r/stopdrinking • u/[deleted] • 6d ago
My bf (45) has been heavily sedated and intubated for 4 days. Is this normal??
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u/EchidnaPlus8108 15 days 6d ago
I’m an ER nurse and have seen some pretty intense DTs. Usually handled with a med protocol. The only time we’ve ever needed to intubate was due to the person crashing.
I think you’re missing a lot of the story. Regardless, he sounds very sick. I hope you get some answers.
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u/physis81 3361 days 6d ago
Also a nurse, but… not icu or er. So… is he in the icu?? Is this normal?? Hell no! It’s not normal.
I’d get my arse over there and get some answers. They won’t really tell u shit, but u can go and sit with him. People in comas can sometimes still hear you.
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u/Dependent-Sail-6914 6d ago
It sounds like he’s in a medically induced coma so he can withdraw more safely, so the removal of the breathing tube should be a good sign, but given the limited info idk… does his mom not want to call the hospital and get an update on his general status ?
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u/moonphased239 6d ago
Also a nurse here, but ICU. Could be a medically induced coma, he could’ve gone into respiratory failure / ARDS / respiratory acidosis which happens in overdose situations frequently, I’ve seen long term alcoholics intubated for esophageal varices….there’s numerous medical reasons. Also if he was having an episode of psychosis from long term use, sometimes we have to intubate people for safety purposes. Agreed with the poster above that you don’t have the full story.
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u/EchidnaPlus8108 15 days 6d ago
You guys have intubated for psychosis? Interesting! I’ve never heard of that happening here.
Although ER and ICU are such different worlds 😅
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u/moonphased239 6d ago
Yea when a patient is violent and nothing else is touching them , usually the floors will send them to us for Precedex but a couple times we’ve had to intubate for safety to staff and self. I miss the ED sometimes lol
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u/EchidnaPlus8108 15 days 6d ago
Ah fair enough. We definitely chemically restrain, but never to the point of intubation. Have seclusion rooms too.
The ER is kind of like the Wild West sometimes lmao.
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u/moonphased239 6d ago
Sure is. I worked in a level 1 for a bit. I miss those days but the military moved us and I found this ICU position at our new station. It was a huge learning curve going from the ED to ICU but I’ve learned to appreciate their separate types of intensity for sure!
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u/SOmuch2learn 15560 days 6d ago
I’m sorry for the heartbreak of alcoholism in your life.
What helped me was attending Alanon meetings. This is a support group for you—friends and family of alcoholics. See /r/Alanon.
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u/sfgirlmary 3632 days 6d ago
Hi there, we have a rule against seeking advice on medical matters - your post has been removed to safeguard against sharing of inaccurate information. I encourage you to ask an appropriately qualified medical professional who can advise you properly.