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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Barbara Cat on June 18, 2003, at 21:58:08
I've read the Dreyfus book "A Remarkable Medicine has been overlooked". It's an anti-convulsive and according to the book, the best thing since dark chocolate. Any experiences?
Posted by jonh kimble on June 18, 2003, at 22:13:43
In reply to Dilantin - anyone ever use?, posted by Barbara Cat on June 18, 2003, at 21:58:08
isnt it a powerful opioid? maybe im wrong though
Posted by Ritch on June 19, 2003, at 0:07:16
In reply to Dilantin - anyone ever use?, posted by Barbara Cat on June 18, 2003, at 21:58:08
> I've read the Dreyfus book "A Remarkable Medicine has been overlooked". It's an anti-convulsive and according to the book, the best thing since dark chocolate. Any experiences?
Hi Barb,
My Mom was on 100mg Dilantin 4x daily with phenobarbitol for seizures. I never took any of her pills or was prescribed Dilantin. Do you still have your teeth or have you gotten dentures? She lost all her teeth to gum disease/overgrowth in her late 30's indirectly from long-term Dilantin use. Eeek, I remember her coming home from the dentist (or surgeon) after having all of them extracted when I was a kid. Not to say that lower doses would be OK, or if you monitored it closely you could prevent it, but that is what happened to her. Just an FYI.
Posted by Barbara Cat on June 19, 2003, at 11:14:46
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use?, posted by jonh kimble on June 18, 2003, at 22:13:43
> isnt it a powerful opioid? maybe im wrong though
No, it's a med in long-term use for epilepsy.
Posted by Barbara Cat on June 19, 2003, at 11:20:23
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use? » Barbara Cat, posted by Ritch on June 19, 2003, at 0:07:16
Yeah, I heard about the gum thing and yes, I have most of my choppers -- wouldn't want to lose them that way (your poor mom, Eeek is right!). I'm not really considering using it but was looking for some anecdotals, mainly for interest sake. I wonder what's so different in the gum department that other anti-convulsants don't share? Maybe it dries out the mouth too much?
> > I've read the Dreyfus book "A Remarkable Medicine has been overlooked". It's an anti-convulsive and according to the book, the best thing since dark chocolate. Any experiences?
>
> Hi Barb,
>
> My Mom was on 100mg Dilantin 4x daily with phenobarbitol for seizures. I never took any of her pills or was prescribed Dilantin. Do you still have your teeth or have you gotten dentures? She lost all her teeth to gum disease/overgrowth in her late 30's indirectly from long-term Dilantin use. Eeek, I remember her coming home from the dentist (or surgeon) after having all of them extracted when I was a kid. Not to say that lower doses would be OK, or if you monitored it closely you could prevent it, but that is what happened to her. Just an FYI.
Posted by Ritch on June 19, 2003, at 13:34:53
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use? » Ritch, posted by Barbara Cat on June 19, 2003, at 11:20:23
There recently was a poster who is a Mom of a teenage son (who was taking Dilantin) and she said that he got a moustache much earlier than expected. I knew a girl in High School that was taking it for seizures and her teeth were OK. She just mentioned that Dilantin made her a little "dingy" and "forgetful". I think there are ways to prevent the gingival gum growth thing. It could just be dose related.
> Yeah, I heard about the gum thing and yes, I have most of my choppers -- wouldn't want to lose them that way (your poor mom, Eeek is right!). I'm not really considering using it but was looking for some anecdotals, mainly for interest sake. I wonder what's so different in the gum department that other anti-convulsants don't share? Maybe it dries out the mouth too much?
>
> > > I've read the Dreyfus book "A Remarkable Medicine has been overlooked". It's an anti-convulsive and according to the book, the best thing since dark chocolate. Any experiences?
> >
> > Hi Barb,
> >
> > My Mom was on 100mg Dilantin 4x daily with phenobarbitol for seizures. I never took any of her pills or was prescribed Dilantin. Do you still have your teeth or have you gotten dentures? She lost all her teeth to gum disease/overgrowth in her late 30's indirectly from long-term Dilantin use. Eeek, I remember her coming home from the dentist (or surgeon) after having all of them extracted when I was a kid. Not to say that lower doses would be OK, or if you monitored it closely you could prevent it, but that is what happened to her. Just an FYI.
>
>
Posted by avid abulia on June 19, 2003, at 14:43:30
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use? » Ritch, posted by Barbara Cat on June 19, 2003, at 11:20:23
> I wonder what's so different in the gum department that other anti-convulsants don't share? Maybe it dries out the mouth too much?
>one of the principle metabolites is secreted in saliva, and it inhibits an enzyme important in gum health.
~AA
Posted by avid abulia on June 19, 2003, at 14:49:47
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use? » Barbara Cat, posted by Ritch on June 19, 2003, at 13:34:53
> There recently was a poster who is a Mom of a teenage son (who was taking Dilantin) and she said that he got a moustache much earlier than expected. I knew a girl in High School that was taking it for seizures and her teeth were OK. She just mentioned that Dilantin made her a little "dingy" and "forgetful". I think there are ways to prevent the gingival gum growth thing. It could just be dose related.
>
the gingival hyperplasia (gum overgrowth) is dose-related, and can be prevented to some extent by very meticulous oral hygeine.it is known to cause hirsuitism (hairiness) because it messes up testosterone and testosterone-binding protein levels.
my neighbor was taking dilantin for a seizure disorder, and i can tell you, man was that guy ever dingy, but it is hard to say if it was because of the valium, the dilantin, the meningitis that gave him a seizure disorder in the first place, or all the pot he smoked. or all of that.
~AA
Posted by Barbara Cat on June 19, 2003, at 16:23:59
In reply to Re: Dilantin - anyone ever use? » Ritch, posted by avid abulia on June 19, 2003, at 14:49:47
I probably should read up on the action of dilantin, but your posts raise some questions. How does Dilantin majorly differ from other anti-convulsants that so many of us on the board use? I wouldn't lump all mood stabilisers into the anti-convulsant camp, but many are. Why do they not cause testosterone binding problems or unhealthy gum metabolites in saliva? Or gee, maybe they do in higher dosages. How does lithium relate to dilantin? Are they not both inorganic salts acting on electric/ionic potential and transmission? Why would this one have such a different side effect profile than the other(s)? Oh, I know about targeting different receptors and all, but dilantin's profile seems so -- well, weird for something that supposedly acts like others in its class. Guess that supports the statements that no one knows how the heck these things really work.
My main query was if it helped anyone for depression, mood disorders claimed by Dreyfuss. I've only known people who took it for epilepsy. I wasn't planning on taking it but after hearing about the little moustache, forget it. I already have to wax the chinny chin chin and don't want to bother with a muzzy. - BarbaraCat
This is the end of the thread.
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