Can't stop vomiting after SAH/dble vision/eye patch/dizzy

[Guest debbie1976]

Can anyone give me any advice as I'm feeling very helpless?

Mum had a SAH on Feb 13th and we were told that she would not make it as she wouldn't be able to breathe on her own again. However, following two ops she is now making a good recovery and is no longer in intensive care. The problem now is that she cannot stop being sick every time she moves.

Even if she just turns over in bed she starts being sick. She's obviously feeling very low as well and is crying and saying she wishes she were dead. She's only 52 and it's breaking my heart to see her like this.

The doctors are trying different pills to help but she can't always swallow them and it feels like the nurses aren't bothered. They try to force her to sit and stand which just makes her sick. I know they are just doing their job.

I wondered if anyone had been though something similar as I can't find may cases like this. Aside from being sick her vision is bad and she's seeing double and is very dizzy all the time.

Any advise is greatly received, thank you

Debbie

[Karen]

Hi Debbie,

It sounds as though your Mum could be suffering from vertigo and hence being sick every time she moves....motion sickness. Have a look at the wikipedia link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(medical)

My husband has suffered bad bouts of the same, but his was caused by a problem with his inner ear, but he couldn't even turn over in bed and could only lie on on one side, without the room spinning or vomitting. It's quite a disturbing condition to deal with, so it's now wonder that your Mum is feeling so low.

Sometimes, patching off one of the eyes can help with general dizziness ...if your Mum is seeing double I would imagine that the hospital have already done this for her? I was given a black eye patch when I was in hospital, but it took a visit from the hospital physio before I was given one.

General dizziness/balance problems are not uncommon after a SAH/stroke, but there are drugs that can be given in the short term, especially for vertigo. Encourage your Mum to take the pills, as they'll help. The nurses are probably being cruel to be kind as such.....with dizziness the brain has to learn to re-train itself and that's why they're sitting her up etc.

Good luck, xx

[Janet]

Hi Debbie and welcome

Sorry to hear your mum is still feeling so ill it must be really hard having too watch her suffer.

I found the first few weeks after my SAH very hard as my vision in my left eye was so bad it does cause dizziness and although I wasn't physically sick much it did make me feel very nauseaous (spelling).

Is her vision bad in both eyes or just one because if its just one patching the affected eye might help a bit.

I hope your mum starts to feel better soon but remember to look after yourself as well its really early days for her yet and she will need all your help and support in the coming months.

Take care and let us know how she gets on.

Janet x

[Guest Pegbrzz]

Hi Debbie,

I had a lengthy bout of nausea and vomiting after my ruptured aneurysm. I couldn't move or do anything without vomiting for several months. Around six or seven months to be exact Unfortunately, the only thing that helped relieve my nausea was time. After about a year the vomiting stopped. Your mother is the only one I have heard of that has had nausea and vomiting as severe as mine. Doctors couldn't stop it. I wish I could give you more positive news, but for me it was so long lasting. Docs finally had to put a feeding tube in my stomach because of the constant sickness, I was becoming malnurished.

I also developed double vision (called diplopia), as a result of my aneurysm. I had it for about 2 years before my doctor operated on my eyes to fix the muscles and realign the eyes. I hope your mum has a recovery that goes smoother than mine was. Keep in mind everyone's recovery is different, and I wish her all the best for a speedy recovery.

Take care,

Peggy

[Guest yasmin]

Hi There

I had the sickness all the time and they gave me anti sickness injections you could ask about them, dizziness and blurred vision common, I still get it sometimes and my SAH was 14 months ago

Yasmin

[Guest debbie1976]

Thanks for all your replies - I took Karen's advice as my mum was squinting badly with one eye. The hospital didn't have an eye patch so I made one myself. Low and behold - I took it into the hospital last night and it seems to have improved the sickness. Mum's had breakfast today, managed a wash last night and has been up to the toilet without vomiting.

She is also on some new pills and injections for the sickness so it could be a combination of things but the patch has definately helped her and she was happy to sit up last night, it's the best she has been since the SAH happened.

Thank you so much - I am so pleased to have found the site and some people to talk to that understand.

I know it's early days but it at least feels like there is a little bit of light at the end of this long dark tunnel!

Debbie

x

[Karen]

Hi Debbie,

Glad that the patch has helped. You can buy soft eye patches at a chemist....it's pretty bad that the hospital couldn't supply one.... Now and again I still have to patch over one of my eyes....it doesn't happen too often thankfully, but I use the small round cotton make-up remover pads and just put a few pieces of surgical tape on it, to secure it.

Another thing that you can do, is to get a pair of sunglasses and patch one of the lenses off with surgical/micropore tape and that will stop your Mum's eyes from trying to align and will stop the double vision. If she's light sensitive as well, it just might help to calm things down for her. The hospital should really be sorting this out for her ..... so, if I was you, I would nag them and ask them why she hasn't seen an eye specialist in hospital? I saw one during my 2nd week and they sorted me out......Our experiences of care after a SAH are all different, some have had good aftercare and others have experienced care that could have been better.

Good luck and anything that you want to ask us, there's plenty of people on here who will help.

Give my best wishes to your Mum and tell her that it will get better and to keep her chin up if she can.

Debbie, I hope that you don't mind, but I've edited the title of your post to include dizziness, dble vision, eye patch etc ... but it will hopefully help others that are searching for the info as well...

[Guest janey]

hi debbie

See that you have had lots of help on the board- I also have problems with the double vision. Like some of the others a patch at the beginning was a help - it alleviated some of the problems.

Motion sickness is still a problem and I hope this helps one I can know cope with, so there is light at the end of tunnel.

Hope your Mum is feeling better soon take care janex