COVID-19 and Seizures

When a person with epilepsy gets sick with another illness, especially with a fever, they may see a change or increase in their seizures. The illness is a physical and emotional stressor to the body that could make seizures more likely. The same happens if someone is sick with COVID-19. However, the risk of worsening seizures with COVID-19 seems low for most people with epilepsy.

You can reduce the chance of COVID-19 affecting your seizures by taking care of yourself. Try to avoid or prevent seizure triggers, for example:

• Be extra careful taking your seizure medicine – don’t miss any doses. To help you stick with your usual medication schedule, try the following:
  • Set reminders on your phone.
  • Use sticky notes.
  • Have someone remind you when to take medicines or ask if you’ve taken them.
  • Use a checklist to make sure you took them.
  • Use a pillbox.
  • Use an app or a seizure diary.
• Try to eat and drink as normally as possible.
  • If you are vomiting, make sure you call your health care provider to ask whether you need to re-take your medicine.
• Try to get a good amount of sleep.
• Take over-the-counter medicine to keep a fever down. Initially, some concern was raised that ibuprofen could make COVID-19 more severe. There is little data to support this. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen could be used.
• Treat the symptoms of COVID-19. Most cold medicines are fine. Avoid cold medicines that list pseudoephedrine as an ingredient if possible. This can affect seizures in some people. Talk to your healthcare provider about what is best to use.
• If you or a loved one develop COVID-19 and notice changes in seizures, contact your epilepsy health care provider for advice specific to your situation.