Lamictal (lamotrigine) may be a cause of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a severe and potentially deadly skin condition. As SJS is generally caused by a reaction to a drug, Lamictal and other similar medications are under investigation for causing SJS side effects.

What Is Lamictal?

Lamictal is an anti-epileptic medication that is used to treat seizures and to aid with bipolar disorder side effects. Children as young as 2 years old may use this medication short term as long as it is not their sole source of medication.

Although Lamictal may have helped many individuals with their epilepsy, it has also caused dangerous Lamictal SJS side effects in many users. It has also caused Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), a more life-threatening version of SJS.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

SJS is a rare but dangerous skin condition that is caused by the body attacking the skin. It is almost always caused by a hypersensitive reaction to a medication, like Lamictal.

Lamictal SJS symptoms begin with flu-like symptoms which are followed by a red or purplish rash. The rash then develops into severe blisters and lesions all over the skin. This can cause the epidermis (the top layer of skin) to actually separate from the second layer of skin. The skin literally burns off from the inside out. This can cause permanent scarring, secondary infection, as well as death. SJS not only affects the skin but also the mucous membranes such as the nose, eyes, mouth, and pubic area. It is an extremely painful disease and patients may become blind if the disease reaches the eyes.

SJS is diagnosed when the blisters cover less than 30 percent of the body (usually 10 percent or less). Once the condition spreads to cover over 30 percent of the body, the diagnosis changes to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.  TEN is significantly more dangerous than SJS. While 5-15 percent of SJS patients die from the condition or secondary SJS side effects, the morality rate rises to 30-40 percent in TEN cases. Sepsis (blood infection) is one of the more common causes of death in TEN patients.

TEN can cause the patient to lose skin in large sheets. This is the reason why the mortality rate is so much higher: the risk of secondary infection and sepsis rises with the spread of the blisters and sores. TEN patients are often treated in hospital burn wards because of the high similarity to burn wounds.

Lamictal SJS Warning

Lamictal includes a prominent Black Box Warning about the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). These severe rashes are estimated to affect one in 1,000 adults and up to one in 50 children. The warning indicates that signs of SJS are most likely to happen within the first two to eight weeks of Lamictal treatment. It also warns that children ages 2 to 16 are the most likely victims of Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Lamictal SJS Lawsuits

Although both SJS and TEN are relatively rare diseases, their severity has caused the medical community to be concerned. Patients who have developed SJS or TEN after taking a drug such as Lamictal have filed SJS lawsuits against the drug manufacturer. SJS lawsuits have claimed that the drug manufacturers failed to warn them against SJS side effects.