Just wondered if anyone else is in the same boat as me...DC, and epilepsy--controlled by multiple AEDs. I've read (and heard!) that at least one of my AED's can make DC worse. Anybody else heard that??

I've recently been diagnosed with Dupuytren's and RSDS (refelx sympathetic dystrophy syndrome) by both a hand surgeon and physical therapist after having broken the distal portion of my radius. I'd never heard of either condition before, and have no contracture yet, but the symptoms were clearly visible once I knew what to look for; perhaps that fall and broken wrist were a gift in disguise.

More to your point, yes, I have discovered numerous references to phenobarbital and dilantin (both of which I have taken since age 11, though the dilantin was discontinued about 25 years ago). Unfortunately, this connection was news to my hand surgeon, physical therapist and neurologist, all of whom have asked for more information. My neuro is referring me to an epileptologist for an in-depth re-eval with a view to changing meds. Of course, I'm concerned about the side-effects of any new meds as well.

An additional side effect of phenobarbital is an increased risk of osteoporosis and, consequently, bone fractures. I discovered this when my HRT prescription came with a warning that the phenobarb may interfere with its effectiveness. Apparently the phenobarb inhibits the body's ability to use estrogen. Neither my neurologist nor my Ob/Gyn was aware of this side-effect. A sad statistic I found was that only 28% of physicians screen their patients on phenobarb for osteoporosis or any bone mineralization problems. Fortunately, my bone density study came back normal, but I would advise anyone taking phenobarbital to insist on periodic evaluation of bone density.