What does a seizure feel like from a patient's perspective?

Seizures vary widely, and people experience them in different ways. Some common sensations and experiences include:

Aura or warning signs: Many people feel a strange sensation before a seizure, such as a sudden wave of fear, déjà vu, dizziness, or odd smells or tastes. Partial awareness: In some seizures (like focal aware seizures), a person may feel fully conscious but unable to speak or move normally. Confusion or disorientation: During or after a seizure, people may feel foggy, confused, or unsure of what just happened. Physical sensations: Some describe tingling, numbness, or a rising feeling in the stomach. Convulsions: In generalized tonic-clonic seizures, people typically lose consciousness and have full-body shaking or stiffening. They may not remember the seizure at all afterward. Exhaustion afterward: Many feel tired, weak, or emotional for minutes to hours after the event (postictal phase).

Because seizure experiences are so individual, keeping a detailed description of what’s felt or observed can help doctors with diagnosis and treatment planning.