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As widely used as azithromycin antibiotic is, it’s not particularly common for patients to develop a severe adverse drug reaction to it.
Yet a rare azithromycin reaction can threaten to impair children’s vision and in some cases leave them blind.
Azithromycin antibiotic is sold under its own name as a generic and also under the brand name Zithromax. Azithromycin is sometimes packaged in shorter courses of one, three or five days. These shorter courses may be found under the brand names Zmax and Z-Pak.
Side Effects
As the label for azithromycin notes, one possible azithromycin reaction is Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS. Cases of serious dermatologic reactions like SJS and its related condition toxic epidermal necrolysis have been reported in conjunction with courses of azithromycin, and other drugs.
SJS is known for its skin symptoms. It typically causes a rash to break out and spread over the body. As the rash progresses, blisters may form and spread into larger areas of skin that can detach and peel away, exposing the sensitive deeper layers of skin. This is when it becomes a dangerous reaction, as threat of infection grows.
Similar symptoms may attack the mucous membranes, the tissue that lines the inside of the digestive and respiratory tracts, as well.
But SJS symptoms can also attack the eyes, putting the patient at risk for impaired vision or even blindness. Keratoconjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva and the cornea, is one possible complication of SJS. This inflammation may only cause irritation and dryness in the eyes; in more severe cases, it can lead to scarring and damage of eye tissue that can result in blindness.
How to Get Help
SJS requires inpatient treatment in a hospital as soon as possible. Sometimes treatment is delayed because the earliest symptoms of SJS don’t necessarily signal a need for immediate attention. A child may at first have only fever, cough or body aches – symptoms that could be mistaken for some more benign condition, and not an adverse drug reaction.
The Mayo Clinic website recommends seeking immediate medical attention if you or your child experiences any of the following symptoms:
- Unexplained widespread skin pain
- Facial swelling
- Blisters on your skin and mucous membranes
- Hives
- Tongue swelling
- A red or purplish skin rash that spreads
- Shedding of your skin
In cases of SJS that are an azithromycin reaction, the patient must discontinue that drug and may need to replace it with an alternative antibiotic.
Other Drugs Associated
SJS is not just an azithromycin reaction. It can be an adverse drug reaction associated with many different kinds of medications.
- Dilantin: A young girl developed toxic epidermal necrolysis, a more advanced form of SJS, after being prescribed the anticonvulsant Dilantin around the time she had a brain tumor surgically removed. She died of organ failure 21 days later. Pfizer settled her family’s Dilantin lawsuit for nearly $4 million.
- Lamictal: In 2009, a California teenager came down with SJS after taking the anti-epileptic drug Lamictal. She eventually recovered, but only after several skin grafts and intensive care treatment.
- Ciproflaxin: A college student suffered blisters over 70 percent of her body when SJS set in after she took Ciproflaxin, also known by its brand name Cipro. She was treated in a burn unit and had to undergo several surgeries.
- Avelox: Fluoroquinolone antibiotics like Avelox have been associated with some reports of SJS. Levaquin and Cipro are also in the same class of antibiotics, and SJS can be an adverse drug reaction to both of those as well.
If your child or someone you love suffered an SJS reaction from azithromycin or another antibiotic, you may be eligible for legal compensation.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Stevens Johnson Syndrome attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, SJS lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.
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Help for Victims of Stevens Johnson Syndrome
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) after taking a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you may be eligible to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Filing an SJS lawsuit or class action lawsuit may help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Obtain a free and confidential review of your case by filling out the form below.
An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.
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