Dilantin, a widely-used anticonvulsant medication, has been linked with a number of serious side effects. Among these, cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin can in some cases have permanent and damaging effects on a person’s life.

Dilantin Basics

Dilantin (also known by its generic name, phenytoin) is one of the more popular anticonvulsant medications currently available on the market. Dilantin is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Inc.

Dilantin is an anticonvulsant medication used for the treatment of epilepsy. During an epileptic seizure, a person’s brain fires off neurons much more rapidly than usual, which can cause sudden, jerking movements. Dilantin works to stop seizures in their early stages by preventing these neurons from firing at such a rapid pace.

Despite the fact that Dilantin is an objectively popular anticonvulsant option, it has actually been linked with some very serious conditions. Cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin is one such side effect, and it may present long-term or even permanent problems. Cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin is a neurological condition that causes brain tissue in the cerebellum to degenerate over time.

What is Cerebellar Atrophy?

Cerebellar atrophy is a degenerative condition that affects a patient’s essential brain tissue in the cerebellum. As brain tissue in the cerebellum, the portion of the brain located at the back of the skull, begins to degenerate, a patient with cerebellar atrophy may start to lose certain functions.

Indeed, the cerebellum is connected with many of the body’s most basic functions, including coordination, speech, posture, and balance. As the brain degenerates because of cerebellar atrophy symptoms, the body begins to lose some of these functions, making daily tasks increasingly more difficult. They may begin to experience unstable eye movements, uncontrollable body movements, body tremors, and balance problems, all of which can make day-to-day life much more complicated.

For some, these side effects may be short-term. For many others, this may be a condition they have to learn to live with—a condition that will gradually get worse over time.

Cerebellar Atrophy from Dilantin

The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published a study on Dilantin and its neurological effects, including cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin. The study found that two major factors─the size of the dosage and the length of time of the treatment─affect how likely a patient is to suffer from cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin and how extreme such a case might be.

A patient taking Dilantin for a long period of time is more likely to develop cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin, and a patient taking Dilantin at a higher dosage is also at an increased risk. Combining these two factors—that is, a patient taking Dilantin long-term and at a higher dosage—elevates the risk even more, the study found.

While the risk increases for long-term patients at higher dosages, patients taking the drug short term and at lower dosages have reported suffering from cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin as well.

Cerebellar Atrophy Treatment

The treatment of cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin can, in some cases, be very simple. For some patients, all they need to do to alleviate these symptoms is stop taking Dilantin. Unfortunately, some patients who have been diagnosed with cerebellar atrophy may be stuck with these symptoms as a permanent part of their lives.

Dilantin Cerebellar Atrophy Lawsuits

If you or someone you love has suffered from cerebellar atrophy from Dilantin or other neurological side effects of the drug, you may be able to file a Dilantin lawsuit.

A Dilantin lawsuit cannot make up for the pain and suffering caused by cerebellar atrophy and its symptoms, but it can help to compensate for injuries and financial problems caused by medical expenses and lost wages.