The popular over-the-counter pain reliever Tylenol has recently been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a life-threatening skin disorder in which cell death causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis.

Symptoms of SJS include hives, rash, facial swelling, and the inability to eat or drink. Some patients have brought SJS lawsuits against McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the company that makes Tylenol, for allegedly concealing critical safety information about the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome associated with Tylenol.

Manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), Tylenol is a widely-used over-the-counter (OTC) medication found in millions of homes across the country. Tylenol is used to reduce headaches and fevers, as well as to treat minor muscle aches and pains.

Since Tylenol is such a widely available drug, many consumers are unaware of how dangerous it can be. Many people take more than the recommended dose thinking it will increase the drug’s effectiveness, when Tylenol does not even treat the problem that they are taking it for.

Consumers are advised that using more Tylenol than is recommended can have life-threatening consequences, including the development of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

SJS Symptoms

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and its more severe form called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are serious life-threatening catastrophic skin disorders, which can also result in blindness, organ dysfunction and death. Symptoms include rashes, redness, blisters and eventually can entail the shedding of major parts of the victim’s body surfaces.

SJS symptoms can begin with a fever, sore throat and headache and over a few days (or sometimes even minutes) can turn into skin lesions, blisters and respiratory infections. It generally affects the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat and swelling of the eyelids. SJS can also progress to blindness and internal organ damage.

As Stevens Johnson Syndrome evolves, the skin literally sloughs off in sheets. Patients are typically treated in a hospital’s burn unit. If the skin lesions become infected, or the patient develops lesions in the lungs, it can result in death.

In approximately 5 to 15% of the severe occurrences of SJS, the patient may die as a result.  The patient’s skin literally burns from the inside out and often requires treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) or the burn unit of a hospital.

Tylenol and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

SJS is almost always caused by a strong and severe allergic reaction to certain prescription drugs and common over-the-counter medications like Tylenol.  In SJS cases involving acetaminophen-based products such as Tylenol, there was a lack of warning about possible allergic reactions.

Without warnings and education about SJS symptoms associated with Tylenol, many adults and children ingest acetaminophen-based drugs, allowing for a simple skin problem to progress into SJS or TEN.

While anyone can be diagnosed with SJS or TEN, it is more common in children and people of Asian or African-American descent. Some forms of the condition are more severe than others. Unfortunately, the severe cases, tend to be caused by medications such as Tylenol

Tylenol SJS Lawsuits

While Tylenol packages warn of possible allergic reactions, patients who developed SJS or TEN after taking Tylenol have filed SJS lawsuits against McNeil Consumer Healthcare accusing the company of failing to adequately disclose the likelihood of severe and dangerous side effects and skin conditions from Tylenol.

Tylenol SJS lawsuits further alleged that McNeil Consumer Healthcare suppressed information on the risks of Stevens Johnson Syndrome to the FDA and public.