Study: Dilantin may cause bone loss

Researchers say Dilantin, a drug used to treat epilepsy, may put younger women who take it for a year or more at higher risk for osteoporosis. In fact, bone loss was eight times higher for these women when compared to postmenopausal women who did not take the drug. Experts say this finding suggests that if women remain on Dilantin and have ongoing accelerated bone loss, they will likely be entering perimenopause with lower bone density and therefore have a greater risk of fractures. Because Dilantin is inexpensive, more than 90 percent of older epilepsy patients are put on the drug.  Read full story >