Dilantin, one of the most widely used anticonvulsant drugs worldwide, has been linked to a very specific type of focal brain atrophy.

Dilantin complications can range from mild to serious, with cerebellum atrophy being one of the more serious. It is generally an issue that arises with long-term use of Dilantin, also known as phenytoin.

The cerebellum is a part of the brain located behind the brain stem. The brain stem connects the spinal column to the rest of the brain.

The cerebellum, like the rest of the brain, is divided into two hemispheres. It controls voluntary muscular movement by assisting with balance, coordination and fine motor control. Long-term Dilantin complications involving the cerebellum might show up with any of the following symptoms:

• A big tremor in the body’s torso
• An unsteadiness on the feet, a lurching type of walk
• Jerky motions in the arms, hands, legs, and feet
• Slurred, inexact speech – no enunciation
• Loss of memory
• Minute back and forth movements of the eyes, known as nystagmus

Cerebellar atrophy can also be caused by the very condition that phenytoin attempts to treat: seizure disorders. This makes it difficult to determine whether Dilantin complications are causing the atrophy or the original disease for which the person sought treatment in the first place.

A study which looked at this association was conducted in 1994. An example of a control in this case would be a group of study participants that all suffered from a similar type of seizure disorder with relatively the same number of lifetime epileptic events.

In this scenario, half of the patients were on long-term Dilantin treatment and half were on long-term treatment with another medication.

The overall result of the study discovered that the cerebellum size of long-term phenytoin users was much smaller. Dilantin complications such as this have been found to be very responsive to a change in medication.

The elimination of phenytoin can, at the very least, remediate some of the atrophy. Some damage, however, may be permanent.

In addition to being caused by Dilantin, cerebellar atrophy can also be brought on by certain diseases such as multiple sclerosis and strokes in that region. Brain tumors can affect this part of the motor control center as can severe treatments such as chemotherapy cocktails for certain types of cancer.

Other Dilantin Complications

Other than cerebellar atrophy, potentially serious Dilantin complications also being investigated are osteoporosis or bone weakening, gingivitis, gum disease, Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a type of allergic reaction affecting the mucous membranes and outer layer of skin, neuropathy of the lower extremities, purple glove syndrome and birth defects.

Minor Dilantin complications include anemia, a proclivity toward bruising or bleeding easily, recurrent headaches and dizziness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and insomnia. If a patient is diabetic, it can cause blood sugar to rise to an excessive range.

Because of these side effects, Dilantin is not the choice treatment by neurologists for seizures, although it remains one of the most popular for emergency room treatment due to its efficacy to bring a continual state of seizure activity under control. It is popular as well for use in emergency rooms, too, because it is low-cost per dose.