Consumers taking Dilantin may be at risk for alarming Dilantin long term side effects including cerebellar atrophy.

Dilantin (phenytoin) is an anti-seizure drug used for the treatment of epilepsy involving grand mal and complex partial seizures. The drug can also be used to prevent seizure during or after brain surgery and to treat anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, aggressive behavior, Tourette’s syndrome, ADHD, and other disorders. These Dilantin long term side effects can be serious.

Dilantin works by stabilizing the neurological response to simulation and environmental changes such as flashing lights, which often trigger epileptic seizures.

However, new research shows that Dilantin long term side effects may include cerebellar atrophy, outweighing the benefits the drug provides.

The most common causes of cerebellar atrophy are a stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), tumors, seizures, and cerebellar disorders. However, recent studies have found that patients treated with Dilantin may experience cerebellar atrophy as one of the Dilantin long term side effects. Cerebellar atrophy is a degenerative brain condition involving neurological damage to the tissues and connection in the cerebellum.

The cerebellum is a small structure at the base of the spine which helps regulate voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech. A healthy cerebellum creates smooth and balances movements as well as precise motions. However, when a patient experiences cerebellar atrophy, the neurological connections and pathways in the cerebellum are diminished, resulting in a loss of function.

When a patient’s cerebellum is damaged, from cerebellar atrophy or some other condition, previously smooth movements can become unsteady. Symptoms of a damaged cerebellum and cerebellar atrophy closely resemble those of a stroke, including lack of balance, slow movements, lurching or an unsteady walk, tremors, shaking, unstable eye movements, slurred or slow speech, and memory loss.

Studies as far back as the 1990s have shown that phenytoin-induced cerebellar atrophy is one of the possible Dilantin long term side effects. In 1994, a study took into consideration that seizures, which Dilantin is taken to treat, can also cause cerebellar atrophy. This study found that, compared to non-Dilantin exposed patients, patients on Dilantin were significantly more likely to develop cerebellar atrophy.

A 2003 study found that long term use was related to moderate to severe phenytoin-induced cerebellar atrophy. Another study found that phenytoin-induced cerebellar atrophy can also affect children treated with Dilantin.

Although the link between Dilantin long term side effects and cerebellar atrophy is well supported, the mechanism by which Dilantin causes cerebellar atrophy is not fully understood. Studies show that the condition occurs after long term use and typically when the drug serum levels are above the recommended therapeutic range.

Although studies have shown that phenytoin-induced cerebellar atrophy can be halted when treatment is stopped, studied also show that not all patients recover from the damage done. Not every patient responds to recovery the same and some Dilantin long term side effects, especially a persistent lack of muscle coordination, may be permanent.

If you or a loved one were treated with Dilantin and developed cerebellar atrophy, you may be eligible for legal action which could recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and more.