatits c which caused him to develop cirrhosis.  From my reading on the subject, in the later stages of cirrhosis, when the liver can no longer do its job, ammonia can build up in the brain which can cause mild cognitive impairment all the way up to complete disorientation.  
I'm just wondering if her hallucinations could be caused by the cirrhosis.  If it is, there is a simple treatment.  They would give her lactulose which would get rid of the ammonia in her brain.  
Of course, I'm sure her doctors would know this and hopefully test for it.

[worried878]

Different docs may approach it differently and not knowing all the details of her condition it is hard to say...lots of times they give them some librium or something to help out    hope she is ok...talk to her docs about it