DILANTIN Reviews (PHENYTOIN SODIUM)Average Rating: 3.5 (185 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare DILANTIN with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Age oldest to youngest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on DILANTIN: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR DILANTIN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | GRAND MAL EPILEPSY | INSOMNIA(1-3 HRS ON GOOD NITE)SEVERE CONSTIPATION (GOT WORSE OVER YRS), DIZZINESS & FEELING OF PASSING OUT(DR'S SAY CAUSE LEVELS ARE LOW), SORES IN MOUTH & BLEEDING, NUMBNESS & TINGLING OF FEET, PAINS IN STOMACH-DRS JUST THROW HANDS IN AIR WHEN I COMPLAIN | BEEN TAKING DILANTIN FOR OVER 50 YRS, NEVER KNEW TIL RECENTLY ABOUT HAVING LEVELS CHECKED ATLEAST EVERY 6 MONTHS. HAVE HAD APPROX. 2-3 SEIZURES SINCE TAKING DILANTIN. AT MY AGE I WISH I COULD JUST KNOW WHAT HEALTHY FEELS LIKE AGAIN BEFORE I PASS!! | M | 91 | 50 years | 8/21/2006 | 5 | Life-extension purposes. | No adverse side-effects whatsoever. | I have taken this drug at 100 mgs daily for long spells but today take it occasionally especially if I am about to face some apprehensive social situation. It helps at maintaining one's composure. It also inceases one's stamina enabling one to do manual tasks without exhaustion. On intially taking it (the first 3 doses) I experineced a psychological high but thereafter no noticeable effect. My wife too takes it when feeing apprehensive or depressed but requires 200 mgs for her to notice its benefit. We self-medicate. | M | 79 | 16 years | 12/30/2009 | 1 | Seizure | I have been taking Dilantin for five years, first seizure, only have had two. ( liver enzymes got high). Somedays my gait was off. The doctor cut dosage to 200 mg and started me on lamotrigine. With in a week I felt so much better. It took several months to get me completely off of Dilantin. When the dose was cut another 100 mg my liver enzymes were normal. With all the seizure medications to chose from, I do not understand why a doctor would put anyone on Dilantin. I will give an updated on how the lamotrigine is working for me. Good thought to all! | F | 75 | 300 mg 3X day | 4/16/2017 | 5 | head injury playing football | numbness in feet, hard to focus in the morning until I get going, dry mouth and who knows what else. | Have had epilepsy for 58 yrs and dilantin was the drug that really made me abel to function normally after going thru other drugs. Who knows what ailments I am experiencing now are due to the dilantin or old age. Taking care of teeth and gums, exercise, vitamin supplements and eating properly are the key to surviving. | M | 74 | 41 days 300 1X day | 1/10/2012 | 3 | Seizures | Short memory problems,forgetful. | F | 74 | 4 years 300 | 6/15/2016 | 5 | Speech, cognitive and balance issues, but see below. | After two severe grand mals and a host of petites, focus seizures, involuntary muscle spasms I was given Dilantin. Efficacious dose [no seizures] turned out to be 400 mgs/daily. But still a mess. Speech, cognitive, balance,,, you name it. Went on Disability. Didn't drive for 5 years. Then saw an infomercial for a sub-lingual Vitamin B pill. It was pitched by a doctor we once knew in another town. Liked him. Trusted him. No mention of post-seizure, or Dilantin, but he claimed the stuff would help with the symptoms i was experiencing. What the hell. We ordered some with limited expectation. About 6 weeks later we realized my condition had changed very noticeably. A couple months later I went through an exhaustive [3 hour] eval and road test to determine if I actually was ready to drive again. Bingo! Not 100%, but I'm 73 and few in my group are. In the last year I've done all the driving on trips of 2500 miles, and several of almost 800 miles. No sweat. Every case is different but it's worth a try for anyone who's in comparable straights. Just be patient though. It takes a few weeks. It may not be easy to find, but anyone on Dilantin, considering another anti-seizure drug, or worried about long-term use must read the Jack Dreyfuss [the mutual fund pioneer] book: "A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked". I can vouch for the anti-depressant qualities. Jim | M | 73 | 10 days | 1/23/2010 | 4 | Car accident scare on the plane | Flickering eyes walk like I'm drunken | They should tell people what they can do to you | M | 70 | 0 years 260mg 1X day | 11/20/2022 | 5 | Grand Mal | Been taking 5 each night for 24 yrs. No problems! Bones now becoming brittle...arthritic! | F | 69 | 10 years 500mg | 2/27/2015 | 5 | seizure disorder | Always have problems with gums. | I've been taking it for 48 years. Upset about how much the price has risen over the years especially since I have no prescription insurance. | F | 69 | 300MG 1X day | 11/6/2015 | 3 | epilepsy | Experiencing dizziness, fatigue, and short of breath. No seizures. | Took dilantin for 48 years with no side effects except soft gums and no seizures. Stopped taking dilantin and took Keppra. After taking Keppra for one year switch back to dilantin. Now experiencing dizziness, fatigue, and short of breath. | M | 67 | 48 years 200 mg 2X day | 7/4/2022 | 5 | Seizure disorder | Osteopenia | In 40 years never had a seizure while on Dilantin. Docs tried two other medications; had seizures soon after both times. | M | 66 | 40 years 100 mg 4X day | 4/17/2021 | 5 | skull fracture at