Zithromax (generic: azithromycin), manufactured by Pfizer, is an antibiotic for bacterial infections. Adults and children may take this medicine for different reasons – adults may take it to fight respiratory infections or sexually transmitted diseases, but children may take it for such things as ear infections or pneumonia. It is one of the most widely prescribed drugs today.

For a small number of users, Zithromax side effects can be extreme, and in recent years, the drug has been tied to some very serious negative effects. One of the worst effects the medicine has been associated with is Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a rare but serious disorder affecting skin and mucous membranes. SJS is an allergic reaction, often producing a red or purple rash, spreading and blistering across up to 30% of the skin. Eventually, the top layer of the affected skin dies and sheds. Patients with Stevens Johnson Syndrome are often in serious enough condition that they have to be treated in the hospital’s burn unit, because the symptoms of SJS are similar to major burns.

Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a medical emergency, and recovery can take weeks to months. It is also a life-threatening condition – between 5% and 15% of Zithromax SJS patients die. Survivors are often left with serious scarring and other side effects.

There is a more severe form of SJS called TEN, or toxic epidermal necrolysis, which has also been reported as a Zithromax side effect. Stevens Johnson Syndrome becomes toxic epidermal necrolysis when more than 30% of the skin is covered by blisters. TEN patients have a heightened risk of death – between 30% and 40%.

More and more cases of Zithromax SJS are surfacing, and more families are filing SJS lawsuits for the lack of adequate warning to medical professionals or patients of these sometimes serious Zithromax side effects, which have at the very least caused medical and financial harm.

Drug makers like Pfizer have a legal responsibility to make medical professionals and consumers aware of the risks their products hold.

In 2012, Pfizer received a warning from the FDA for a Zithromax brochure, which did not adequately disclose the drug’s risks, minimizing and omitting risks while simultaneously claiming to treat conditions the drug had not been approved to treat. These kinds of failures to inform the public qualify as negligent marketing. Patients have reported multiple cases of failure to disclose Zithromax’s risks properly in a number of Zithromax lawsuits.

Many people taking Zithromax are not aware of the serious side effects which, though unlikely, do occur. Those who suffered a negative side effect of Zithromax such as SJS or TEN may have a legal claim. (Find out if you have a legal claim.) Zithromax has reportedly also led to kidney failure, liver failure, and birth defects.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms include:

• Facial swelling
• Tongue Swelling
• Skin Pain
• A red or purple skin rash that spreads within hours to days
• Blisters and shedding of skin
• Hives
• Blisters

If you or someone you love has experienced these symptoms or has been diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking Zithromax, you may have a reason to file a Zithromax SJS lawsuit.