Treating Postictal Symptoms Using Ibuprofen and Nifedipine

Immediately following seizures, brain blood flow is significantly reduced for approximately one hour and is located to the brain area where the seizure originated. This may contribute to symptoms that patients experience immediately following seizures and in between seizures. Animal studies have shown that that giving anti‐inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen) and blood pressure medications (e.g., nifedipine) prevents the hypoperfusion and behavioural impairments seen in animals immediately following seizures. Thus, two classes of inexpensive and well‐tolerated drugs ‐ already in clinical use ‐ have been identified that can be tested in humans to prevent the serious consequences that follow seizures. The investigators will study 90 subjects admitted to hospital for epilepsy investigations. The investigators will randomly divide the patients into three treatment groups (30 patients each). Patients will receive either placebo, ibuprofen, or nifedipine while in hospital. The effect of each of these treatments on the severity of hypoperfusion and neurological deficits that follows seizures will then be assessed.