Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including Cipro (Ciprofloxacin), have been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

Cipro is a second generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is often prescribed when patients suffer from respiratory, urinary tract, gastrointestinal, and abdominal bacterial infections.

Cipro and other fluoroquinolones are valued for their broad spectrum of treatment purposes, as well as for their availability in both oral and intravenous formulations. Cipro has been recently cited as a possible cause of Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) reactions in patients. SJS and TEN are severe allergic skin reactions that patients suffer when reacting to one or more medications.

Both of these conditions are rare, and only several have been reported in association with Cipro. When a patient does suffer the effects of SJS or TEN, the result can be devastating. In one case of alleged Cipro-induced SJS, a woman in her late 20s who had no allergic or medical history of adverse reactions to medications developed severe skin erosion in her nose and genital area, as well as all over face and arms. She was taken off Cipro and reportedly recovered within 15 days.

Many cases are far more severe, an estimated 30 percent to 40 percent of SJS and TEN patients die from these conditions, due to delayed diagnoses. Patients are often left with permanent scarring from the disease, along with a high chance of recurrence, along with damaged eyesight, and weakened internal organs.

It is estimated that there are 300 cases of SJS and TEN diagnosed every year in the United States, with the conditions more common in adults than children. Medical experts state that regardless of how unlikely it is for a patient to suffer these conditions, it is important to list SJS and TEN as possible side effects on medication.

Many patients have filed legal action against drug manufacturing companies for not using adequate language to describe the side effects of their products.

Overview of Fluoroquinolone SJS Complications

Fluoroquinolones are among the most widely prescribed antibiotics in the United States, with the best known being Cipro, Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). Stevens Johnson Syndrome is characterized for the red and purple skin lesions it leaves on the patient’s body, often on up to 30 percent of skin surface area. TEN can affect up to 90 percent. The condition often appears within the first two weeks of starting the medication, and starts with flu-like symptoms. Due to the nature of the injuries the patients suffer, they often have to be treated in hospital burn units.