Patients have been reporting serious Dilantin side effects for the past few years, including instances of cerebellar atrophy. Cerebellar atrophy has been been linked to Dilantin side effects since the early 1990s, when a study noticed Dilantin patients had significantly smaller cerebelli.

Ever since the first study, several inquiries have been published over the years indicating a link between cerebellar atrophy and Dilantin side effects. Dilantin is one of America’s oldest and most reliable anti-epileptic medications, being on the market since 1953.

This medication is often used to treat patients with grand mal seizures and other forms of epilepsy, by slowing down the brain’s electrical signals. This ultimately prevents the onset of seizures, as well as ideal mental balance.

Overview of Dilantin Side Effects

Even though this medication has been prescribed to millions of patients, there have been a number of serious Dilantin side effects reported. One of these complications includes cerebellar atrophy or brain atrophy, in which the entire brain or certain areas of the brain shrink or deteriorate.

Cerebellar atrophy is typically referred to the deterioration of the cerebellum, which sits under the cerebrum and is responsible for voluntary muscle regulations and speech ability. This leads to a number of speech and movement related symptoms, including:

• Unsteady or Lurching Walking Gait
• Slow, Unsteady, and Jerky Movements in Arms or Legs
• Slow and Slurred Speech Patterns
• Nystagmus (small rapid eye movements)

Cerebellar atrophy can potentially induce chronic nerve damage, so Dilantin patients should report this problem and other unusual side effects as soon as possible.

At this point in time, the medical community is unsure of the exact cause of cerebellar atrophy, but it has been linked to drug toxicity. Other contributing factors to this condition include injury, degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s, and different forms of toxicity.

The first study to link cerebellar atrophy and Dilantin side effects was conducted in 1994, with the inquiry noticing patients exposed to Dilantin and other phenytoin drugs had significantly smaller cerebelli compared to the control group.

This study was initially conducted to observe how Dilantin affects the brain when preventing the onset of seizures. Scientists discovered the smaller cerebelli after analyzing diagnostic imaging.

One of the most recent studies was published in Neurology Asia in a 2013 issue, with scientists stating “persistent cerebellar dysfunction with cerebellar atrophy is a well known complication of long term phenytoin use.”

According to the research, patients who suffered Dilantin toxicity had sustained serious cerebellar damage and developed cognitive side effects. Authors further noted that acute Dilantin toxicity was less likely to induce cerebellar atrophy, compared to long term patients.

An earlier study published in 2003 also indicated this correlation, with researchers finding that larger phenytoin exposure levels were more likely to induce cerebellar atrophy. Even though cerebellar atrophy can induce serious damage, this is not included in the list of Dilantin side effects.

Many patients have filed legal action against Pfizer Inc. for failing to warn against this complication. Potential claimants can contact a lawyer to determine eligibility for a Dilantin cerebellar atrophy lawsuit.