You could be eligible to file a Lamictal side effects lawsuit if you have developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking the drug.

Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an anticonvulsant medication used to treat epilepsy. It’s one of many different medications that has been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a rare condition that is often initially misdiagnosed as the flu. SJS is actually a severe allergic reaction to medication that begins with a fever and rash, then progresses to blistering, painful skin peeling, open sores. It can be fatal in 5% to 15% of cases. In Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the skin breaks out in lesions that resemble an excruciating chemical burn.

Only a few hundred cases of SJS are diagnosed in the United States every year, but virtually all of them are linked to a reaction to a medication. The rate of SJS in adult patients taking Lamictal as an adjunctive therapy is 1.3 per 1,000 patients, who could qualify to participte in a Lamictal side effects lawsuit.

Nearly all of the SJS incidents began within two to eight weeks of initial treatment with Lamictal, but a few cases have begun after more than six months of treatment.

Patients who have survived SJS experience physical and emotional scars that can impact their lives during and after the blistering episodes. A Lamictal side effects lawsuit is an option for patients who have endured the pain and suffering of SJS.

Lamictal Side Effects Lawsuit Can Compensate for Loss

One 26-year-old Kentucky man considers himself lucky after surviving an episode of SJS. His condition started as an itchy rash and completely engulfed his body in blisters and peeling skin within four days.

Remy S. had spent six weeks rehearsing to star in a play, and ticket proceeds were to benefit a local cancer non-profit organization. His SJS hit merely 11 days before the premiere.

He didn’t think he was going to be able to perform at all, but he even surprised doctors when he made a miraculous recovery in six days. Although it was still painful to even stand on his feet, Remy endured several costume changes and was able to keep his commitment to star in the local production.

Not all SJS patients are as fortunate in their recovery efforts.

Khaliah S. was a graduate student in Georgia when she started both generic lamotrigine and brand-name Lamictal to control her epilepsy in December 2013. Less than a month after starting the medications, she noticed a rash and that her skin was peeling.

She did not see these symptoms listed as possible side effects on the drug’s label at that time, so she didn’t make a connection that the rash was from Lamictal.

Khaliah visited her doctor, who misdiagnosed her with the flu and sent her home.

Within two days, the rash started blistering and her skin began peeling away. She ended up back in the hospital where she was diagnosed with SJS and placed into a drug-induced coma because the pain was too intense for her to endure in a conscious state. Five weeks later, she awoke bald and with raw skin, but she did survive.

A Lamictal side effects lawsuit could help such patients recover monetary losses from medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other related expenses.