Should phenytoin be taken with food?

1. tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to phenytoin, other hydantoin medications such as ethotoin (Peganone) or fosphenytoin (Cerebyx), any other medications, or any of the ingredients in phenytoin. …
2. tell your doctor if you are taking delavirdine (Rescriptor).

What is considered a typical level of phenytoin?

Determine the level of phenytoin in the serum. 10–20 mcg/mL is considered to be the therapeutic range.

What sort of effects does phenytoin have on the brain?

Phenytoin is effective because it inhibits the impulses in the brain that are responsible for epileptic seizures. Phenytoin is administered to patients suffering from seizures. It is up to your doctor to evaluate whether or not this medication is appropriate for you and the sorts of seizures that you experience.

What should not be taken at the same time as phenytoin?

It’s possible that antacids and nutritional tube-feeding (enteral) products will make it harder for your body to absorb phenytoin. It is strongly recommended that you avoid taking any of these products at the same time as your phenytoin dosage. When taking phenytoin, keep liquid nutritional supplements separate at least one hour before your dose and at least one hour after it, or as instructed by your doctor.

Is there a significant danger associated with using phenytoin?

Amiodarone, digoxin, dopamine, epinephrine, fentanyl, gentamycin, heparine, insulin, morphine, norepinephrine, phenytoin, potassium, propofol, and tacrolimus were the drugs that required a high level of vigilance.

Can phenytoin promote vitamin D deficiency?

It is well established that anti-epileptic medicines (AEDs), such as phenytoin, interfere with the cytochrome P-450 activity involved in the metabolic process of vitamin D. AEDs hasten the conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1′,25-dihydroxyvitamin D into inactive metabolites, which can infrequently result in vitamin D insufficiency and hypocalcemia [10].

Do you have to continue taking phenytoin for the rest of your life?

Without first consulting their physician, patients should never reduce their phenytoin dosage or stop taking the medication altogether. If you suddenly stop taking any medication for your seizures, you run the risk of developing a disorder that might be fatal. Take only the amount of phenytoin that is recommended by your medical professional.

What are the potential adverse effects of taking phenytoin over a longer period of time?

Sedation, a cerebellar syndrome, phenytoin encephalopathy, psychosis, locomotor dysfunction, hyperkinesia, megaloblastic anemia, decreased serum folate level, decreased bone mineral content, liver disease, IgA deficiency, gingival hyperplasia, and a lupus-like hypersensitivity syndrome are some of the adverse effects of phenytoin.

Is it possible to take phenytoin on an empty stomach?

This medication may be taken with or without food, depending on how it is tolerated. As taking this medication with food may alter the amount of time it takes for it to be absorbed, you should make every effort to take it in the same manner on a daily basis. During two to three hours of taking phenytoin, you should not consume any antacids or medicines that treat diarrhea.

It is possible to take phenytoin while drinking milk.

You can administer phenytoin with meals or milk, but you should be consistent with your approach. Always administer phenytoin on an empty stomach or with food or milk, but never both at the same time. Encourage your child to chew rather than swallow chewable tablets in their whole if they are receiving medication that comes in that form.

Is it possible to gain weight when taking phenytoin?

“Some of the antiepileptic drugs can cause weight gain and subsequent metabolic disturbances,” said Aleksei Rakitin, MD, a neurophysiologist at Tartu. “Carbamazepine, phenytoin, and valproic acid may also directly cause considerable changes in plasma lipid levels,” he added. “Metabolic syndrome is a major risk factor.”

What is the best time to check the phenytoin levels?

Once a patient has been given a loading dose of intravenous phenytoin, levels can be measured one hour following the administration of the dose. If loading is accomplished through oral dosage, phenytoin levels can be tested once every 24 hours beginning 24 hours after the last dose.

When is it appropriate to take phenytoin levels?

A level can be taken between 12 and 24 hours after an oral or IV dose, and levels should thereafter be monitored every 24 hours until control is achieved and concentration has stabilized. A level can be taken between 12 and 24 hours after an IV loading or top-up dose.

Does phenytoin have the potential to induce dementia?

Specifically, the use of treatments that are known to lower cognitive performance was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease that was 20% higher and a dementia risk that was 60% higher. Primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, clonazepam, and valproate are among the most frequently prescribed drugs that have been shown to have an impact on cognitive function.

What are some of the potential risk factors that could put a patient at risk for phenytoin poisoning?

Acute overdose, toxicity from dose changes or drug error, altered physiology such as in renal failure or cirrhosis, drug-drug/drug-disease interactions, and unintentional ingestion of phenytoin such as from cocaine adulterated with phenytoin are the risk factors associated with toxicity [2]. Phenytoin can also be accidentally ingested when it is mixed with cocaine.

What are the typical indications when someone has acute phenytoin toxicity?

The most common initial symptoms included unsteady walking, dizziness or vertigo, nausea or vomiting, overall weakness, and drowsiness. Other symptoms included general weakness.

Is it safe to take aspirin while also taking phenytoin?

There will be no change in the free phenytoin concentration as a result of the addition of aspirin, and there will also be no phenytoin toxicity as a result (20, 21).

To what extent does phenytoin pose a risk?

The neurotoxic consequences are based on the concentration of the substance and can range from a minor nystagmus all the way up to ataxia, slurred speech, vomiting, lethargy, and eventually coma and death. In a strange turn of events, seizures can paradoxically be brought on by very high amounts of phenytoin. There is a strong correlation between the unbound plasma phenytoin levels and the symptoms.

Memory loss along with phenytoin use?

Memory loss is a side effect of any medicine that inhibits signals in the central nervous system (CNS). Other treatments include phenytoin (Dilantin), which has a negligible, if any, effect on memory but is effective for many patients suffering from seizures.

Does phenytoin cause depression?

Other potential negative reactions include hepatic necrosis, ataxia, confusion, constipation, depression, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, hypertrichosis, mental status changes, myasthenia, nervousness, numbness, tremor, tremor of the hands, vertigo, excitement, irritability, mood changes, and restlessness.