Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an anti-seizure drug developed and sold by GlaxoSmithKline and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994. The drug has become a common treatment for both adults and children with epilepsy.

However, many users who take Lamictal have experienced severe rash symptoms, some even developing into the life-threatening Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

If you or someone you love is taking Lamictal and have developed Lamictal rash symptoms, it is important to be aware of some basic information.

Lamictal Rash Symptoms

Since it was first released, Lamictal has included several label warnings of Lamictal rash symptoms. These include the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). However, Lamictal SJS lawsuits allege that this warning was not adequate, given the severity of some of these conditions.

A more common Lamictal reaction is a simple drug rash. Drug reactions like this are fairly normal and are not major causes for concern. Lamictal rash treatment is often very simple. Normally, Lamictal rash symptoms will go away on their own. In fact, clinical trials reveal that about 10 percent of patients on Lamictal experience some form of Lamictal rash symptoms on their skin shortly after initially using Lamictal.

Not all of these rashes are associated with SJS, and most are not severe enough to require hospitalization, but wariness of these symptoms is highly encouraged by the medical community.

However, because Lamictal is also associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a potentially fatal drug reaction that begins with a mild rash, patients who experience a Lamictal reaction that includes any form of a rash should be extremely cautious, and seek Lamictal rash treatment if it does not go away quickly, or exhibits signs of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome

While most reactions will not need Lamictal rash treatment, Stevens Johnson Syndrome can be fatal, and so should be treated at a hospital immediately.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome causes the epidermis, the top layer of skin, to blister and peel. These rashes can start off simply but become severe and painful after a short period of time, so patients taking Lamictal should be cautious.

At their most extreme, Lamictal SJS rashes are extremely similar to severe burns – so much so that patients with SJS are often treated in the hospital’s burn unit.

SJS rashes can lead to intense pain, eye problems, secondary skin infection, and internal organ damage. In most cases of Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome, patients are permanently scarred. SJS can cover a large portion of skin, so the scarring can be widespread and disfiguring.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of SJS so that if you or a loved one experiences a drug reaction to Lamictal, you can recognize whether or not the drug rash should be treated as Lamital SJS.

If these SJS symptoms appear, usage of Lamictal can be immediately stopped and hospital treatment sought immediately.

Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms include:

• facial swelling
• tongue swelling
• hives
• skin pain
• a red or purple skin rash, spreading within hours to days
• blisters on skin, mouth, nose, and/or eyes
• shedding of skin

A patient is diagnosed with SJS when these rashes cover 30 percent or less of the skin. When any more than 30 percent of the skin is covered with these intense rashes, the diagnosis progresses to its more severe form, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. TEN is more life-threatening, and has a mortality rate of over 40 percent, so it should be treated immediately.

Lamictal SJS Lawsuits

If you or someone you know has experienced SJS symptoms or TEN symptoms while using Lamictal and believe you were not adequately warned about the potentially severe side effects of Lamictal, you may have cause for filing a Lamictal SJS lawsuit for medical and financial damages.