Over the counter medications such as Tylenol are known for their pain relieving effects. However, Tylenol may be the reason behind an Indiana woman’s bout with the potential fatal skin reaction Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Tylenol Side Effects

Recently a woman from Fort Wayne, Indiana, while vacationing in Bowling Green, Kentucky, woke up with a burning rash over about 40 percent of her body.

Donna E. wasn’t feeling well and opted to take some Tylenol, a popular OTC pain medication.

Donna E. said, “My eyes and face were swollen, and I had a rash all over my trunk.”

Doctors are now trying to figure out how to help Donna keep her vision. The treatment she is undergoing uses the anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring effects of amniotic membranes.

The “rash” that Donna experienced from Tylenol side effects is more commonly known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome, SJS, is a rare, but serious skin condition that occurs in some people as a reaction to some medications. SJS begins with symptoms similar to the flu, but then progresses to a rash with bright reddish-purple skin lesions like Donna initially experienced.

The upper layer of the skin begins to detach from the bottom layer as a result of cellular death. Mucous membranes of the body are attacked by the disorder and can lead to permanent scarring and severe eye complications.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is quite serious and if left untreated and can develop into toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN. SJS and TEN patients are frequently treated in a hospital’s burn ward and treatment usually focuses on minimizing symptoms and controlling the complications associated with the skin disorders.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN, is thought to be the same as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, however SJS covers less than 10 percent of the body. TEN covers more than 30 percent of the body and is a serious, life threatening condition.

Recovery from Stevens Johnson Syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis can take months or weeks, depending upon the severity of the reaction.

The Risks of Tylenol

The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen. A 2013 report from the FDA lists SJS and its more serious counterpart, TEN, as possible side effects from acetaminophen ingestion.

The FDA recommends that anyone taking acetaminophen, including Tylenol, and subsequently develops a rash or other skin irritation should cease taking the drug immediately.

Patients who have experienced a serious skin reaction as a result of acetaminophen should not take the drug again and should contact their doctor to discuss other options for pain relief.

After Donna was diagnosed with Tylenol related SJS, she was sent to a nearby burn unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It is one of the few hospitals in the country with the abilities to treat such a rare and serious condition.

As Donna fights to keep her eyesight, her family wants to see more inclusive warnings put on over-the-counter medications, like Tylenol, with possible serious side effects like she experienced.