Sherriwms
Multiple Myeloma Discussion • July 14
Seizures vs. Vaso Vagal episodes
Hello everyone! It’s been a minute since I posted anything. Also, the app asked for ethnicity. I am white but my husband, the patient is African American.
He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in July of last year. He started chemo Revlamid, darzalex, and Velcade in September 2025. After about 3 weeks in on the chemo he had an episode where he got up to go to the bathroom and I heard a loud crash in the bathroom. He had fallen off the toilet and was laying face down in the corner making a horribly loud snoring-like sound. I lifted his shoulder and his eyes were bugged out and mouth wide open. I really thought he had a stroke. Called 911 and paramedics came and attributed it to him getting up too fast and called it a vaso vagal episode.
He had about 3 more just like this. Always after he has been laying down. Well, since he kept having them his oncologist/hematologist put him on seizure meds (Keppra). It seemed that worked and he was not having them. Well, his hematologist/oncologist who he was referred to at Emory University Hospital had finally felt he was strong enough to go thru with his stem cell transplant. He was admitted for about 2 and a half weeks and then he wanted us to stay nearby at the campus Hope Lodge. It is a free lodge for cancer patients and their family member. He really didn’t eat anything the whole time in the hospital and so he was receiving TPN (IV nutrition). Five days after getting out of the hospital he had a seizure and he was breathing so erratic. So I called the nurses line and asked for advice. They said to call 911 and get them to bring him to the ER. After they gave him fluids and some fluconozole for the thrush in his mouth and throat, they said for a transplant patient all of his labs look great. His counts were all coming up and looking good. But that I was just going to have to try different things to get his taste buds stimulated so that they come back and his taste comes back. So I was ok. He did perk up and I felt if the doctor felt safe releasing him then it was ok.
We went into see the doc on the following Wednesday and was told we could go home as long as our oncologist would approve us going in daily to receive fluids. He did and my husband received them but he still is not eating much. The next night, he asked me to help him to the bathroom and when I did, I was trying to turn his back to the toilet, I felt his leg buckle and I knew he was going into a seizure. It was one of the shorter ones because it only lasted 5-7 minutes. However, it doesn’t scare me any less. I guess the doctor from the Emory ER ran so many tests but all that he ordered that would help them see if there was seizure activity were all negative so she is telling me she believe they’re not seizures but having to do with his BP. But if that is it. Where does he go? My husband is completely gone for anywhere from 5 mins to 20 mins. He is staring straight at me but he is not alert or responsive at all.
I know this was a very long question but I wanted to explain everything to see if any other persons have had this happen to them or anything similar?
I’m open to hear whatever advice or whatever questions you have for me.
