According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), an individual’s genetics may play a significant role in determining one’s risk of contracting Stevens Johnson Syndrome while taking the antiepileptic drug Dilantin.

Should this research prove fruitful, researchers may be able to develop a method of predicting who is most at risk of developing Dilantin SJS and avoid a life-threatening, painful, and disfiguring skin condition.

The published study comes from a group of Taiwan-based researchers who agree that one specific gene variant could be used to determine if a Dilantin consumer will develop SJS allergic skin reaction as a side effect of taking the antiepileptic medication.

According to the Dilantin SJS study: “This study identified CYP2C variants, including CYP2C9*3, known to reduce drug clearance, as important genetic factors associated with phenytoin-related severe cutaneous reactions. These findings may have potential to improve the safety profile of phenytoin in clinical practice and offer the possibility of prospective testing for preventing phenytoin-related severe cutaneous reactions. More research is required to replicate the genetic association in different populations and to determine the test characteristics and clinical utility.”

This is great news for Dilantin users, as there have been a number of Dilantin SJS cases reported over the past few years.

Back in 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers of the risk of contracting SJS while taking Dilantin since the drug’s packaging allegedly did not do an adequate job of warning consumers of this possibility.

As a result, many Dilantin SJS lawsuits and Dilantin SJS class action lawsuits have been filed against the drug’s manufacturers by consumers who claim the pharmaceutical company failed to properly inform them of the risk of a severe and potentially life-threatening skin reaction.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a painful and potentially deadly allergic skin reaction that can occur as a side effect to a number of drug groups.

When a patient develops SJS, a rash or several rashes will form on the patient’s skin and quickly progress to a painful, burn-like state. Eventually, as the skin reaction progresses, the top layer of skin cells will die and fall off, leaving a more sensitive dermis layer and the mucous membrane exposed to infection and eventually blistering. In some cases, the pain and trauma experienced by an SJS victim may be fatal.

Medications with SJS Side Effects

While a person could potentially contract an SJS allergic reaction from any medication, certain drugs have a higher prevalence of SJS victims than others. In addition to Dilantin, these drugs include:

• Antibiotics
• Anticonvulsants
• Sulfa based drugs
• Bactrim
• Septra
• Acetaminophen
• Amoxicillin
• Azithromycin (Zithromax)
• Barbiturates
• Ibuprofen
• Penicillin
• Naproxen