Lamictal is a pharmaceutical drug that is used to control seizures. Specifically, Lamictal is the marketing name for Lamotrigine, which is prescribed in patients as young as two years old for seizures and epilepsy.

Additionally, it can be prescribed to adults to help manage bipolar disorder or epileptic seizures as well.

Lamictal may be linked to serious long term side effects, however, including Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

This potentially life threatening side effect of the seizure medication, Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome can develop at any time during treatment, sometimes years after prescriptions begin, particularly in adults taking the medicine for bipolar disorder.

Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Side effects of Lamictal are numerous, and must be seriously considered. Even the more minor ones can frequently pose a risk to patients, and the more severe ones like Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) can lead to further medical conditions that can result in death.

Some of the most important Lamictal side effects to focus on are flu-like symptoms. These are hallmarks of the potentially lethal condition called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

Lamictal Stephens Johnson Syndrome can begin with a number of simple symptoms, like fever or chills, typically dismissed as something related to the flu. This can lead to discomfort and exhaustion, and is eventually followed by a severe skin rash and joint pains.

Gradually, the joint pains progress beyond those associated with a simple flu or with other Lamictal side effects. The pain grows ever more intense, leading to a stiffening of the joints that can be impossible to overcome.

Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms may include:

• Red or purplish rash that spreads
• Painful skin
• Painful blisters on the mucus membranes (eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals)
• Sloughing off of skin in patches
• Joint and muscle pains
• Burning sensation all over the body

Sometimes the sloughing off of skin can happen over as much as 70% of the body, which can prove fatal. More often, Stevens Johnson Syndrome deaths are caused by opportunistic infections – environmental hazards that present themselves and become more dangerous as a result of the skin stripping away.

There is no cure for SJS. This is what makes getting help at the first sign of this dangerous allergic reaction so completely vital, especially if on a medication like Lamictal, which has a known relationship with Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Lamictal Warning

Lamictal includes a prominent Black Box Warning about the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). These severe rashes are estimated to affect one in 1,000 adults and up to 1 in 50 children.

The warning indicates that signs of Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome are most likely to happen within the first two to eight weeks of Lamictal treatment. It also warns that children ages two to 16 are the most likely victims of Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

People who are filing Lamictal Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuits allege that GlaxoKlineSmith (Lamictal’s manufacturer) knew about this possible side effect, but failed to warn their customers and the medical community.