Lamictal is a medication usually prescribed to control seizures. It belongs to the class of pharmaceuticals known as anticonvulsants.  In some cases, it is also used to interrupt the manic-depressive cycles of mood in a bipolar patient.

As a side effect of its use, some patients have developed a Lamictal skin rash which could signal the beginning of a very serious illness known as Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS). Another even more critical disease related to SJS is toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

Lamictal skin rash should be taken very seriously because SJS has in up to 15% of those patients diagnosed become so dangerous as to lead to their demise. In TEN, up to 30 to 40% of diagnosed patients die.

The remaining sufferers of these diseases have racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills trying to recover. Recovery can be extremely lengthy – lasting several months – for SJS victims.  For TEN victims, recovery will likely come with some survival deficit such as blindness or permanent skin damage.

What is SJS and TEN?

SJS is basically an allergic reaction to commonly-used over-the-counter medications that we rarely think about on a day-to-day basis. It is usually associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) taken for muscle aches like Motrin and Advil (ibuprofen), Alleve (naproxen sodium), or even aspirin.

It can, however, happen because of using prescribed anticonvulsant drugs like Lamictal and Dilantin. Therefore, a Lamictal skin rash is something about which a seizure disorder or bipolar patient should be aware. TEN is also a drug-reactionary condition that seems to come from antibiotics like amoxicillin and azithromycin, (Zithromax, Zmax and Z-Pak).

What are SJS and TEN’s Key Symptoms and Complications?

SJS and TEN can both begin with flu-like fevers, muscle aches and, in the case of Lamictal, the Lamictal skin rash or other drug-induced type of skin rash. The patient’s skin can blister in a way that resembles other conditions such as shingles and chicken pox.

Open sores that don’t scab over can develop.  Later, the skin can peel off, but on a much deeper level than with a routine sunburn.  The peeling skin can slough off in sheets.

The deadliest part of both diseases is the vulnerability to which the skin disruptions can lead.  Human skin is our first defense against infection, and with it compromised in this way, the body can become toxic very fast – a condition known as sepsis.

With TEN, anatomical parts containing mucous membranes are rapidly affected. It is not uncommon to have lesions appear on the eyes or in the mouth and throat or female genitalia.

Because of said lesions, blindness is a likely eventuality. Eating can be difficult enough to lead to malnutrition, making fighting the illness more difficult.  Finally, sexual activity is precluded and urination and bowel movements painful.  Waste removal is yet another way in which the body rids itself of toxicity, so this adds another layer to the poisons with which this condition burdens the patient’s body.