Many patients who take Dilantin find that the drug helps them more than any other drug they’ve tried. Although the drug is an anticonvulsant that was initially approved to treat epilepsy, its treatment efficacy has widened to address many more conditions.

Dilantin has been prescribed by physicians in an off-label fashion for a number of psychological disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, attention deficit disorders, eating disorders and more.

While most patients taking the medication may not have any severe side effects, others may develop Dilantin skin rash. And of the subset of patients that develop a Dilantin skin rash, their condition may turn into much something more serious, and potentially even fatal.

Dilantin Skin Rash May Be Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson syndrome, or SJS, is a serious allergic drug reaction that develops in response to a medication. Dilantin is one such medication that is notorious for its link to Stevens Johnson syndrome.

The initial symptoms of Stevens Johnson syndrome are actually quite innocuous, and appeared to be like the flu or a common cold. The patient who develops SJS typically starts off with symptoms like fatigue, sore throat, dizziness, nausea, malaise, insomnia and general feelings of being unwell.

Shortly thereafter, the characteristic Stevens Johnson syndrome rash will appear. For some who have a Dilantin skin rash, theirs may only be a mild, localized reaction to the drug. But for SJS suffers, the rash consists of red or purplish blisters that can spread throughout the mucous membranes and other areas of the body.

When these blisters affect the skin, they cause the skin cells to die and the skin separates from the body, exposing the lower dermal layers underneath. Oftentimes, a person with SJS looks like a burn victim, and in fact, many SJS victims are treated in the burn unit of the hospital.

SJS is a medical emergency and patients must be hospitalized. If a hsopital burn unit is not available, typically patients with Stevens Johnson syndrome or taken care of in the intensive care unit.

There is no cure for SJS, and only supportive treatment can be used for victims. Treatment focuses on wound care, pain management, nutrition and hydration and simply keeping the patient stable.

It can take days to weeks to months for patients to recover from Stevens Johnson syndrome that may have started by appearing like a simple Dilantin skin rash side effect.

In general, 5 to 15% of patients who are diagnosed with SJS ultimately die from the condition. In some cases, the SJS progresses to include more of the body that is affected by the condition, and the more severe condition is known as toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN. Patients diagnosed with TEN have a higher mortality rate of 25 to 35%.

It is very important for individuals or parents of individuals who are taking Dilantin to be on the lookout for a Dilantin skin rash and to immediately notify their physician in case the skin reaction progresses into Stevens Johnson syndrome.