Dilantin, also known as phenytoin, may be linked to a serious and often fatal disease known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

Dilantin is an anti-convulsant or seizure medication that is typically used to prevent grand mal seizures (characterized by a sudden loss of consciousness followed by convulsions) and temporal lobe seizures (which affect smell, taste, hearing, memory and movement). It was the first the modern drug used to treat seizures and was approved by the FDA for treating seizures in 1953.

However, while most medications have side effects, Dilantin has serious side effects which are little known by most of its users and many in the medical community. Dilantin can cause a rare skin disorder called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) in some Dilantin users. SJS is a very serious Dilantin skin side effect that can leave the victim horribly disfigured and maimed. Stevens Johnson Syndrome affects the mucous membranes and the skin, eventually resulting in the epidermis (the outer layers of skin) separating from the dermis (inner layers of skin).

Dilantin Rash Symptoms

Individuals who experience a phenytoin rash may be experiencing a Stevens Johnson Syndrome skin reaction from Dilantin which often requires treatment in a hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Burn Unit, and the condition may be fatal in some cases. SJS symptoms from Dilantin may include:

• Phenytoin Rash, Blisters or Red Spots on the Skin
• Blisters in the Mouth, Eyes, Ears, Nose or Genitals
• Swelling of the Eyelids
• Fever or Flu-Like Symptoms

SJS is often described as horrendous and life-threatening skin burns in which a person’s skin actually sloughs off; it can also lead to blindness, organ damage and death.

Dilantin SJS Risks

Most of the Dilantin rash lawsuits being filed against the manufacturers of Dilantin are associated with the development of SJS. This is not new – cases of SJS related to Dilantin use were reported as early as the 1930’s. SJS is estimated to affect 1,400 out of 1 million children and 900 out of 1 million adults. SJS is always caused by the use of drugs, like Dilantin, with Asian and African Americans at greater risk of developing the phenytoin rash.

Further medical studies made in the 1980s show an overwhelming correlation between Dilantin use and the development of SJS Dilantin rash in both adult and pediatric patients. This was widely publicized in many medical textbooks which prominently displayed the high risk of developing SJS symptoms with continued use of Dilantin. A study conducted in the 1980’s also showed that most of the people who developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome were using Dilantin.

Dilantin SJS Lawsuits

In November 2010, Pfizer, the maker of Dilantin, agreed to a $3.78 million settlement with the family of a 9-year-old girl who died less than one month after ingesting Dilantin. In 2008, a Dilantin case settled for $900,000. The patient had an allergic reaction to the drug that led to SJS and severe burns.

There are over 120 pending Dilantin SJS lawsuits all claiming that Dilantin causes the horrendous and life-threatening SJS Dilantin rash. These SJS lawsuits further allege that Pfizer and the makers of generic Dilantin, such as Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Baxter Healthcare, knew about the increased risks of Dilantin rash and SJS and failed to warn consumers.

If you think you have developed a phenytoin rash as the result of using Dilantin, you may be eligible to file a Dilantin SJS lawsuit.