The drug Lamictal (lamotrigine) is a godsend for patients suffering from seizures and mood disorders. But some patients may be at risk for life-threatening Lamictal side effects, including Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Lamictal is a drug originally approved to treat epilepsy and several related seizure disorders. However, like many drugs that treat and cure disorders of the brain, it was also found to be useful for treating several psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder. While the drug is a critical tool for controlling these serious disorders, patients need to be on the lookout for the signs of a rare but life-threatening reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome, abbreviated SJS, is an autoimmune reaction. In autoimmune reactions, the body’s natural defense system malfunctions and attacks the patient’s own tissue instead of invading viruses or bacteria. In the case of SJS, the immune system attacks the largest organ in the body: the skin. SJS symptoms include a painful, blistering rash that gives way to sores and ulcers. The damage can spread to the eyes and the surface of the internal organs. It can sometimes even be fatal.

The most extreme cases of SJS progress to a more severe form of the disorder called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis or TEN. The skin of patients with TEN dies and sloughs off in rough patches, leaving burn-like wounds. TEN can kill up to 40 percent of patients, a higher mortality rate than some strains of the Ebola virus. Nearly all cases of SJS can be linked to drug reactions, including reactions to Lamictal.

Patients taking Lamictal need to be aware of the early SJS symptoms that could signal the first steps of the serious disorder. In general, patients experience a flu-like suite of symptoms, including muscle aches, fever, and chills. This may appear a few days before the SJS rash, or simultaneously. While many diseases, including many mild ones, can cause these symptoms, patients taking Lamictal should take notice if they develop pain in their skin or a quickly-spreading purple rash. Additionally, Lamictal patients should be on the lookout for blistering in the mouth, nose and eyes, as well as hives or shedding skin in association with flu-like symptoms. These may be the first symptoms of SJS.

When a patient taking Lamictal experiences SJS symptoms, they should consult a medical professional immediately. While discontinuing medication quickly can reduce the severity of SJS in some cases, it’s not that simple with Lamictal. Stopping a drug like Lamictal cold turkey can cause dangerous “rebounding” of whatever conditions it was treating. Particularly in the case of seizure disorders, patients should not go off this medication without close medical supervision and approval. Additionally, it takes a medical professional to fully evaluate these symptoms, as they can also be caused by less severe conditions.

SJS lawsuits have been filed by patients who allegedly developed SJS from Lamictal and other drugs. These SJS lawsuits typically allege that the makers of drugs like Lamictal have not done enough to protect the public from the potential risk of SJS and related disorders. These SJS lawsuits typically seek to recoup the cost of medical care, lost wages, legal fees, and other costs allegedly linked to SJS from Lamictal.