Zyloprim (generic Allopurinol) is the brand name for medication prescribed to treat chronic gout, a condition that results in high levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia).

But now a new study suggest that Zyloprim users may be at risk for a severe skin reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

What is Zyloprim?

Zyloprim is a drug that is referred to as a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. A xanthine oxidase inhibitor is any substance that inhibits the activity of xanthine oxidase. Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme that is involved in purine metabolism. Purines are organic compounds in your body.

By inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase, allopurinol reduces the production of uric acid. As a result, allopurinol is used in the treatment of hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is a condition in which you have an excess amount of uric acid in your blood plasma.

Zyloprim is typically prescribed to treat gout – a form of arthritis characterized by severe pain, redness, and tenderness in joints – and certain types kidney stones. It can also prevent increased uric acid levels in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) is a hypersensitivity disorder affecting the skin and mucous membranes, SJS is a severe form of a simple rash known as erythema multiforme which is a skin disorder caused by an allergic drug reaction or infection.

Often, Stevens Johnson Syndrome begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful red or purplish rash that spreads and blisters, eventually causing the top layer of the skin to die and shed.

Another form of the Stevens Johnson rash is called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (the term used when more than 30 percent of the skin is affected), and again this usually results from a drug-related reaction. Both forms of the disease can be deadly as well as very painful and distressing.

In most cases, these disorders are caused by a reaction to a drug, and some of the drugs responsible for these life threatening diseases include Zyloprim.

A Stevens Johnson rash can be fatal at worst and at best highly debilitating, where the rash feels like the patient is burning from the inside out. Often due to the similarity of SJS and burns patients, those suffering from Stevens Johnson or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis are treated in hospital burn units.

Zyloprim Stevens Johnson Rash

Medications are the most common cause of Stevens Johnson Syndrome skin reaction. And Zyloprim and its generic form are the most common drugs associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine suggests that Zyloprim may be linked to a higher incidence of Stevens Johnson rash and their findings may help medical experts in determining risk factors of the disease.

A Canadian research team evaluated charts from patients admitted to Vancouver General Hospital for SJS or TEN during a period of 10 years in order to better identify triggers of the diseases.  The results of the study identified generic Zyloprim as the single most common medication, responsible for approximately 20 percent of SJS/TEN cases.

Furthermore, the researchers noted that of the total SJS/TEN patients, Chinese patients showed the highest Zyloprim-related SJS mortality risk at 47 percent, with Caucasians race-specific mortality following at 14 percent.

Additionally, a multinational study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in January 2008 indicated that generic Zyloprim was the most common cause of SJS and TEN in Europe and Israel, constituting about 18% of all cases.

Compensation for Zyloprim SJS Victims

Where the onset of SJS or TEN is directly attributed to use of a particular drug the sufferer may be entitled to compensation.

If you or a loved one took Zyloprim or its generic form to treat gout or another condition and suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), an experienced dangerous drug lawyer may be able to recover you and your family substantial compensation by filing an Zyloprim Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit against the manufacturer of the gout medication.