Anticonvulsant medication Dilantin has been named in a series of lawsuits accusing drug manufacturers Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Baxter Healthcare of failing to warn patients that the drug can cause the development of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

SJS is a severe skin condition that can have permanent or deadly side effects including scars and organ failure. Dilantin is one of many drugs currently under investigation for SJS side effects.

SJS is an auto-immune disease that attacks the skin. It begins with flu-like symptoms and a rash before developing into severe skin irritation.

Painful rashes and sores appear on the skin and may spread across the skin or mucous membranes (the nose, eyes, and genital area). SJS burns may cover up to 30 percent of the body.

Patients may experience skin loss due to the shedding caused by the sores. Large areas of skin may be lost. Roughly 5 to 15 percent of all SJS patients die due to complications such as sepsis.

If the blisters cover more than 30 percent of the body, the condition changes to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). TEN shares similar symptoms and side effects with SJS, but it is a more painful and dangerous condition.

Many TEN patients are treated in a hospital burn ward due to the similarity to burn wounds. TEN can cause the skin to slough off in large sheets. Due to the increase in skin loss, 40 percent of TEN patients die from the condition.

Many patients are left with permanent scars if they recover from SJS or TEN. Some patients may be left blind if the condition reaches their eyes or suffer from organ damage.

SJS and TEN are severe allergic reactions to medications such as Dilantin. Although SJS side effects are relatively rare, their severity has caused the medical community to be concerned over how it is caused and how medications warn against them.

SJS and TEN symptoms may include:

• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, cough, burning eyes
• Red or purple skin rash
• Hives
• Blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, especially in the mouth, nose and eyes
• Facial swelling
• Tongue swelling
• Skin pain
• Skin shedding (sloughing)

Dilantin SJS Lawsuits

Many Dilantin SJS lawsuits have been filed against the drug manufacturers alleging that the companies were aware of Dilantin SJS risks but failed to include them on the warning label (which already contains a long list of side effects).

Organizations such as the World Health Organization have already confirmed several Dilantin SJS cases. At least 100 Dilantin lawsuits have claimed that the drug caused victims to suffer from the severe skin condition. A Dilantin SJS class action lawsuit investigation has also been launched.