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Conditions and Diseases > Epilepsy Forum > Phenytoin/dilantin
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Q: Phenytoin/dilantin
asked by: vlro on August 4th, 2006
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My daughter, age 24, fainted july 15. She fell from a bar stool height. They had gone out to eat. He husband insists that she had a seizure. She was sent to the emergency room. They ran a bunch of tests and everything came back ok. That monday they went to the family doctor and with her husband insisting that she had a seizure, she was put on dilantin, 100 strength, 3 times a day and was instructed to go see a neurogolist. Well being in post katrina here in new orleans, the medical facilities are almost null. She couldn't get an appointment until the 31th. She has had every symthom of every side effect that I read about. They called the doctor and he told her to keep taking it. When we went to the appointment on the 31th, the doctor told her that all of the symthoms were from the dilantin. He told her to stop taking it and not to drive for 6 months. He also set up more tests for her to take. My question is, how long does it take for the dilantin to leave the body after it is stopped. I am convinced that she only fainted, because she said that right before the incident, she had a bad feeing in her stomach and just wanted to lay her head down. She had not ate all day and had one of these fruity drinks when they went out to eat. It had been since the 31st that she stopped taking the dilantin and seemed to be getting better. Tonight she called me and said that her glands on her right side swelled up to golf ball size and the inside of her mouth was raw. It is a definite that the dose was too high. She has not had a good day since she starting taking the dilantin and it does not seem to be getting better since she stopped. She had not fainted or whatever either. Can anybody shine some light on this? Thanks
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CWE
replied on August 8th, 2006
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Good grief. Dilantin is not like aspirin. You need to titrate up/down slowly. You don't start/stop cold turkey. I hope you took your daughter for emergency attention for the swollen glands/lymph nodes - that could be serious.
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Duane
replied on September 9th, 2006
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I was on those same drugs for 32 years, because I am an epileptic. If your daughter doesn't need them please get her off of them! They are narcotics. She must be weaned from them if she takes them for any length of time. I started taking lyrica last dec. I hate meds but I can handle this better than my former meds. Your description isn't accurate enough for me to ascertain what she might have. However, I do know about the damage the drugs she's using now can cause. You may email me privately if you need my help, but please, get her off those drugs if she doesn't need them.
Duane
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