Tamara Burns  |  October 25, 2016

Category: Legal News

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epilepsy anti-seizure drugThe cerebellum is the part of the brain that is responsible for controlling muscle coordination and gait in the body.

Acute cerebellar ataxia, another name for cerebellitis, is the inflammation of the cerebellum.

The cerebellum is located at the back of the brain, close to the brain stem area where the brain meets the spinal cord.

What are the Symptoms of Acute Cerebellar Ataxia?

Acute cerebellar ataxia is commonly seen in young children, but it can actually occur at any age.

The symptoms of acute cerebellar ataxia often mimic those of alcohol intoxication.

In fact, when individuals are experiencing alcohol intoxication, the cerebellum is the area of the brain that is directly affected, so there appears to be a lot of symptom overlap.

Symptoms associated with acute cerebellar ataxia include:

  • Coordination impairment in arms, legs and torso
  • Unsteady gait
  • Difficulty walking, frequent stumbling
  • Nystagmus (repetitive eye movements, uncontrolled)
  • Difficulty with fine motor tasks
  • Impaired, slurred speech
  • Headaches
  • Changes in personality and behavior
  • Dizziness

What May Cause Acute Cerebellar Ataxia?

Acute cerebellar ataxia may be caused by injury, autoimmune disorders, genetic predisposition, viral infections and certain drugs.

There are certain risk factors that are associated with the development of acute cerebellar ataxia. These risk factors may include:

  • Viral and bacterial infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus, Lyme disease, etc.
  • Toxic exposures, such as those found in insecticides, heavy metals, etc.
  • Problems that occurred in the cerebellum, including arterial obstruction, blood clots, abscesses and hemorrhage
  • Paraneoplastic syndromes (immune system attacking the cerebellum)
  • Vaccinations

Acute cerebellar ataxia can occur as a single episode,  but it can also be recurrent and can have periods of remission of the condition, as well as flares.

Conditions linked with recurrent bouts of acute cerebellar ataxia include:

  • Malformed cerebellum
  • Autoimmune diseases (Multiple sclerosis, etc.)
  • Vertigo
  • Migraine
  • Genetic disorders
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Stroke
  • Medications

Dilantin and Acute Cerebellar Ataxia

One medication that is known to affect the cerebellum in various ways is Dilantin. Dilantin is an antiepileptic drug that is used to treat patients who experience seizure activity.

Dilantin has been demonstrated in research studies to be linked to cerebellar atrophy, an actual shrinkage of the cerebellum. This condition has a great deal of overlap with the symptoms of acute cerebral ataxia.

Dilantin does have its impact on the cerebellum; acute cerebellar ataxia symptoms can persist even despite stopping the medication, studies have found. In other situations, stopping the medication can cause the effects it had on the cerebellum to be reversed.

Treatment of Acute Cerebellar Ataxia

Sometimes, acute cerebellar ataxia goes away on its own without treatment. If a virus sparks acute cerebellar ataxia, no treatment intervention is usually needed.

Depending on the reason that acute cerebellar ataxia occurs, different treatment may be needed.

Surgery may be required for cerebellar breathing, antibiotics may be needed for infection, blood thinners may be needed if strokes are the cause, and some medications may be able to directly treat the inflammation that occurs in the cerebellum.

If you have developed acute cerebellar ataxia as a result of having taken Dilantin, you may be eligible to seek legal compensation as a result of your injury. A Dilantin attorney can review your case for free and can help you decide if filing a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer is right for you.

In general, phenytoin lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual Dilantin lawsuit or Dilantin class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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