As many patients are now aware, a popular group of antibiotics has been indicated to cause severe and life-threatening side effects. One of these side effects is the infamous Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which has been reported from using the popular quinolone antibiotic, Levaquin.

What is Levaquin?

Levaquin is a popular quinolone antibiotic that is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil, and has been linked to numerous cases of tendon injuries, nerve damage, and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS). Levaquin was approved to go to market in 1996, and has been prescribed to hundreds of patients to treat various bacterial infections, such as upper respiratory, urinary tract, and skin infections.

It is important to note that it has not been conclusively proven that Levaquin and other quinolones induce Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), the alleged association has been a prevalent concern in the medical community for years. While Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil advertise the drug to be a safe and effective antibiotic, the company neglects to mention the severe side effects of quinolones, such as Levaquin, or quinolones association with SJS.

Over the years, Quinolone SJS has been reported from hundreds of patients who were injured by Levaquin side effects; many of these patients have pursued legal action against the drug companies. Most of the patients allege that the companies deliberately concealed this information in order to protect the market value of the drugs.

SJS Complications

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an allergic skin reaction that is specifically caused by an adverse reaction to medication, like Levaquin. It is infamously characterized by the red or purple skin lesions that appear on the body, which is often accompanied by the throat swelling, organ failure, fever, and other life-threatening symptoms.

The skin lesions can take up to 30% of skin surface area, which is distinguishable from its more severe form, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) that can cover 90% of skin in lesions. According to medical experts, the mortality rare of this condition is between 25% to 80%, with survival factors often based on the severity of the condition, and the amount of the skin that detaches in the infected areas.

If the SJS skin lesions become infected, the chances of death significantly increase for the patient as organ failure often follows this complication. Due to the nature of these injuries, these patients are often treated in the burn units of hospitals as patients often need skin grafts to replenish lost flesh.

Patients also often need to be treated with antibiotics, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and pain medication. In the early stages of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the patient will have flu-like symptoms with the progression of the reaction starting within the first two to eight weeks of ingesting the drug.

As devastating as this condition is, it is extremely rare, with only 300 cases diagnosed per year in the United States. According to medical experts, this condition is more likely to occur in patients with a history of drug sensitivity and lack a certain genetic trait found in people descended from the eastern Asian island countries, like Thailand or Malaysia.

It is important to diagnose Levaquin SJS as early as possible, as this is a highly aggressive condition that has caused many fatalities.