A popular drug used to treat seizures, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and many more conditions may cause side effects in its users that are worse than the problems it is trying to treat.

Dilantin (phenytoin) is an anti-epileptic drug that was first used to treat patients suffering from epileptic seizures resulting from abnormal brain activity.

It has proved to be quite successful in its use, and physicians began to take a closer look at the drug and realized that it had many additional uses as well.

The Dilantin complications associated with the use of this drug are typically seen the longer the drug is used and can also be seen if the drug is given in too high of a quantity, causing an individual to suffer Dilantin toxicity.

Dilantin Complications

With any drug, many mild to moderate side effects are possible as the body begins to become accustomed to the drug. For Dilantin, these types of side effects include things such as nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, insomnia, nervousness or rash.

Typically, these side effects are manageable, and often times they may simply go away on their own as the body adjusts to the medication.

However, there are more serious Dilantin complications associated with the use of the drug. The most common severe Dilantin complication is a condition referred to as cerebellar atrophy.

Cerebellar atrophy is a type of brain degeneration that targets a part of the brain known as the cerebellum. Atrophy refers to the degeneration of the brain where it loses neurons and connections between the neurons as well as shrinkage in volume.

Cerebellar atrophy is known as a focal cerebral atrophy. Focal cerebral atrophy means that the atrophy in the brain is localized to a particular structure or area.

Generalized cerebral atrophy refers to the overall shrinkage of the brain as a whole, but this is not typically seen as one of the Dilantin complications associated with the use of the drug.

Symptoms of Dilantin Cerebellar Atrophy

The most simple way to think about cerebellar atrophy is to consider the behavior of a person who is suffering from alcohol intoxication.

The person often slurs his or her speech, has difficulty walking, may have a sensation of vertigo or spinning along with nystagmus, or darting back and forth of the eyes as well as general difficulty in coordinating movement.

The cerebellum itself is responsible for the coordination of movement and balance, and activities such as walking, speaking, maintaining upright posture, having a steady gait and gaze are difficult.

The influence of Dilantin on the brain has been documented in a number of research studies. These studies overall show that the cerebellum is affected in individuals who take Dilantin.

MRI studies are able to show a distinct visual difference in the brains of patients taking Dilantin versus those who are not.

It was once thought that epilepsy itself was responsible for creating the degenerative brain changes in patients taking Dilantin.

However, after further study, it became clear that Dilantin complications were more closely associated with brain degeneration. The longer someone took Dilantin, the more likely they were to experience cerebellar atrophy.

Taking Legal Action over Dilantin Complications

If you have experienced severe Dilantin complications such as those seen with cerebellar atrophy, you may be eligible to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. A Dilantin attorney can review your case at no charge if you qualify, and can help explain the legal options that are available to you.