When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy back in 1969, the availability of AEDs was limited.
Phenobarbital or Dilantin.
Pick your poison.
I chose Dilantin. It was not a pretty picture.
This article is not for those with a weak stomach. Because Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is an ugly and sometimes deadly disease.
But if you are on Dilantin or Lamictal, I urge you to read this information.
According to the Mayo Clinic: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare, serious condition, thought to be caused by a disorder of your immune system.
Dilantin (Phenytoin) can be considered the grandfather of all epilepsy medications.
Although it was invented in 1908 as a chemical that could prevent convulsions during electroshock treatment, its popularity grew quickly, and as early as 1940, it was hailed as initiating a whole new epoch of anti-epilepsy drugs, motivating researchers to seek even more effective medications and pharmaceutical companies set up aggressive screening programs.
In the next two decades, a dozen new anticonvulsants were introduced into clinical therapy!
Today, Dilantin remains one of the most widely used drugs in the world.