Postictal psychosis

CDC funded page

Not a CDC funded Page

Anyone have any idea on the following:-

My husband was experiencing postictal psychosis and tried to commit suicide 4 times during the sapce of half an hour. To cut to the point his injuries have left him with a permanently disabled left arm. I have tried to claim from an accidental insurance policy but they will not pay as they say that it was a "self inflicted injury". My husband has no recollection of his accident, was distraught to wake up from 8 days on a life support machine to find that he had tried to kill himself and would never in a million years try to commit suicide.

Is someone who is experiencing postictal psychosis really responsible for their actions or does the mental state of mind completely stop them from thinking/acting rationally therefore they cannot be held responsible for their actions.

Sarah x.

Comments

Re: Postictal psychosis

Submitted by rofler on Wed, 2010-04-14 - 12:00

I am sorry to hear this about your husband.

Does your husband have temporal lobe epilepsy? Did he have brain surgery? Why the psychosis? Do you know? Has it stopped? I read such case happening although rarely after post temporal lobe surgery in young adult males. Luckily the psychosis is stopped with halopurinol (haldol) and often is an isolated episode.

I can't help you with your claim question, maybe you need an SSI or SSD lawyer.

I am sorry to hear this about your husband.

Does your husband have temporal lobe epilepsy? Did he have brain surgery? Why the psychosis? Do you know? Has it stopped? I read such case happening although rarely after post temporal lobe surgery in young adult males. Luckily the psychosis is stopped with halopurinol (haldol) and often is an isolated episode.

I can't help you with your claim question, maybe you need an SSI or SSD lawyer.

Re: Postictal psychosis

Submitted by sarah lawrence on Wed, 2010-04-14 - 18:18

Thanks for your replies.

Yes he does have temporal lobe epilepsy. He suffered a head injury when he was 18 and he had his first seizure at the age of 30. He suffered every type of seizure there is, honestly. I had no idea about the post icatl psychosis until I researched into why he had jumped in front of a car, jumped in front of a bus, hurled himself into a shop window and then finally jumped 24ft from a multi storey car park.

Why the psychosis? Well if you read about the symptoms this is EXACTLY what was happening/happened to my husband.

2 x grand mal seizures on sunday roughly 4-5 hours apart followed by normal confusion lasting approx 10 minutes and again no idea what had just happened.

the next 48 hours that followed was the lucid period where he had no or very little sleep.

Then on Tuesday he said "help me, something is happending to me".

He could not make a decision and was very subdued. He said that he had tingling senstions in both arms.

I took him to hospital where he has a long standing history of epilepsy with them. One of those being where he smashed his way out and ran in his boxers down the road. They said it was status but I beg to differ now.

Anyhow, they discharged him saying that he was having a panic attack and that he would need counselling to come to terms with his epilepsy. No ECG was carried out and they said that the blood test would show whether he was having a seizure. This is total rubbish because you need to be able to compare bloods to see a difference and the test is no longer used because it is unrelaible.

Came home he remained subdued. I went to bed with my kids in one room and he in ours. The next thing I know (midnight) is that 2 uniformed police officers are standing at my bedroom door asking if this is where my husband lives.

With regard to the claim. I had taken out a "no medical questions asked" accidental disability insurance policy for my husband many years ago.

I reported of his accident and had to wait a year to see if his arm would heal and move again. Unfortunately, this was not the case and after the year was up his arm is fixated at the elbow with no movement so he is classed as disabled.

I submitted my claim and their response was one of self inflicted injury i.e. suicide. Of course I appealed as he had no idea what he was doing at the time of the accident "literally out of his mind" and that he had no power or was not responsible for his actions over the course of events that took place.

In the end I won. They paid £80,000. You can imagine how delighted we were considering he has not worked for a long time because of his uncontrolled seizures.

Since then they have changed their policy wording. It now states that they will not pay "regardless of the state of mind".

To end my husband now has 3 areas of brain damamge along with other injuries. He takes over 4,500mg of tablets a day but the most wonderful thing of all is that he has been seizure free since his accident in Febraury, 2008.

Thanks for your replies. Yes he does have temporal lobe epilepsy.  He suffered a head injury when he was 18 and he had his first seizure at the age of 30.  He suffered every type of seizure there is, honestly.  I had no idea about the post icatl psychosis until I researched into why he had jumped in front of a car, jumped in front of a bus, hurled himself into a shop window and then finally jumped 24ft from a multi storey car park. Why the psychosis?  Well if you read about the symptoms this is EXACTLY what was happening/happened to my husband. 2 x grand mal seizures on sunday roughly 4-5 hours apart followed by normal confusion lasting approx 10 minutes and again no idea what had just happened. the next 48 hours that followed was the lucid period where he had no or very little sleep. Then on Tuesday he said "help me, something is happending to me". He could not make a decision and was very subdued.  He said that he had tingling senstions in both arms. I took him to hospital where he has a long standing history of epilepsy with them.  One of those being where he smashed his way out and ran in his boxers down the road.  They said it was status but I beg to differ now. Anyhow, they discharged him saying that he was having a panic attack and that he would need counselling to come to terms with his epilepsy.  No ECG was carried out and they said that the blood test would show whether he was having a seizure.  This is total rubbish because you need to be able to compare bloods to see a difference and the test is no longer used because it is unrelaible. Came home he remained subdued.  I went to bed with my kids in one room and he in ours.  The next thing I know (midnight) is that 2 uniformed police officers are standing at my bedroom door asking if this is where my husband lives. With regard to the claim.  I had taken out a "no medical questions asked" accidental disability insurance policy for my husband many years ago.  I reported of his accident and had to wait a year to see if his arm would heal and move again.  Unfortunately, this was not the case and after the year was up his arm is fixated at the elbow with no movement so he is classed as disabled. I submitted my claim and their response was one of self inflicted injury i.e. suicide.  Of course I appealed as he had no idea what he was doing at the time of the accident "literally out of his mind" and that he had no power or was not responsible for his actions over the course of events that took place. In the end I won.  They paid £80,000.  You can imagine how delighted we were considering he has not worked for a long time because of his uncontrolled seizures. Since then they have changed their policy wording. It now states that they will not pay "regardless of the state of mind". To end my husband now has 3 areas of brain damamge along with other injuries.  He takes over 4,500mg of tablets a day but the most wonderful thing of all is that he has been seizure free since his accident in Febraury, 2008.