Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group

Just that name is enough to scare me. Please have your blood levels checked often.

why does it scare you?other than than the swallowing thing it works great for me.

, i was on dilantin, and it went down the throat just fine...how about asking your doctor if you can take it like a powder... smashing up the meds so that they will be able to go down your throat followed by water of course. . good luck

im told ur not suppose to smash the meds cause then u take the whole thing in at once. the capsule is suppose to disolve slowly so u get a gd amount an hour. i was on dilantin but it didnt really work with me. i never had a problem with swallowing it as far as i can recall. i remember that it use to go down side ways but thats bout it lol

Hi moanalisa,
I had been allergic to every med the nuro tried, and he was gettting fed up with it. So was I by the way. So he tried dilantan, 1 a day. Rang him within a week, also making me sick. Rang several times in next 21 days as getting worse. Each time got a cranky cant be tablets, keep taking. By day 21 my hubby half carried my to our gp were he had made an appt for me. I couldnt stand alone or walk straight and as was seeing solid doubles of everything was feeling to see which was a door or tap and glass for a drink to see which was the real thing. Straight into Drs, no waiting when they saw me come in. He was rather nice looking, so two of him wasnt bad! Couldnt walk a straight line, even with both holding an arm I started to fall. Dr checked my eyes and said think your a bit high? Oh I am flying I managed to slur out. He gave urgent top priority blood test script to hubby, do on way home, I will ring you. Put her to bed. Well he said, your in the world records, and have to go into every new med book update worldwide to show new Drs this can happen, your toxicity is 49.6 and dont ask me why your still alive. I have cancelled your nuro and informed him why, stop taking any meds. It was in my system for months, got hepatitus, and permentley damaged liver from it. Thats why I just hate that drug.

Hi moanalisa. if you have found a med that works for you but are having trouble with swollowing I would ask the doctor if it is available in a liquid form. I have worked in nursing homes and had to give this med to people with dysphagsia (trouble swollowing) and the only way they could take it was in the liquid form. It may have to be taken more often at a lower dose to keep your levels accurate. hope this might help.

Ahhh, yes, dilantin. that brings back memories.. BTW, http://www.epilepsy.com/medication... -- there IS dilantin suspension.
Aust, my side effects were the "Typical" dilantin responses -- hypersuitism (sp), and gingivitis hyperplasia. With the former, it means I get facial wax on a REGULAR basis, or "the wolf woman cometh." With the latter, it's been 12 years since I've taken Dilantin, and I'm still asked by my dentist how long ago I took it.
But I hear the 2x/year blood draws. Liver function is an issue w/Dilantin.

I personally had to stop taking it because seizures were still coming through & when they took me to hospital the doctors were finding out the hard way the dilantin was giving me allegic reactions ie; burning sensation when give intraveniously, which use to bring me back around while they were doing it & screaming for them to get it away from me, if not I would pull the needle out myself it was that hot a burning sensation..... I never want that feeling again, I thought my arm was catching on fire it hurt that much, everytime they tried to give me dilantan when my seizures started at the begining....
Hope that helps a bit & good luck I hope you find what your looking for.

I find tha tcoffee hot or herbal tea makes the med go down easier also if you use bread make sure there is butter on it i have been doing this since i was 7 and am now 53 it works

If you're taking Dilantin tablets, try switching to capsules - I found them pretty easy to swallow.