Product liability attorneys are looking for potential plaintiffs to bring Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies that manufactured and marketed allegedly dangerous and defective medications.

Lamictal is one of many medications on the market that have been linked to increased risks of developing Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Lamictal (lamotrigine) is a popular anti-epileptic medication.

The anticonvulsant is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat adults and children who experience epileptic seizures. In some cases Lamictal is also used to treat bipolar disorder in adults by helping to delay mood episodes.

Lamictal comes in immediate and extended release forms. According to medical professionals the immediate release forms should only be used as part of a combination of drugs in children suffering from seizures.

Children as young as 2 can use Lamictal in the immediate release form so long as it is combined with the proper combination of drugs. Lamictal in the extended release form is only for adults and children who are at least 13.

Lamictal has recently been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a serious condition of the skin and mucus membranes. Although medical professionals often cannot identify the exact cause of the condition, Stevens Johnson Syndrome is often the result of allergic reactions to medications and certain viruses such as herpes, pneumonia, HIV and hepatitis.

Medication and other therapy causes of Stevens Johnson Syndrome include anti-gout medications, pain relievers, medications that fight infection such as penicillin, radiation therapy, and anticonvulsants such as Lamictal.

Some persons are also genetically predisposed to developing the condition. According to medical researchers families of Chinese, Southeast Asian, or Indian descent are more likely to carry a gene called HLA-B 1502, which increases the risk of developing Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

SJS usually begins to develop as flu-like symptoms. Many victims of Stevens Johnson Syndrome first experience fever, fatigue, cough, sore mouth and throat, and burning eyes.

After a few days the symptoms become more physical and patients experience facial swelling, tongue swelling, hives, skin pain, blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, and a quickly spreading red or purple skin rash. Some patients experience the shedding of skin.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome can also develop into toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). The symptoms of TEN are similar to those involved in Stevens Johnson Syndrome but involve a much larger expanse of the body.

Many medical professionals describe the two conditions as the body burning from the inside out as blisters and serious skin burns form.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawsuits

Several Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuits have been filed across the country. These lawsuits generally allege that the pharmaceutical manufactures failed to warn about dangerous side effects associated with taking drugs like Lamictal.

Awards and settlements from these SJS lawsuits help hold large pharmaceutical companies accountable for their actions and remind companies that they owe their consumers a specific duty of care.