While all medicines come with the risks of side effects, those taking the seizure medicine Dilantin may not have been appropriately warned about the dangers of cerebellar atrophy.

Some of those patients who were taking the seizure medicine Dilantin as prescribed by their physicians later began to experience unexplained and strange side effects that ultimately led to the diagnosis of cerebral atrophy or cerebellar atrophy.

A growing number of patients and the doctors helping them are reporting problems with brain conditions that can develop when the patient uses this seizure drug as directed for a long period of time. These conditions cause damage to the brain and can be catastrophic if not caught quickly.

The seizure medicine Dilantin is frequently used to treat arrhythmias, depression, seizures, and epilepsy. This is one of the world’s most widely used medications, particularly for treatment of epilepsy. Dilantin is used to treat tonic-clonic and psychomotor seizures. For those patients who have undergone neurosurgery, the seizure medicine Dilantin is also recommended for the prevention and treatment of seizures associated with that procedure.

Dilantin Risks

Unfortunately, Dilantin has also been connected to toxic and severe side effects that could lead to hospitalization or permanent changes in the patient’s brain. These include cerebellar atrophy or cerebral atrophy. These conditions refer to degeneration or atrophy of the brain.

Cerebellar atrophy occurs when there is a loss of neurons as well as the connections between them in the brain. There has been a collection of significant evidence in academic and medical studies that the seizure medicine Dilantin can induce cerebellar atrophy. Some of the symptoms of cerebellar atrophy include difficulty swallowing or speaking, poor control of muscles, and an unsteady or lurching gait.

Those individuals who have already suffered cerebellar atrophy following their use of the seizure medicine Dilantin may have significant medical bills or have other associated complications.

Research on the seizure medicine Dilantin and ultimate development of cerebellar atrophy indicates that cerebellar atrophy tends to occur in patients after they have used Dilantin over a long term or when the drug levels prescribed are above therapeutic range. However, cases of cerebellar atrophy have also been recorded when drug levels appear to be in the normal range. Long term use of the seizure medicine Dilantin has been connected with a much higher risk of cerebellar atrophy.

Other problems associated with the use of Dilantin include gingivitis neuropathy, weakening of the bones, and Dilantin Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which is a rare but severe disorder in which the mucus membranes (like skin) react severely to a medication.