Pfizer’s popular anticonvulsant medication Dilantin has been increasingly connected with serious side effects—most notably Dilantin cerebellar degeneration.

Patients diagnosed with Dilantin cerebellar degeneration may find that that the drug’s manufacturer failed to provide adequate warning about the risk of Dilantin cerebellar degeneration associated with its drug.

Background of Dilantin

Dilantin (also known as phenytoin, its generic name) is a medication used to treat epilepsy. Dilantin has become increasingly popular since its release onto the market, and is now one of the most widely used medications of its kind.

Dilantin works to treat epileptic seizures by slowing down the firing of neurons, which speed up during a seizure. Slowing down the firing of neurons helps to control seizures rather than prevent them outright.

Despite the popularity of Dilantin and increasingly widespread usage, the medication has also become more strongly associated with some very serious complications. One of the most prominent major side effects of Dilantin is a condition known as Dilantin cerebellar degeneration. Other side effects of Dilantin can also include diplopia, dysarthria, incoordination, and drowsiness, among others.

What is Dilantin Cerebellar Degeneration?

Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms affect the cerebellum, which is the part of the brain responsible for many basic body functions, including sensory abilities, voluntary movement, balance, and speech.

As one might expect, a condition that attacks the cerebellum can cause major problems. Indeed, Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms include loss of balance, tremors, and unstable eye movements. Patients suffering from cerebellar degeneration often move with slow, jerky movements and their speech is slurred.

Patients who have been taking Dilantin, especially those who have been exposed to the drug long-term and at higher dosages, should be aware of the growing link between the popular anti-epilepsy drug and Dilantin cerebellar degeneration.

One of the studies that has been published connecting Dilantin with serious risks appeared in the Seizure European Journal of Epilepsy. The study found that the longer a patient takes Dilantin—and the higher the dose—the more likely they are to develop Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms.

Dilantin cerebellar degeneration can be treated, in many cases, by simply stopping intake of the drug. Of course, withdrawing from Dilantin should only be done while being monitored by a doctor. Unfortunately, for others, treatment for Dilantin cerebellar degeneration may not be so easy. Some patients may even find that Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms will become a permanent part of their lives.

Filing a Dilantin Cerebellar Degeneration Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms or a similar issue after taking the anti-seizure medication, you may be able to join a phenytoin lawsuit investigation.

While a lawsuit cannot adequately make up for pain and suffering from Dilantin cerebellar degeneration symptoms, it can help compensate for medical expenses and lost wages.