The anti-seizure medication Lamictal has been linked to painful allergic reactions that can escalate into Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and TEN (Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis).

Lamictal rash is a medication side effect that varies in severity as a form of allergic reaction in patients who find themselves developing such medication side effects on an upper right arm, abdomen, thighs or all over the body.

Lamictal, generically known as lamotrigine, is available in immediate-release and extended-release dosages.

What Are Stevens Johnson Syndrome and TEN?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
is a rare condition that is often misdiagnosed as the flu. SJS is actually a severe allergic reaction to medication that begins with a fever and rash, but progresses to blistering, painful skin peeling, open sores. SJS can be fatal in 5% to 15% of cases. In Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the skin experiences an excruciating chemical burn from the inside out.

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is similar to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, but TEN victims lose large sheets of skin that come off of the body in addition to painful sores in the mouth, eyes and genitals. These mucous membranes react the same way the skin does, by filling up with fluid generated by the immune system in a severe allergic reaction to the medication. When large areas of raw skin are exposed, the chances of the patient developing infection, sepsis (blood infection) and death increase.

Only 300 new cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome are diagnosed each year in the United States, but some of those are allegedly linked to Lamictal. In some instances, filing an SJS lawsuit against the drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline LLC is the only way patients receive compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering and other expenses.

Who Is Susceptible to Lamictal Rash?

According to the FDA,
the risk of a serious Lamictal rash is greatest in pediatric patients. Other factors that allegedly could increase the risk of a Lamictal rash include:

• Co-administration with the drug valproate
• Exceeding recommended first dose of Lamictal
• Exceeding recommended dose increases of Lamictal

Also, there is no way to predict which Lamictal rash will stay benign and which rash will turn into a serious or life-threatening condition such as Stevens Johnson Syndrome or TEN.

Australian Teen Lives to Tell of Lamictal Rash Horrors

Danika H. of New South Wales, Australia, nearly died from an alleged Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome incident in May 2014. The UK’s DailyMail.com stated that just before her 19^th birthday, Danika was prescribed both Lamictal and Keppra to control epileptic seizures. Both drugs are alleged to cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome in some patients.

Her symptoms progressed rapidly, from her eyes and lips swelling to a small rash on her chest to a full body rash. After a misdiagnosis at a local hospital, Danika was sent home where her condition worsened as she developed blisters all over her body and inside her mouth. Admission to another hospital for the medication side effects that were getting worse soon followed. Danika had to have a feeding tube because her mouth was so badly burned it had to be fused shut. The top layers of skin from her chest, back, arms and face peeled off, creating an environment prime for infection and other complications. Despite the pain and the physical and emotional scars, Danika survived.

Lamictal SJS Patient Placed in Coma Survives

Khaliah S. was a graduate student in Georgia when she started medication to control her epilepsy. Among the medicines she began in December 2013 were generic lamotrigine and brand-name Lamictal. Less than a month after starting the medications, she noticed a rash and that her skin was peeling. She did not see these symptoms listed as possible side effects on the drug’s label at that time.

As with Danika H., Khaliah was misdiagnosed with the flu and sent home; within two days, the Lamictal rash started blistering and her skin began peeling away. She ended up back in the hospital where she was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome and placed into a drug-induced coma because the pain was too intense for her to endure in a conscious state. Five weeks later, she awoke bald and with raw skin, but she did survive.

Don’t Dismiss Lamictal Rash

If you or someone you know is taking Lamictal and develops a rash, contact your doctor immediately. It is not possible to know whether a rash will stay benign or if it might develop into the rare Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or TEN. If you or someone you know has already endured Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking Lamictal, a class action lawsuit might be the best way to be compensated for the medical bills, pain and suffering, and other related expenses.