The common seizure medicine Dilantin could cause cerebellar atrophy and lawyers are investigating patient claims of this severe side effect.

Seizures occur when brain cells fire too quickly, and the seizure medicine Dilantin (phenytoin) controls this condition by slowing down the rate at which brain cells fire. However, research indicates that the drug can have adverse effects on the brain, and can reduce its capacity to function normally.

Research shows that cerebellar atrophy and cerebellar degeneration can be caused from Dilantin use. Cerebellar degeneration is a condition in which the neurons, or brain cells, in the cerebellum (area of the brain that controls balance, speech, and muscle coordination) deteriorate. Cerebellar atrophy is a related condition, in which the neurons die, and the connections between them cease to function.

Symptoms of cerebellar atrophy and cerebellar deregulation include:

• lurching, stumbling gait
• lack of balance
• rapid eye movements
• tremors
• clumsiness when completing basic tasks
• slow or unsteady limb movements
• jerking actions of the arms and legs
• difficulty maintaining upright posture and balance when walking
• change in pitch, tone, or volume of a patient’s speech
• headaches
• dizziness
• personality changes

Cerebellar atrophy can be caused by stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, tumors, seizures, exposure to toxins, and adverse reactions to medications, as is possibly the case with the seizure medicine Dilantin.

Links Between Cerebellar Atrophy and Seizure Medicine Dilantin

Many patients who have used Dilantin claim that the drug’s manufacturers knew that Dilantin use could cause cerebellar atrophy, and intentionally concealed this information from the public.

Allegedly, research has long indicated that seizures themselves can cause brain atrophy, but within the last 25 years, research has suggested that Dilantin use can contribute to the same problem.

As early as 1993, research indicated that the cerebella of patients using Dilantin was notably smaller than the cerebella of patients not taking the drug. One study showed that patients with a history of epilepsy had cerebellar atrophy after taking Dilantin, though none of those patients had recently experienced a seizure.

In 2003, further research supported the earlier finding that patients using Dilantin over a long period of time had moderate to severe cerebellar atrophy.

Patients argue that the drug was marketed as safe and effective when in fact, it poses serious dangers to human health. Some patients argue that the drug’s maker intentional concealed the dangers from patients and medical professionals in order to continue to profit from the sale of the drug.

In some cases, patients can hold drug companies accountable for patient injury by filing lawsuits. If it is determined that Dilantin is linked to cerebellar atrophy, and the makers know of the risk but concealed the link between the two, they could be liable for injury. 

If you took Dilantin, a common anti-seizure drug, then experienced symptoms of cerebellar atrophy, you may have a legal claim. Filing a Dilantin lawsuit could help you gain compensation for physical, emotional, and financial injury caused by your use of the drug.