Amanda Antell  |  January 29, 2015

Category: Legal News

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drug side effectsZithromax is the most popular antibiotic in the United States, but is currently under extreme scrutiny for its side effects. In particular, patients have complained of the rare but severe injuries of liver toxicity, liver failure, and Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a severe, allergic skin reaction that is specifically caused by using one or more medications. SJS is infamously identified by red or purple lesions on the skin surface area; this reaction can cause the skin to literally detach and melt off the body. Its more extreme cousin, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), is also characterized by these lesions but consumes up to 60 percent more of the patient’s skin.

Despite the severity of this condition, it is very rare and is often not immediately identified when it first appears. Out of the hundreds of thousands of patients in the United States, only 300 cases of SJS are diagnosed per year, more often in adults than children. Medical experts warn that if a patient has come down with SJS, it will appear within the first few weeks of starting the medication and will begin with flu-like symptoms.

Unfortunately, Stevens Johnson Syndrome has become well associated with Zithromax in the past couple years due to numerous injury reports and recent studies. While it is important to remember that SJS is a rare occurrence with any medication, experts state that it is still relevant to evaluate the likelihood of its possibility, especially in popular drugs like Zithromax.

In a recent evaluation study on eHealthMe, over 10,000 Zithromax patients had reported different side effects while taking the antibiotic. The patients who reported Zithromax SJS most commonly were adult men, and who were also taking another medication called Fluconazole. These cases had been consolidated from the FDA and various social media outlets, which had collected a total of 10,940 patients.

Out of this group, approximately 173 (1.58 percent) patients had reported developing Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Reported results had been concluded by Dec. 26, 2014.

Overview of Zithromax SJS Complications

Zithromax was approved by the FDA in 1992 to treat a variety of bacterial infections, from minor to major conditions. For decades, this drug has been the premier choice for patients to treat their bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, and other infections. It is proudly manufactured by Pfizer, and continues to make millions for the company every year due to its mass popularity amongst adult and pediatric patients.

Marketing experts explain that this overwhelming preference by the public stems from the drug’s unique treatment mechanism and short prescription requirement. Zithromax works by inhibiting the bacteria’s ability to reproduce and spread, which causes the infection to eventually die out. Furthermore, the time required for a Zithromax prescription is five days, when the standard requirement is ten; parents especially love this fact due to the typical reluctance of children agreeing to take their medications. While a magnificent pharmaceutical accomplishment, medical experts worry that a dependency has developed amongst prescribing physicians for this drug, due to its wide range of uses.

It has been reported that doctors prescribe the antibiotic when it is either not needed or not even applicable, like in the case of a virus. Therefore, doctors are being encouraged to prescribe other antibiotics in the place of Zithromax, in hopes to break the cycle.

Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that numerous patients have already been injured by Zithromax side effects, including the cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Zithromax attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Zithromax class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Zithromax lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or a loved one had a heart attack, liver failure, Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis after taking Zithromax, Z-Pak, Zmax or azithromycin, you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

A Zithromax attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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