Dilantin

Dilantin Product Description

Drug Uses

Dilantin is an antiepileptic agent that does not provide a hypnotic effect, but is characterized by antiarrhythmic action. As an anti-arrhythmic agent, Dilantin is used to treat certain cardiac arrhythmias, including non-regular heartbeat, caused by an overdose of cardiac glycosides.

As an anticonvulsant, Dilantin is used to reduce the incidence and severity of convulsive seizures, including:

psychomotor seizures

generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal epilepsy)

partial (focal, temporal lobe, and grand mal) seizures

In addition, anticonvulsant Dilantin can be indicated to prevent and treat epileptic episodes:

caused by severe head injury

occurring during or after neurological surgery

Dilantin may relieve symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), but it is not approved for the treatment of this neurological disorder, and patients with TN can be indicated with the drug only as for off-label use.

The maximum daily dose of Dilantin for adults makes 600 mg.

The total daily dose of Dilantin for children and teenagers under 18 years should not exceed 300 mg.

If Dilantin causes gastrointestinal reactions, the total daily dosage can be divided into 4 equal parts, and Dilantin is to be taken four times per day.

Missed Dose

If you’ve forgotten to take a dose of Dilantin in time, wait for the next dose of the anticonvulsant, if it is almost time for it, and stick to your regular schedule. However, if you revealed about the missed dose of Dilantin at the nearly time right it was scheduled, take a dose of your antiepileptic agent, as soon as you remember about it.

More Information

Most patients take Dilantin pills twice a day. But if Dilantin causes undesirable gastrointestinal reactions, the patient can be advised to decrease a single dose of Dilantin and increase the frequency of use of the anticonvulsant to three or four times per day.

Storage

To protect the Dilantin tablets from the moisture, it is recommended to keep them in an original package, and to store at temperature not above 25°C.

Dilantin Safety Information

Warnings

Sudden withdrawal of Dilantin pills may cause an acute, prolonged epileptic crisis. Therefore, if the antiepileptic therapy should be stopped, or Dilantin should be replaced with other anti-seizure medicines, the withdrawal of Dilantin should be done gradually.

Disclaimer
All materials on arrhythmia and neurological disorders, represented in the review of Dilantin, are intended for educational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice of epileptologists or neurologists. The online pharmacy shall not be liable for any results obtained from the use of information on anti-epileptic/antiarrhythmic agent Dilantin.

Dilantin Side Effects

In long-term application of Dilantin, the patients may experience: dystonia, tremor and chorea. The most common side effect in the children and the adolescents is rash. Gastrointestinal side effects, which can be caused by Dilantin, include constipation, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

An overdose of Dilantin may cause certain side effects as well. In case of high daily doses of Dilantin, the following adverse effects may occur: gingival hyperplasia, headache, fever, hepatitis and nystagmus. Also, in case of overdose of Dilantin, certain neurotic disorders can be observed, such as sleep disorders, slurred speech, nervousness, mental confusion and decreased coordination.