Many patients and families sing the praises of Dilantin, an anti-epilepsy drug used to treat seizures in susceptible individuals as well as to treat a variety of conditions ranging from depression to bipolar disorder to symptoms of ADHD.

But despite its help in treating many individuals, it has the risk of potentially fatal consequences in others, generally targeting them without rhyme or reason.

A Dilantin skin rash, a seemingly mild reaction to the medication, can be what changes the drug from positively life-altering to potentially life-threatening.

Dilantin Skin Rash

As with any medication, Dilantin comes with a wide range of side effects that may occur with its use.

Generally, side effects of most drugs are mild and time-limited, waning or disappearing altogether once the body has a chance to adjust to the medication.

Some types of Dilantin skin side effects are general run-of-the-mill rashes with redness and itching over a small area of the body. This type of rash is typically more of an annoyance than anything of grave concern in most cases.

However, some types of Dilantin skin rash conditions are much more serious.

This more severe type of rash that is observed is known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a rare drug reaction to Dilantin and many other types of medications.

These types of rashes typically only appear after the patient taking the drug has gone through a period of experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Fever, nausea, chills, malaise, pain, weakness and other general feelings of on wellness are common in the outset of the more severe skin rash reaction.

The rash has characteristic purple or red blisters, and it typically spreads rapidly once it has erupted.

The areas of skin that have been affected by rash end up sloughing off the body in layers and sometimes in large sheets due to multiple layers of skin cells dying as a result of the rash.

With Stevens Johnson Syndrome, up to 30% of the body can be affected by the rash. In a related but more severe condition, toxic epidermal necrolysis, more than 30% of the body is affected up to almost all of the skin on a patient’s body in the most serious cases.

In addition to the skin rash manifestations, other symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome are also seen.

Swelling of the tongue or face may also be present. Organs may begin to be affected either temporarily or permanently, and in some cases organ failure and blindness result from Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Treating SJS Dilantin Skin Rash

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Patients must be hospitalized and receive emergency treatment once the disease is suspected.

Often, patients are treated in the burn unit of hospitals, as they appear to have suffered from serious burn injuries. Alternatively, patients may also be treated in the intensive care unit.

The offending drug must immediately be discontinued. In some cases, Stevens Johnson Syndrome develops shortly after beginning a new drug, but it can happen at any time during a patient’s treatment with the drug, even after months or years of having no prior problems tolerating the pharmaceutical.

Supportive care is the main treatment for patients dealing with Stevens Johnson Syndrome as a result of the Dilantin rash.

Pain management, wound care, hydration and nutrition, along with other means to keep the patient comfortable, are typically the only available interventions to help a patient with Stevens Johnson syndrome.

Patients may be hospitalized for days, weeks, or months before their situation stabilizes.

In the most severe cases, Stevens Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are fatal. Approximately 5 to 15% of Stevens Johnson Syndrome cases and 25 to 35% of toxic epidermal necrolysis cases end with a patient succumbing to death.

It is important if you or a loved one are taking Dilantin to be on the lookout for any suspicious Dilantin skin rash that may appear, as it may turn out to be much more than a mild drug side effect.