Emily Sortor  |  August 29, 2020

Category: Legal News

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Does Dilantin have long term side effects?

Dilantin is an anticonvulsant or seizure medication and was one of the first anticonvulsant medications produced by drug manufacturers. This drug is commonly used to treat a variety of conditions, but it has also been linked to severe side effects. As a result, those who take this drug may wish to file a Dilantin lawsuit against the manufacturer in order to seek damages for long-term harm.

What is Dilantin?

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, Dilantin, generic name phenytoin, is a widely used seizure medication. It is used to treat a variety of seizure conditions and post-surgery seizures. The drug comes in a variety of forms, capsule and liquid, and in a variety of dosages in order to meet the various needs of those who take it.

What is Dilantin Used For?

Dilantin is used to treat a range of conditions that cause seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, it works best at combatting seizures that begin in one area of the brain, also known as partial-onset seizures. It does this by helping to prevent brain cells from working as quickly as they do during a seizure. The cells are stopped from firing in an uncontrolled surge altogether, allowing the drug to stop seizures as soon as they begin

Conditions often treated with Dilantin include temporal lobe epilepsy, simple partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures, refractory seizures, complex partial seizures, and bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the drug also has two common off-label uses. It can be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia, a kind of pain of the face, but other drugs may be more effective.

Similarly, it may be used to treat patients with specific psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, but study results are mixed on the benefits of such treatment.

What are Dilantin Long Term Side Effects?

Patients taking Dilantin may experience nausea, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness, a spinning feeling, trouble sleeping, or nervousness. There are also a number of short-term side effects of Dilantin which may be a sign that your dosage is too high if they persist.

These include jerking movements of the eyes, poor concentration, slurred speech, decreased coordination, memory problems, shaky hands, and slowed thought and movement. These symptoms could also be a sign of a more serious condition known as cerebellar atrophy.

Cerebellar atrophy is one of several Dilantin long term side effects that may appear only after months or years of use and may not be related to high dosages. Other long term side effects include the following.

  • Acne
  • Overgrowth of the gums
  • A coarseness of facial features
  • Excessive hair growth on the face or body
  • Bone weakening
  • Severe and potentially deadly rash
  • Liver or bone marrow damage
  • Diseases of the lymph nodes
  • Suicidality
  • Nerve damage in the legs
  • Brain damage including cerebellar atrophy and cerebellar ataxia

Some of these Dilantin long term side effects, gum overgrowth specifically, may be easily treatable, but other issues may last longer and may be harder to combat.

If you have seen signs of any of the Dilantin long term side effects listed above, you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible. An adjustment may not be needed, but it’s still important to monitor these effects. Furthermore, you should seek medical help immediately if you experience uncontrolled muscle movements, non-stop vomiting, yellow eyes or skin, or easy bleeding or bruising. These symptoms may be signs of a life-threatening condition.

Dilantin and Cerebellar Ataxia

One Dilantin side effect that has raised concern is cerebellar degeneration. This is a condition in which the movement center of the brain suffers damage, which can affect movement, motor skills, and other voluntary bodily functions.

Science Direct provides an overview of the condition, noting that it can be brought on when the   brain is affected by toxins. While it is often connected with alcoholism, it can also be connected with medication use, if the medication is toxic to the cerebellum. Patients have raised concerns that use of Dilantin can be linked to cerebellar degeneration.

In cases in which cerebellar degeneration is linked to a reaction to toxins or medication, sometimes it can be reversed or stopped in the patient stops being exposed to the toxin. Unfortunately, the condition is not always reversible. 

One major symptom of cerebellar degeneration is cerebellar ataxia. When the cerebellum is damaged, patients can develop a lack of muscle coordination, described as ataxia. This can impair a range of functions including speaking, swallowing, eye movement, fine motor skills, and walking.

Unfortunately, medication is not usually helpful in treating cerebellar ataxia, especially if it is associated with exposure to toxins. However, medication can be used to mediate leg tremors associated with cerebellar ataxia.

Those patients whose ataxia cannot be reversed by benefit from physical, occupational, and mental therapy, as they adapt to their condition. Additionally, adaptive devices and changes to their environment may help patients experience ataxia move around conveniently and easily.

How Long Does Dilantin Stay in Your System?

Dilantin is prescribed in once-a-day doses, divided doses, and loading doses depending on the patient’s needs and how quickly they metabolize the drug. Metabolism is the process by which a drug is absorbed, digested, and excreted. For Dilantin, that process involves swallowing the drug and absorbing it into your bloodstream. This allows the drug to travel quickly to where it is needed. Finally, the drug is broken down by the liver before being excreted through the urinary system.

Are there long term side effects with Dilantin?So, how long does Dilantin stay in your system before it is excreted? First, according to the School of Health Sciences for the University of Nottingham, a drug’s duration in the body is known as it’s half-life. This is the amount of time it takes for the levels of the drug in the body to be reduced by one-half. When taken orally, Dilantin has a 22-hour plasma half-life and peaks 4 to 12 hours after ingestion. With intravenous administration, that half-life drops to 10 to 15 hours.

What Should You Do if You Have Experienced Side Effects?

If you’ve experienced any of the side effects of Dilantin, you should tell your prescribing doctor as soon as you can. Many of these symptoms indicate that your medication needs to be adjusted in some way, and some are indicators of life-threatening conditions. Even if an adjustment isn’t needed, your doctor still needs to know the effects the drug is having on you in order to prescribe an effective and safe dosage over the course of your use of the drug.

Of course, some Dilantin long term side effects cause damage that will stick with users for the rest of their lives. In these cases, patients may wish to file a Dilantin lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, Pfizer Inc.

When Should You Get Legal Help?

According to lawsuits filed against the drug manufacturer, Pfizer has long known about the serious risks posed by Dilantin. Despite this knowledge, warnings regarding some of these issues, cerebellar atrophy specifically, weren’t included in drug warnings for Dilantin for years. Because of this, patients who developed side effects or other conditions due to the drug may be eligible to file a Dilantin lawsuit.

Damages awarded in a successful Dilantin lawsuit may include all of the additional medical expenses caused by your reaction to Dilantin as well as any pain or suffering you may have faced. These types of suits often include compensation for attorney fees and court costs, as well. This means that, if you’ve been harmed by Dilantin, a lawsuit may be a cost-effective way for you to seek relief.

Join a Free Dilantin, Phenytoin Cerebellar Atrophy Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

You may qualify for a free case evaluation by a Dilantin attorney under the following circumstances:

  • You took the drug Dilantin
  • You were diagnosed with cerebellar atrophy or cerebellar degeneration

Filing a Dilantin lawsuit could help you obtain money damages for medical expenses, lost income related to your injury, pain and suffering and more.

Get a Case Evaluation

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.

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Join a Free Dilantin, Phenytoin Cerebellar Atrophy Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were injured by Dilantin/phenytoin side effects, you may have a legal claim. Fill out the form for a free case evaluation.

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