Lamotrigine, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is a medication used to prevent epileptic episodes and seizures. Unfortunately, lamotrigine serious side effects include the dangerous and even life-threatening skin condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS—as well as its more dangerous form, toxic epidermal syndrome, or TEN.

Background of Lamotrigine

Lamotrigine, which is also marketed under the brand name Lamictal, is an anticonvulsant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1994 for the treatment of epileptic seizures in both children and adults. Lamotrigine is also sometimes prescribed to adults in order to treat bipolar disorder or manic depression.

Any medication is going to come with certain mild side effects, and lamotrigine is no exception. However, lamotrigine serious side effects can even be life-threatening.

The most serious concern for lamotrigine users is the skin condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a side effect that can lead to permanent disfigurement, injuries and death.

Users of both lamotrigine and its brand name Lamictal may be in a position to take legal action against GlaxoSmithKline if the company failed to adequately warn about lamotrigine serious side effects like Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Lamotrigine Serious Side Effects: Stevens Johnson Syndrome

The association between lamotrigine and Stevens Johnson Syndrome is not as rare as one might hope. Stevens Johnson Syndrome and its more dangerous form, toxic epidermal necrolysis, affect around 1 in 1,000 adults taking the medication.

For children taking this drug, lamotrigine serious side effects are far more likely. Around 1 in 50 children taking lamotrigine suffer from Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

When a person has SJS, the epidermis, or top layer of skin, begins to blister and peel severely. This usually occurs a mere few weeks after the initial usage of lamotrigine.

These blisters and rashes are painful for the user, leading to intense pain, eye problems and even damage to internal organs. In most cases of SJS, patients are left with significant and disfiguring scarring.

SJS symptoms are similar to severe burns, and are therefore commonly treated in the hospital burn unit. SJS side effects can also lead to life-threatening infections, as well as other dangerous complications.

Once Stevens Johnson syndrome covers 30 percent of a patient’s body, it is reclassified as toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN. The difference in severity is an important distinction, and it helps to separate the relative risk of these conditions. The mortality rate linked with SJS is 15 percent, while the mortality rate of TEN is closer to 40 percent.

Per lamotrigine clinical trials, nearly 10 percent of patients who take lamotrigine experience some kind of skin rash after beginning to take lamotrigine. Most of these rashes are not associated with SJS, and do not even require hospitalization.

But a simple rash can turn deadly in some cases, so lamotrigine users should be extremely cautious when displaying symptoms of this condition.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Stevens Johnson syndrome after taking lamotrigine, you may be able to file a Stevens Johnson syndrome lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of lamotrigine serious side effects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical costs and lost wages.