Dilantin

/daɪˈlæntin/ noun

Definition

A trademarked anticonvulsant medication (phenytoin) used to treat seizures and epilepsy.

Etymology

Dilantin is a brand name created by the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis for phenytoin, synthesized in 1908. The name's origin is somewhat proprietary, but it became the common name for the drug despite its chemical name.

Kelly Says

Dilantin was one of the first truly effective anti-seizure drugs and revolutionized epilepsy treatment in the 1930s-40s—but it has quirky side effects like gum overgrowth that made doctors eventually prefer newer alternatives.

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