Cipro (Ciprofloxacin) is a popular antibiotic that is prescribed to treat a variety of infections, like ear, throat, and urinary tract infections. It belongs to an equally popular drug family called quinolones, which work by halting the production and growth of bacteria.

Ideally, this medication will deal with the bacterial infection quickly without complications, and will allow the patient an easy recovery. However, Cipro and other quinolones have been linked to a number of serious side effects, including Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS). Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a very rare and extreme allergic skin reaction, specifically caused by an adverse reaction to one or more medications, like Cipro.

Cipro and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

As a rare event in the medical community, each case of confirmed Stevens Johnson Syndrome is carefully documented, to which doctors take note of what drugs the patient recently took. Medical statistics indicate that quinolones and other popular antibiotics, like Cipro, have been mentioned in a number of SJS injury reports, and seem to be more commonly mentioned in comparison to other antibiotics in adverse drug reactions. While there are numerous factors in gathering statistics, including reason for prescription and medical history, experts agree that when SJS has been documented to occur, the medications should be noted too.

For example, a recent health survey conducted on the health website ehealthme,  patients who were prescribed Cipro reported the side effects they suffered. Data for the study was garnered from the FDA and other social media sites. Out of 5,741 patients, 23 reported suffering Stevens Johnson Syndrome, when the study concluded on April 19, 2015. Even with the low number of reported Cipro Stevens Johnson Syndrome, each patient could have suffered fatal consequences, and SJS could have been avoided if the patients had known Cipro was associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Numerous drug companies have argued that it is the unnecessary prescriptions of their medications that leads to SJS injuries, not insufficient warning labels. Due to the rarity of this condition, SJS is not commonly mentioned on drug labels.

Overprescription is another factor that could fluctuate the number of Cipro SJS cases, or having a medication prescribed when it is not needed. It has been reported that Cipro and other popular quinolone antibiotics are prescribed when they are not needed or applicable.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Symptoms

There are approximately 300 cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome diagnosed per year in the United States, and the allergic skin reaction is more commonly found in adults than children. As mentioned before, the disease can be fatal due to the physical side effects that SJS inflicts, and can result in death or permanent damage if not quickly diagnosed. Yet, due to how rare the condition is, most physicians do not recognize the reaction initially and often make several misdiagnoses before arriving to the right diagnosis. However, medical experts warn that if patients develop SJS, the condition will likely begin with flu-like symptoms and will occur within the first two to eight weeks of starting a medication, like Cipro.

One of the tell-tale signs of SJS are the red or purple skin lesions that appear on the patient’s body, which later detach and slough off the patient. Stevens Johnson Syndrome can consume up to 30 percent of skin surface area in lesions, and up to 90 percent in its more aggressive form of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). Other SJS symptoms include permanent skin scarring, blindness, and internal organ damage. Skin lesions also can appear on the mucous membranes, which can cause the throat, lips, and eye lids to swell and obstruct the patient’s breathing and sight. Due to the nature of these side effects, SJS patients are often treated in the burn units of hospitals.

Even if SJS patients are lucky enough to survive the condition, medical experts warn that the chances of recurrence are high, and patients should be aware of any adverse effects from taking quinolone antibiotics such as Cipro.