A serious condition known as cerebellar atrophy has been linked with long-term use of the popular epilepsy drug Dilantin. Cerebellar atrophy can cause permanent problems for patients.

Basics of the Epilepsy Drug Dilantin

A popular anticonvulsant option is the epilepsy drug Dilantin, also known by its generic name, phenytoin.

During an epileptic seizure, neurons fire off much more rapidly than usual. Dilantin works to treat epilepsy by preventing neurons from firing quite so quickly, helping to stop seizures in their early stages.

Dilantin is one of the more used anticonvulsants currently on the market. However, although the epilepsy drug Dilantin is undoubtedly popular, it has actually been linked with certain serious neurological side effects, including cerebellar atrophy, a condition that causes a patient’s brain tissue to degenerate over time.

Cerebellar atrophy can have long-lasting or even permanent consequences for patients.

Cerebellar Atrophy

Essentially, cerebellar atrophy is a neurological disease that occurs when the cerebellum (the part of the brain at the back of the skull) degenerates progressively over time, gradually losing neurons and therefore some of the functions of the cerebellum.

The cerebellum controls several of the basic functions of the body, including coordination, posture, speech, and balance. As the tissue of the cerebellum degenerates over time due to cerebellar atrophy, a patient’s ability to perform these basic functions can be serious impaired.

For many sufferers of cerebellar atrophy, this degeneration leads to unstable eye and bodily movements, body tremors, and balance problems. These kinds of motor function problems can severely affect a patient’s daily life, making simple tasks difficult or even impossible.

Cerebellar Atrophy and Dilantin

A study regarding the neurological side effects of the epilepsy drug Dilantin was published in the Seizure European Journal of Epilepsy. The study found not only that cerebellar atrophy was linked with the use of the epilepsy drug Dilantin, but also that the likelihood of this is affected by both the length of time a patient takes the drug and the dosage taken.

According to the study, a long-term Dilantin patient is more likely to develop cerebellar atrophy than a patient who has only used Dilantin for a short period of time. If a patient takes a higher dosage of Dilantin, they are more likely to develop serious Dilantin neurological side effects like cerebellar atrophy.

While it is more likely that a patient will develop cerebellar atrophy after long-term use of the epilepsy drug Dilantin, it is still possible for patients who have used the drug for a shorter period of time and at a lower dosage to suffer side effects as well.

For some, treating cerebellar atrophy symptoms can be very easy, simply requiring the patient to stop taking the epilepsy drug Dilantin. For others, however, symptoms of cerebellar atrophy may be more complex to get rid of, and they may actually be left with these severe side effects permanently.

If you or someone you love has suffered from cerebellar atrophy after using the epilepsy drug Dilantin, you may be able to file a lawsuit. While filing a Dilantin lawsuit cannot make up for the pain and suffering caused by cerebellar atrophy and its symptoms, it can help to compensate for injuries and financial problems caused by medical expenses and lost wages.