Cerebellar degeneration, or the loss of brain cells over time, may be caused by a number of issues.

In some cases, cerebellar degeneration may be prompted by injuries or neurological issues, but the condition has also been linked to certain medications.

Cerebellar Degeneration Causes

Major causes of cerebellar degeneration vary. One possibility is brain injury, such as a stroke or other traumatic brain injury.

Neurological disease like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, or dementia have also been linked to cerebellar degeneration. Other possibilities also include brain infections like AIDS and encephalitis.

For some people with no history of these kinds of brain problems, certain medications, including Dilantin, may be the cause of serious cerebellar degeneration problems.

Patients who suffer from multiple risk factors, such as a personal or family history of these problems, may be more likely to develop cerebellar degeneration than those with only a single risk factor.

For instance, a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s who also takes Dilantin may be more likely to suffer from cerebellar degeneration than others.

Cerebellar Degeneration Side Effects

Cerebellar degeneration involves a person’s brain suffering from loss of brain cells progressively over time. This kind of brain degeneration targets the cerebellum specifically, which is the part of the brain responsible for many movements, including coordination, speech, posture, and balance.

As a person’s brain goes through cerebellar degeneration, they can suffer from a number of serious side effects.

Initial side effects of cerebellar degeneration include, but are not limited to the following:

• Unstable eye movement
• Lack of bodily control
• Balance problems

These kinds of cerebellar degeneration side effects can make many ordinary daily tasks difficult, impossible, or even unnecessarily dangerous.

As the cerebellum continues to degenerate, symptoms get progressively worse for patients.

• Dementia
• Seizures
• Difficulty speaking
• Loss of comprehension or reading ability

Cerebellar Degeneration Treatment

Treatment of this serious brain condition focuses on treating its symptoms rather than the condition as a whole, since there is no cure available.

If the condition was caused by an infection, symptoms may be stopped from worsening by treating the infection itself.

However, for patients whose cerebellar degeneration was caused by a medication such as Dilantin, stopping intake of the drug may lead to alleviation of some symptoms. Coming off this kind of drug should not be done alone, but instead done over time while being monitored by a doctor.

For others Dilantin patients, however, cerebellar degeneration symptoms may have worsened to the extent where they are untreatable, and can become a permanent part of daily life.

What is Dilantin?

Dilantin (phenytoin) is a popular anticonvulsant, but has unfortunately been linked with cerebellar degeneration problems.

A study found that the amount of time a patient is exposed to Dilantin and the strength of that dosage affects the likelihood of developing cerebellar degeneration side effects.

Patients who are exposed to higher doses of Dilantin over a long period of time may be more likely to develop cerebellar degeneration, the researchers reported.

Dilantin Lawsuits

Filing a Dilantin lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of cerebellar degeneration or its symptoms, but it can help to compensate for the financial expenses incurred by medical bills and lost wages.

If you or someone you love has developed cerebellar degeneration after using Dilantin or a similar drug, you may be able to file a lawsuit.