The seizure drug Dilantin may cause cerebellar degeneration, a serious side effect.

If you or a loved one develops cerebellar atrophy or cerebellar degeneration after taking the anti-epileptic drug Dilantin, you may have a legal claim.

Dilantin is a common anti-epileptic drug whose generic version is phenytoin. It is used to treat seizures and is deemed to be beneficial to many patients. Unfortunately, the drug may have serious side effects that its maker may not have adequately warned patients about.

Studies show that taking Dilantin may cause patients to develop cerebellar atrophy or cerebellar degeneration. 

About Cerebellar Degeneration and Cerebellar Atrophy

Cerebellar degeneration is a condition in which the cerebellum, the movement center of the brain, is damaged and its functionality becomes impaired. This can occur when brain tissue degenerates and loses neurons and the connections between them, which allows the brain to send signals to the rest of the body.

When the brain’s ability to send signals to the rest of the body is impaired, then bodily and brain function is impaired. The cerebellum controls voluntary movement like dexterity, balance, walking, and speech. In cases of cerebellar degeneration, a person can lose their ability to balance, speak smoothly, and control fine motions.

Cerebellar atrophy and degeneration can be caused by multiple factors including stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, seizures, and other conditions. Cerebellar atrophy and deregulation have also been linked to a presence of toxins in a person’s brain, including ethanol, chemotherapy medication, and other medication like Dilantin.

Cerebellar Degeneration and Dilantin

According to recent research, patients who used Dilantin for a long time were most likely to develop cerebellar atrophy and degeneration. Other patients who are at risk are those who are taking Dilantin in extremely high doses, beyond what is considered in the “therapeutic range.”

Unfortunately, cerebellar atrophy has reportedly occurred in patients who have taken the drug in a normal amount, for not a very long amount of time.

Cerebellar atrophy and cerebellar degeneration can occur in many different people in different demographics. Unfortunately, even children can possibly develop the condition from Dilantin use. Dilantin is a common drug used to treat seizures in children, and children can develop the dangerous side effect as a result of their use of the drug.

Because seizures themselves can also cause cerebellar degeneration, and Dilantin is used to treat seizures, scientists wanted to better understand the connection between Dilantin and cerebellar degeneration when a person has seizures versus the link between cerebellar deregulation and seizures when a patient does not take Dilantin.

In 1994, a study showed that seizure patients taking Dilantin had significantly smaller cerebella than those who were not taking Dilantin.

Happily, in some cases, recovery from cerebellar degeneration is possible when a patient stops taking Dilantin. Withdrawal from Dilantin should always be monitored by a doctor.