Seizure alert

[cmeh71]

I am an er nurse and my brother has seizures. I think it would be helpful if a Fitbit could alert another phone if the person wearing it with the seizure disorder had a sudden heart rate of 120 or over or if it were to go in and out of sleep Mode several times. It would just be a clue to check on that person.

[jaydreese]

My son as well many others around the world has Seizures and many times we do not know that seizure activity is actively going on at anytime.

Can you develop the monitoring of seizure activity?

Thanks

[SilviaFitbit]

This is a technical limitation for Fitbit trackers because Fitbit is not a medical device. So, this won't help monitoring a seizure activity. 

[flyoffacliff]

This would be great to have. But it probably won't happen for legal reasons. FitBit is not intended to be a medical deice.

[cmeh71]

They could have a disclaimer that it is not to be used for medical reasons

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

This is an interesting idea. However, Fitbit trackers are not intended to provide medical or scientific data.

[nalag03srawr]

i have epilepsy, and i use my fitbit alta for it, actually. no, they were not intended for medical things. there isn't anything out there for us. it's frustrating, because we become so helpless. i use my silent alarms to remind me to go take my medicine, because my epilepsy attacks the section of my brain that touches my memory, and it has helped me wonderfully. i wish there was something exactly of what they mentioned.

[Coedwigwr]

My son has suffered from seizures and wears a pebble smartwatch to detect abnormal motion. Fitbit have acquired the intellectual property of pebble so should be able to incorporate this into their own range.

[J_me53074]

Great idea!

[Richard_Parsons]

I also have seizures and wear a pebble smartwatch, but it is far from bulletproof, and would prefer a device that functions without fail.

I'm guessing this in an area the company can expand into, help people, and make money doing so (as I am currently paying a subscription).

[LeslieBoots]

I am in high need of an app that can detect seizures and notify family when they happen. My husband is going to be deploying soon for 9 months, so essentially, I will be living alone. I have close friends who would call to talk to me after. Fitbits biggest competitor, Apple Watch, currently has an app that does just this. I like the Fitbit alot, and would prefer to stay with it. But, if this doesn’t get developed, I may have to go to the competitors product. 

[TenshiK]

My boyfriend has seizures only in his sleep so something to help us know when he has one when I'm not around and he's asleep cuz we have no triggers no way of knowing when he's going to have one so something that can be at like this could be life-saving so if it that you're probably get started in the since this recommendation was placed back in 2016 especially with the new Versa

[Byrne1996]

I also have the majority of my seizures when I'm sleeping so something like this would be ideal, if a family or friend could be notified it could be extremely helpful! I may need to look into the pebble watch that was mentioned above! 

[ECKehoe]

Fitbit may not be a medical device, but it monitors many health factors such as heart rate, sleep, etc. In the circumstances, I would argue that adding on seizure activity is just another health factor. in theory, it should be similar to monitoring sleep pattern because seizures should track as an interruption to normal sleep waves.

[Richard_Parsons]

Now use empatica system, american company, dispatched from italy, working in the uk.

It monitors seizure activity, and contacts people with a location, if it occurs, and is more reliable than pebble smart watch and monitor, I previously had.

[ECKehoe]

Is it something that is fitbit compatible? Or does it require a separate device?

Sent from my iPhone

[Richard_Parsons]

It works with my iPhone, but keeps logs on the internet of weekly/monthly activity etc. e.g. quantity or duration of seizure.

[J_me53074]

Does it confuse seizures with some exercise?
Jv

[Richard_Parsons]

The only thing it does confuse with seizure activity is pushing a lawnmower, as it’s constantly vibrating, and occasionally washing your hands thoroughly. Wouldn’t know about exercise to be honest, as I don’t do anymore than walking! Either way there’s a window to cancel the alert before it sends to caregivers, and it’s waterproof to a certain level, so you don’t have to take it off before going in the shower.

[J_me53074]

Thank you!

[ECKehoe]

My husband has several types of seizures, ranging from focal to complex partial and tonic clonic. They are well-controlled with medication providing he doesn't miss a dose. The fitbit is extremely practical because it's sensitive to slight changes, such as with sleep patterns. I really don't want to have to buy a second smart accessory like the embrace, especially when it isn't sensitive to all types of seizures. The monthly service charge, which is quite high, might be OK for children with epilepsy, but it's overkill in my husband's case. We really just need an app that can monitor seizure activity on a fitbit. Please.

[Tammyishere]

I realize it has been suggested before, I am adding another request. I feel it is a valid and important service to provide for a lot of people.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi @Tammyishere, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback about having a seizure alert, I know this would be helpful for many users.

This feature suggestion already exists so I’ve moved your post here as it is not currently planned. This helps maintain the Community and the Feature Suggestion board more organized. 

Thank you again for sharing your idea in the Community  forums.

[jtaylo07]

I would really like to have a seizure detection app that works with my fitbit and alerts my emergency contacts. I enjoy my alone time, but it stresses my family out knowing that I could have a seizure and hit my head and nobody will know to come find me until its too late.

[Karsten.baker]

As previous posts have mentioned, this would be an incredibly useful and welcome feature. The only reason I bought a fitbit to begin with was to monitor my sleeping patterns. Trying to match oxygen level variations with restlessness and sleep stages, along with how I feel in the morning, to try and guess whether or not I've had a seizure in my sleep is almost impossible. It's a "best guess" scenario. I take more than one seizure medication to help control my seizures, but I still have breakthrough tonic-clonic seizures. I have had seizures in my sleep before as well as seizure clusters. A feature like this would definitely ensure I stay with the Fitbit brand. If this doesn't become a feature then I may have to explore other brands. I have been diagnosed with MS and a brain tumor, but I've not been diagnosed with epilepsy, so I can't get a prescription for the embrace watch that does track seizure activity. It will also send emergency calls and text messages when a seizure has been detected or is currently under way to select  emergency contacts, but there's also a subscription fee that goes along with it, just like the Fitbit. I don't have seizures often enough to necessitate this, but a month ago I had a seizure cluster and I usually average one about every month or two, with medication. Knowing when these happen is imperative to keeping this information current and relevant with my doctor. I'm aware that this is not intended to be used as a "medical device", but for what it does and what I need it's *almost* perfect. I currently have a charge 4. Thanks!

[Siegy]

I find checking my heart rate with my fitbit often confirms I had a seizure but not always.  I'm looking at a heart rate spike last night and I didn't notice a seizure but I didn't do much.  It could be I missed it?  I suspect I did but did something else cause the spike?   I definitely have the opposite happen as well when people tell me I had a seizure but a heart rate spike is missing from my fitbit log.  I would love if fitbit added functionality around this but perhaps they are not because spikes in heart rate could be so many other things?