The seizure medicine Dilantin has been linked to several adverse side effects and complications including the development of cerebellar atrophy, also known as cerebellar degeneration.

Cerebellar atrophy is the degeneration of the cerebellum, a portion of the brain responsible for functions such as coordination, speech, and movement. Studies have shown that long-term use of the seizure medicine Dilantin is associated with the risks for developing cerebellar atrophy.

Symptoms of cerebellar degeneration may include some of the following:

• Lack of balance
• Slow movements
• Unsteady walk
• Jerky movements in the legs or arms
• Tremors
• Slurred speech
• Memory loss
• Rapid eye movements
• Shaking

Overview: Seizure Medicine Dilantin

Dilantin (phenytoin) is an anti-epileptic medication prescribed to treat epilepsy and seizures. However, there are a number of side effects linked to the medication including the development of cerebellar degeneration. Other side effects linked to long-term use of seizure medicine Dilantin use include Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or SJS, a life-threatening skin reaction that begins with a rash and causes the patient to suffer from complications such as scarring, infection, and even death.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Cerebellar degeneration is a process in which neurons (nerve cells) in the cerebellum- the area of the brain that controls coordination and balance- deteriorate and die.”

The most characteristic symptom of cerebellar degeneration is a “wide-based, unsteady, lurching walk, often accompanied by a back and forth tremor in the trunk of the body.” Other symptoms, the Institute adds, includes nystagmus, slowed and slurred speech, and jerky and unsteady movements of the legs or arms.

When cerebellar degeneration occurs, the brain loses neurons, as well as the connections between them. Some people suffer from an entire shrinkage of the brain, while others suffer from shrinkage affecting only the cerebellum. The cerebellum, located under the cerebrum and sits behind the brain stem, functions to coordinate and regular muscular activity.

The issue with the seizure medicine Dilantin is that studies have found that after long-term treatment, cerebellar atrophy has been found to develop. In a study published in Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, the study discovered the link between cerebellar atrophy and long-term Dilantin use. The study looked at how long a patient used Dilantin and how that correlated to the development of cerebellar atrophy.

The study found that after evaluating 56 patients (33 women) for the correlation of the drug to cerebellar atrophy, they found that the condition was detected in 20 (35.7 percent) of them. The study concluded on the drug’s long-term use to cerebellar atrophy development.

When cerebellar atrophy affects a localized or small sizeable portion of the brain, treatment is possible. In this case, physicians may opt to recommend decreasing Dilantin dosage or switching out to another medication.

However, permanent damage may have developed from long-term high dosage use of Dilantin. As a result, they may have suffered from loss of muscle coordination known as muscle ataxia. Treatments in this case may focus on having a patient use other muscles to continue moving and remain as independently functional as possible.