Dilantin is an anticonvulsant medication that is used to treat seizures that may occur during or after brain or nervous system surgery, particularly in people who have epilepsy. However, recently Dilantin has been linked to a serious and often fatal allergic reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome or SJS.

Dilantin (Phenytoin) is used to manage and prevent seizures. Manufactured by Pfizer, it was the first the modern drug approved by the FDA for treating seizures in 1953. Although primarily used to treat epilepsy, it is also used in hospitals and emergency rooms to prevent seizures following head injuries and to treat severe headaches when traditional medications simply don’t work.

Dilantin controls seizures by slowing down brain impulses and reducing the maximum activity of brain stem cells responsible for seizures. The drug is also used in emergency rooms to prevent seizures in patients who have experienced a head injury, and, in some cases, to treat severe headaches.

Although Dilantin has proven effective in controlling seizures of this specific nature, Dilantin may also be linked to dangerous side effects like Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). Reports of SJS induced by Dilantin were released as early as the 1930s, although the drug is currently one of the most widely prescribed anti-seizure medications in the United States.

Dilantin and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Regardless of why Dilantin was prescribed, more and more patients are alleging that they contracted SJS and TEN after use.

Here’s more on each:

Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS). SJS has been described as burning patients from the inside out and can be worse than third degree burns. It typically starts with flu-like symptoms, develops into a rash and a burning of the skin, internal organs, eyes and throat.

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). TEN, a rare disease, is a more severe version of SJS in which a person’s skin is more than 30 percent burned. Asians and African Americans are thought to be more genetically susceptible to it than Latinos, Caucasians and others.

Although many medications can cause SJS or TEN, Dilantin side effects appear to increase the risk, especially among some users of the medication.

Dilantin SJS Lawsuits

Dilantin lawsuits alleging that Pfizer’s anti-seizure drug caused Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are steadily increasing. Dilantin SJS lawsuit allegations indicate that the drug makers placed their desire for profits before safety of consumers by failing to adequately warn about the potential skin reactions.