age 10 | At age 66 I only have a very small amount of memory loss, names and this just may be old age. | At age 10 the specialist put me on 400 mg/day dialntin & 60 mg/ day phenobarbatol, 1/2 morning and 1/2 at bed time. He also told me that I would have to avoid cafine, nicotine,alcohol, & later I found aspertaine to be included. Very important. | M | 66 | 55 years | 11/22/2008 | 4 | Seizure | Twitching, head fog, fatigue | I had a febrile seizure with high fever, another after a burn, and one after surgery. Every few years I have an EEG which has always shown some abnormal activity so Drs have kept me on Dilantin since I was about 17. Twice over the years I've come up toxic on blood work and had levels temporarily decreased. I've always considered the side effects worth being seizure free until this year. For the past several months I've been having trouble with being able to concentrate on things that require hand/eye coordination...like typing or sewing.. without developing a jerky muscle spasm. It also happens sometimes when the sun's extremely bright. It doesn't last long but when it does I have to stop what I'm doing and live in fear that it's a seizure coming on. I'm wondering if anyone else has this and possibly tried another med. | F | 66 | 50 years 100 mg 3X day | 10/14/2013 | 2 | seizures | When there are many other anticonvulsants available, its side effects make Dilantin undesirable and unnecessary. | F | 66 | 10 years 100 | 5/25/2012 | 5 | I had two seizures within 3 months | Occasional slight dizziness, but rare. | This drug has put my mind at ease about seizures. However, it has really rated high with my wife ! She observed both seizures I had while I was asleep. Scared her near to death, but had the presence of mind to call the EMT's. During the 2nd seizure I dislocated my left shoulder. Since taking 300 mg of Dilantin per day, I feel relaxed and at ease about not having to worry about future seizures. The V.A. has taken great care of me to insure no further seizures by continuing to prescribe Dilantin. | M | 65 | 3 days | 1/26/2007 | 5 | epileptic-grand mall | nothing noticable until doctor recently said I had bone loss, but I have been taking dilantin for 50 years. only 200mg a day This drug stopped my seizures for the last 40 years except when I went off the drug as a test, I had a seizure in about 3 weeks. | This drug gave me a life that I thought I was loosing at age 13. | M | 65 | 50 years | 7/13/2006 | 5 | I had two seizures within 3 months | Occasional slight dizziness, but rare. | This drug has put my mind at ease about seizures. However, it has really rated high with my wife ! She observed both seizures I had while I was asleep. Scared her near to death, but had the presence of mind to call the EMT's. During the 2nd seizure I dislocated my left shoulder. Since taking 300 mg of Dilantin per day, I feel relaxed and at ease about not having to worry about future seizures. The V.A. has taken great care of me to insure no further seizures by continuing to prescribe Dilantin. | M | 65 | 4 years | 1/26/2007 | 5 | grand mal seizures | I was put on 300 mg of Dilantin at age 16 for seizures but after a week or so, it was reduced to 200 mg when I exhibited toxicity to it. I have osteopenia but so did my mother, and two of my sisters so I can not say that Dilantin has caused it. According to an MRI done at Mayo in Rochester, I have moderate cerebral shrinkage. This accounts for some of my unsteadiness at times and I realize this is a side effect of Dilantin. However at age 65, many people have an unsteady gait so I again can not say that Dilantin did that to me. I do not have any gum overgrowth. I have some elevation in my ALK Phosphatase count but not enough that my neuro is concerned about it. | At the age of 16, I felt my life was over when I started having seizures. Dilantin gave me my life back so that I could function normally and I married and had two sons. No one ever told me of the side effects until after my second son was born and thank God that both of them were spared any birth defects. I do seem to metabolize Dilantin differently and need to keep my levels up above 20 to avoid a seizure. Just this week I learned that Dilantin is also measured in "free" levels and that as long as they are between 1 and 2, I am in the normal range. That is still confusing to me as my last reading was 32.2 with free level at 1.7. Along with the knowledge of my neuro, I have lowered my dosage from 260 to 230. He hates Dilantin because it is so hard to keep a balance on levels especially as we age. For now, I have no plans to switch to another drug because Dilantin has kept me safe from seizures and all drugs have side effects. In a perfect world, I would not have to take any drugs at all. | F | 65 | 49 years 230 1X day | 2/26/2016 | 4 | Epilepsy | Osteopenia and recent broke patella from fall. Dr said I have osteoporosis in knee. Seeing dentist twice a year and taking care of teeth help gums not to swell. | Have become concerned about cerebral shrinkage. Have been seizure free for 36 years. So can't complain. | F | 65 | 49 years 130 2x day | 7/4/2017 | 4 | M | 65 | 40 years | 7/25/2017 |
DILANTIN (PHENYTOIN SODIUM): Phenytoin is used to prevent and control seizures (also called an anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drug). It works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)