Phenytoin, popularly known as Dilantin, is a drug used to manage and prevent seizures.

It is classified as an antiepileptic and anticonvulsant drug that treats seizures and epilepsy by slowing down runaway brain impulses.

Manufactured by Pfizer, it was the first the modern drug used to treat seizures and was approved by the FDA for treating seizures in 1953. Like most drugs, there are common side effects such as constipation, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

However, there have been recent concerns that the use of Dilantin can result in more serious side effects, including a type of focal cerebral atrophy known as cerebellar atrophy.

Dilantin Side Effects

Dilantin is the injection form of phenytoin and has been known to yield the following commonly reported side effects, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, confusion, constipation, nausea, and headache.

However, there are also more serious side effects associated when Dilantin is used long-term.  These possible risks and dangers include:

• Bone Weakening. Long-term use of Dilantin is associated with decreasing bone density, making bones more fragile which can eventually result in fractures. However, this is more likely if the drug is combined with other anti-seizure medications.
• Gingivitis. Up to 40 percent of patients using Dilantin long term, experience an overgrowth of their gums, which is more common in children than adults.
• Neuropathy. People taking Dilantin for many years also can develop sensory peripheral polyneuropathy, or nerve damage, which can cause pain, tingling or numbness in the feet and legs.
• Stevens Johnson Syndrome. This is a rare, serious disorder in which a person’s skin and mucous membranes react severely to a medication or infection, eventually causing the top layer of skin to die and shed. It’s considered a grave medical emergency and can be life-threatening.
• Cerebellar Atrophy or Degeneration. Long-term Dilantin use is also associated with atrophy to the brain’s cerebellum. While it is uncommon for Dilantin users to experience significant problems related to this cerebellar atrophy side effect, more and more studies are linking the use of Dilantin (phenytoin) over an extended period of time to this rare brain disease.

More About Dilantin Cerebellar Atrophy

Cerebellar atrophy or degeneration refers to the deterioration of neurons in the cerebellum (the area of the brain that controls muscle coordination and balance).

Signs and symptoms of cerebral degeneration may include a wide-based, uncoordinated walk, a back and forth tremor in the trunk of the body, uncoordinated movements of the arms and legs, slow and slurred speech, and nystagmus.

Symptoms of Dilantin cerebellar degeneration may onset slowly or rapidly, depending on why the patient’s cerebellum is deteriorating.

One study conducted in 1994 found that cerebellar atrophy may be linked to patients with epilepsy who have been exposed to the anti-seizure medication Dilantin long term.

Another study conducted and published in 2004 examined the link between Dilantin and Cerebellar Atrophy, suggesting that extended phenytoin therapy can cause cerebellar degeneration but did also caution that repeated seizures could also cause cerebellar atrophy.

If you or a loved one suffered a type of focal cerebral atrophy known as cerebellar atrophy after taking Dilantin or the generic form phenytoin, you may be eligible to join a FREE phenytoin lawsuit/Dilantin lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for your injuries.