A 31-year old man from Lake Charles, Louisiana was hospitalized after developing Stevens Johnson Syndrome, allegedly from taking a popular antibiotic.

SJS survivor Wayne A. described his experience of recovering from Stevens Johnson Syndrome after he was diagnosed in January 2015.

After being prescribed a common antibiotic, Wayne began experiencing flu-like symptoms within a few days. Medical experts state that this is normal, as patients often experience flu-like symptoms before developing the SJS rash or skin lesions.

During this time, Wayne’s skin became discolored and he began experiencing extreme vomiting. The SJS rash spread to his arms, which eventually morphed into a “mark akin to a war wound,” as Wayne depicted. Wayne compared his SJS skin lesions to sustaining an actual burn from a fire.

It took several trips to the doctors to finally come to the correct diagnosis, with several misdiagnoses before his symptoms were identified as Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

After his lesions became dark purple and had consumed the majority of skin, he was finally admitted to the hospital. His mouth was crusted over and his tongue had started to peel.

After spending several weeks in the hospital’s burn unit, surviving on a feeding tube, and undergoing surgical debridements, Wayne had finally received the treatment he needed.

Despite being heavily at risk for skin infection and organ failure, Wayne survived and is now sharing his story to help raise awareness about SJS. Wayne is still recovering from Stevens Johnson Syndrome and continues to see different specialists on a regular basis.

Overall, Wayne and medical experts stress that any drug could potentially induce Stevens Johnson Syndrome and that the risk should be taken must be much more seriously.

SJS Symptoms

However, those who treat the condition and those who have encountered this reaction state that it is important to look out for SJS symptoms because the disease can be potentially fatal.

SJS symptoms are seldom listed on medication labels because there are only about 300 cases diagnosed per year, with only a handful of drugs being officially recorded to cause it, such as Lamictal or Dilantin.

Patients, like Wayne who have experienced this condition and have lived to tell the tale also advocate for stronger warning labels and frequently describe the harrows of surviving the condition.