Lamictal is a potentially life-saving drug, with a potentially life-threatening side effect: Lamictal SJS.

Lamictal is the trade name of lamotrigine, an anticonvulsant made by drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline. Many seizure drugs have been found to treat psychiatric disorders (and vice versa).

In the case of Lamictal, the FDA has approved the drug for use as a mood stabilizer, the first such approval since lithium.

For patients with certain types of seizures, the drug can mitigate their condition, reducing the risk of life-threatening seizures However, many common drugs carry a hidden risk. A small percentage of the population may experience a serious drug reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome or SJS.

About Lamictal SJS

In SJS, a drug like Lamictal triggers a reaction wherein the immune system attacks itself the way it would normally attack an infection. This is called an autoimmune disorder. In Lamictal SJS, the body attacks the skin, causing a painful rash with blisters and sores all over the skin. In some cases, the damage can spread to the eyes and the surface of the internal organs.

The most severe cases may escalate to a more serious form of the disease, toxic epidermal necrolysis or TEN. When SJS becomes TEN, patches of skin die and slough off. The damage closely resembles chemical or thermal burn. In fact, many hospitals treat TEN in their burn wards.

Depending on the severity—since it’s sometimes unclear when SJS becomes TEN—TEN can have a mortality rate higher than some strains of the Ebola virus.

Lamictal’s drug information describes some of the problems with Lamictal SJS. The drug insert describes a “serious skin rash that may cause you to be hospitalized.” Lamictal’s warnings also state that it’s very hard to predict who exactly will develop SJS from Lamictal—or any drug. But certain factors have been found that seem to increase the risk of this rare reaction.

Who’s at Risk for Lamictal SJS?

First, they found that patients taking another seizure drug called Depakote seem to have a greater chance of developing SJS than people just taking either drug on their own. Data also suggests that children taking Lamictal between the ages of two to sixteen years of age.

Additionally, patients who’ve just started taking Lamictal or upping their dosage seem to have a greater risk of SJS, particularly when doctors prescribe a higher-than-recommended dosage.

The Lamictal drug insert stressed however, that there’s no way to be sure who will develop SJS. Additionally, a person should never stop taking seizure drugs without talking to doctor, since it could increase the risk of seizures.

A Lamictal SJS lawsuit investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of legal action over Lamictal SJS. Such a Lamictal lawsuit could allege that drug makers have not done enough to protect the public from Lamictal SJS, and seek to recoup medical costs, lost wages, and other costs allegedly linked to Lamictal SJS.