Dismiss this notification
PatientsLikeMe would like to remind you that your browser is out of date and many features of the website may not function as expected.
Please update your browser
for more security and a better experience.
Phenytoin is an antiarrhythmic and anticonvulsant agent that is used for the management of generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal), complex partial seizures; and for the prevention of seizures following head trauma/neurosurgery. It is also used for neuropathic pain.
Advice & Tips:
On stronger doses, you do feel like your IQ has dropped significantly. I spent an afternoon trying to work out how to switch my watch off Daylight Savings (and failed). You can make very poor and impulsive decisions. A client who didn't know my condition was bugging me for a conference call, and I sent him a selfie from my ICU bed to explain that, no, I can't do a conference call (blush). You can miss out on vital information - it just flies over your head. I wish I could say you feel care free, but you don't because you know you're missing your mental cognition. You need to make notes about EVERYTHING, especially questions for med team. You need to re-read those notes and add further notes. IMHO, you need to get your Phenytoin exit strategy in place as soon as you learn how to say it. The day my dosage halved and we added Keppra was such a joy - I could think again!