According to reports, quinolones like Cipro may cause some individuals to develop a painful skin condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Fluoroquinolones (also called quinolones) are some of the most popular and prescribed antibiotics in the U.S. pharmaceutical market. One of the most recognized drugs of the quinolone drug family is the medication Cipro.

Ciprofloxacin (sold as Cipro and Ciloxin Ophthalmic) is a second-generation quinolone drug prescribed to treat a whole host of bacterial infections, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, and abdominal infections. The reason for Cipro and other quinolones popularity among prescribers and patients is effectiveness as a broad spectrum antibiotic, as well as the fact that one can generally take Cipro and other quinolone antibiotics in oral or intravenous forms. It is manufactured and sold by Bayer Healthcare and has been in use since 1987, when the FDA approved the drug for public prescription and use as an antibiotic.

While Cipro can be very helpful in treating patients’ bacterial-based ailments, it is not without its risks. Like other members of the quinolone antibiotic drug class, Cipro has been linked with incidences of Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

What is Cipro Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are related skin diseases that individuals develop as a direct result of their bodies’ allergic reaction to a medication. While any drug has the potential to causes SJS and TEN, there exists an unusually high rate of SJS and TEN cases among quinolone drug users, including those on Cipro.

SJS begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, but is quickly followed by the development of painful red and purple SJS rashes that can turn into blisters and lesions as they spread across the body. Eventually, the SJS rashes, blisters, and injuries cause the patient’s skin to die and peel off the body.

SJS can also attack the mucous membrane, forming painful scars and blisters on a person’s eyes, mouth, and genital area; SJS has also been known to form inside a person’s body on top of internal organs, which is why many patients have described the disease as burning them from the inside out.

TEN is a more serious form of SJS. A person with SJS is usually rediagnosed with TEN when over 30 percent of their skin detaches from their body. Once a patient moves from having SJS to TEN, they become extremely vulnerable to sepsis and infection and have a mortality risk of 30 to 40 percent.

For those patients lucky enough to recover from a Cipro-induced SJS or TEN reaction, they will still require weeks to months of hospitalization and treatment in a burn unit. Additionally, some may live with scars and other SJS complications for the rest of their lives, even after recovery.

Cipro SJS and TEN Lawsuits

SJS and TEN are not only physically and emotionally burdensome diseases, but these conditions can also drain a person or family financially. Hospitalization and treatment for Cipro SJS and TEN can cause the patient and their loved ones to go thousands of dollars in debt; even if they survive, the SJS victim may need continuing medical care for SJS complications and permanent injuries caused by the skin reaction. That is why some individuals have chosen to file SJS lawsuits against quinolone manufacturers like Bayer for not sufficiently warning patients and doctors of the risk of Cipro SJS.