Dilantin, or phenytoin, was first developed in 1908 by a German chemist known as Heinrich Biltz. It was first found to be a useful drug to prevent seizures when used in combination with electroshock therapy.

Widely in use since the mid-1930’s, phenytoin has long been considered one of the safest and most effective medications on the market. It is also one of the cheapest to purchase in its wholesale generic form with each pill costing under $.15.

Long-term Dilantin use, however, has recently been linked with cerebellar atrophy symptoms which are clouding its future as a seizure treatment of choice.

Atrophy or shrinkage, when it comes to brain tissue, refers to the progressive loss of neurons in the brain with accompanying neural connections.  The brain is very complex and there are syndromes in which atrophy can affect it in its entirety.

What is being seen with patients undergoing lengthy treatment with Dilantin is more regionally-based. Cerebellar atrophy symptoms strictly affect the cerebellum, an area of the brain located behind the brain stem.

The brain stem is critical in that damage to it can stop critical functions such as respiration and heart functions.  The cerebellum, while less critical, is still a prime region for day-to-day functioning.

What Functions Does a Compromised Cerebellum Affect? 

The cerebellum is directly correlated with muscle movement and coordination.  Therefore, cerebellar atrophy symptoms inevitably first show up in the form of a lack of balance, jerky movements of the arms, legs and even eyes. Posture is often affected and speech can be so slurred as to resemble alcohol intoxication or even a primary stroke.

It is easy for medical professionals to mistake this group of symptoms for something else when a patient presents at the emergency room or other urgent care facility. It is also common to misdiagnose cerebellar atrophy symptoms as a secondary to possible multiple sclerosis.

A Timeline of Reports

Because of how easily misdiagnosed this group of symptoms is, a report was released in the respected Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics in 2008 highlighting case studies.

The report’s aim was to train to medical personnel to consider the possibility of long-term Dilantin toxicity where such a group of symptoms present to avoid unnecessary testing and eliminations in the diagnostic process.

In 2013, further reports were published linking long-standing Dilantin use to cerebellar atrophy symptoms in Neurology Asia. These reports spoke as if the connection in view of presented case studies between this drug and cerebellar atrophy were conclusive.

The authors of these reports believed that in terms of pharmacological alternatives, phenytoin should never be a first choice among neurologists for treatment of certain types of seizures.

Is Cerebellum Atrophy Damage Recoverable or Permanent? 

In many cases, removal of Dilantin from the treatment regimen of a patient, can allow for remission of symptoms.  In other cases, depending upon the length of pharmacological intervention, atrophic damage can be permanent.

Eventually, this group of symptoms can affect the general intelligence and ability of the individual to care for him or herself.