Long term side effects of Dilantin may include cerebellar brain atrophy, according to scientific studies regarding the seizure drug.

Dilantin (phenytoin) is a drug commonly used to prevent seizures in epilepsy patients who suffer from grand mal seizures and partial complex seizures. The drug may also be prescribed to brain surgery patients to prevent seizures before or after their procedure.

Dilantin is also approved for the treatment of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, aggressive behavior, Tourette’s syndrome, and ADHD. However, the most common use of Dilantin is the treatment of seizures.

Epilepsy patients may experience seizures as neurological response to environmental triggers such as flashing lights. Dilantin works to prevent seizures by stabilizing the neurological response. Although this makes the drug a good option for epilepsy patients, long term side effects of Dilantin may include cerebellar brain atrophy.

Cerebellar brain atrophy is a degenerative condition which affects the cerebellum, a round structure situated at the base of the brain. Cerebellar brain atrophy can be caused by a variety of factors including brain damage, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, seizures, and cerebellar disorders.

A healthy cerebellum regulates motor control and creates smooth, balanced movement and speech. A cerebellum damaged by cerebellar brain atrophy will suffer from deteriorated neurological connection, meaning that it cannot effectively regulate motor control, speech, or movement.

Symptoms of cerebellum damage caused by cerebellar brain atrophy may resemble symptoms of a stroke, including lack of balance, slow movements, lurching or unsteady walk, tremors, shaking, unstable eye movements, slurred or slow speech, and memory loss.

Although it isn’t fully understood why cerebellar brain atrophy may be among long term side effects of Dilantin, decades of studies support the link.

In 1994, a study investigated the poorly understood relationship between Dilantin and cerebellar brain atrophy while also considering that cerebellar atrophy can be caused by seizures, which Dilantin is often prescribed to treat. The study found that there is a statistically significant relationship between Dilantin and cerebellar brain atrophy, even when accounting for cerebellum damage from seizures.

Since then, further studies have provided more information about long term side effects of Dilantin and cerebellar atrophy. A scientific study showed that cerebellar brain atrophy can occur in children taking Dilantin and that the condition is not limited to adults.

Other studies showed that the risk for cerebellar brain atrophy increases with the drug serum levels in the blood. These studies revealed that long term Dilantin side effects are most common when the drug serum levels are outside the recommended therapeutic range, but the condition can occur when drug serum levels are within the recommended range.

Luckily for patients experiencing long term side effects of Dilantin, recovery from cerebellar brain atrophy may be possible after discontinuing the drug. Although all patients recover differently, many patients have been able to completely or partially recover from cerebellar brain atrophy.

However, some symptoms of cerebellar brain atrophy may be permenant, particularly a persistent lack of muscle coordination. Because some symptoms may be permanent, patients should seek medication attention right away if they think that they are experiencing long term Dilantin side effects including cerebellar brain atrophy.