Hi everyone! Can anyone help me please?
I look after an 88year old man who was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2008. He was put on Phenytoin in 2009 after keppra and an other drug lowered his blood sodium to dangerous levels. The change over was good and he only takes 200mg of Phenytoin at night. He has not had any fits since except when he was given a 100mg Nitrofuritoin at night for urine infection. It interacted and dosage was reduced and everything was OK. However, Phenytoin seems to be affecting his sleep and he is always tired. He falls into frequent deep sleeps and dreams and starts talking in his sleep and trying to do things with his hands such as put his shoes on. If I wake him up he realises he was dreaming and is quite normal again until he falls asleep again when it starts all over again. He is defienitely not suffering form dementia. This has got worse while he has been on Trimpethoprim antibiotic for urine infections. He has taken it for 3 weeks. It is as if it has made the effects of the Phebytoin worse. It does say on leaflet that care needs to be taken when taking this antibiotic if you are on Phenytoin but it does not say why. Could anyone offer any help. We will be seeing the GP but they are quite ignorant about side effects and I would really welcoem someone elses opinion or own experience of this tablet and perhaps the antibiotic.
I look after an 88year old man who was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2008. He was put on Phenytoin in 2009 after keppra and an other drug lowered his blood sodium to dangerous levels. The change over was good and he only takes 200mg of Phenytoin at night. He has not had any fits since except when he was given a 100mg Nitrofuritoin at night for urine infection. It interacted and dosage was reduced and everything was OK. However, Phenytoin seems to be affecting his sleep and he is always tired. He falls into frequent deep sleeps and dreams and starts talking in his sleep and trying to do things with his hands such as put his shoes on. If I wake him up he realises he was dreaming and is quite normal again until he falls asleep again when it starts all over again. He is defienitely not suffering form dementia. This has got worse while he has been on Trimpethoprim antibiotic for urine infections. He has taken it for 3 weeks. It is as if it has made the effects of the Phebytoin worse. It does say on leaflet that care needs to be taken when taking this antibiotic if you are on Phenytoin but it does not say why. Could anyone offer any help. We will be seeing the GP but they are quite ignorant about side effects and I would really welcoem someone elses opinion or own experience of this tablet and perhaps the antibiotic.
