Compared to many other drugs, Dilantin has a long history of use for controlling harmful neurological activity. It was originally developed over a hundred years ago to help control the convulsions associated with electroshock therapy.

Today, Dilantin is known as a treatment for certain types of epileptic seizures. Its effectiveness and its relatively low cost have contributed to its becoming one of the most frequently prescribed epilepsy drugs in the world.

But despite its long history and widespread use, Dilantin presents risks of certain side effects. One of the more harmful of these is Dilantin cerebellar atrophy, a degradation of part of the brain that controls muscle movement.

Cerebellar atrophy is a type of focal cerebral atrophy that targets the cerebellum. Located in the back of the brain, the cerebellum is responsible for coordinating physical movement.

For decades, cases of cerebellar atrophy have been documented in conjunction with Dilantin treatment. For a while, researchers weren’t sure if this condition was caused by Dilantin or by the patient’s seizures, which restrict oxygen delivery to the brain.

Based on more recent case studies, however, physicians now believe there is a link between Dilantin and cerebellar atrophy.

Symptoms of Dilantin Cerebellar Atrophy

The symptoms of cerebellar atrophy are typically movement-related. They can cause trouble in many aspects of the patient’s life.

Larger movement symptoms. These are some of the most typical symptoms of Dilantin cerebellar atrophy. Patients with this condition typically have difficulty walking and maintaining upright posture.

Their unstable gait may put them at a heightened risk for falling. Standing on a moving surface like an escalator or the floor of a crowded bus may be particularly tricky.

Smaller movement symptoms. Loss of coordination can also affect the finer movements that patients engage in every day at work and at home. Ordinary tasks like writing, typing, opening jars, or buttoning a shirt may become unusually challenging.

The effects on smaller movement may also result in visual impairment. The patient could lose some control over the muscles that aim the eyes. This can lead to blurry vision and double vision. Reading may become much more difficult if the patient has trouble tracking lines of text on a page.

The muscles that control the mouth and throat can also be impaired. This can result in difficulty swallowing food and liquids, putting the patient at risk for choking. Speech may become slow, indistinct, slurred, or arrhythmic.

Psychological symptoms. Not all the symptoms of Dilantin cerebellar atrophy are physical. Damage to the cerebellum can lead to impairment of other brain functions, including cognitive and emotional functions.

Patients with this condition may have to contend with anxiety, irritability or depression. They can also be afflicted with cognitive impairment, which can hinder brain functions like making decisions, keeping thoughts organized, or recalling newly learned information.

Dilantin cerebellar atrophy can hinder a person’s ability to thrive in the workplace and to conduct ordinary activities of daily living. These adverse effects may surpass the risks that patients were led to expect from the drug safety information provided by the drug’s manufacturer.

Patients who believe they were inadequately warned about the risk of cerebellar atrophy associated with Dilantin may benefit from a free consultation with a knowledgeable Dilantin attorney.