How to Adjust Phenytoin Dosing

Doctors often prescribe phenytoin, available in different forms (including Dilantin, Phenytek, or generic phenytoin), to control grand mal seizures in patients with epilepsy. Once a doctor has diagnosed a patient with epilepsy or another seizure ailment, he will recommend regular blood tests to check the level of phenytoin in the system. The efficacy of the dose in relation to the seizures is measured and increased accordingly. It is very important to take the correct dose at the right time to control the seizures; increase only when recommended by a doctor.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask your physician any questions you have regarding your prescription before leaving his office, such as the amount you need to take, the number of times each day you must take it, and the best time to take.

• 2

  Read the label on the medication before you leave the pharmacy after filling the doctor's prescription. Ask the pharmacist any questions you might have before you leave, including possible side effects.

• 3

  Shake the liquid form of the phenytoin thoroughly before opening the bottle for the first time and each time thereafter. Use a medical measurement spoon to take the precise amount you need.

• 4

  Take oral forms of phenytoin whole. Ask the pharmacist if they can be crushed, if you have trouble swallowing pills. Take with food or just before eating.

• 5

  Keep a diary of your medication and any seizures you may have, and bring it with you to the doctor. Keep scheduled appointments for blood tests so that the doctor can regulate your phenytoin dosage. The level of the phenytoin in the blood and the seizure control will determine how much phenytoin you need to take.