Patients taking what may be only a routine course of antibiotics may be at risk for a deadly skin rash linked to Cipro.

Cipro, also known generically as ciprofloxacin, was originally approved by the FDA in 1990. While it has a broad array of possible applications, it sees frequent use as a treatment for mild and moderate respiratory infections.

Cipro is one of a class of antibiotic known as fluoroquinolones. It’s by far the most frequently prescribed fluoroquinolone, accounting for 80 percent of all fluoroquinolone prescriptions.

As a class, fluoroquinolones have been implicated as the cause of many different and particularly destructive side effects. These drugs have been linked to cases of peripheral neuropathy, an affliction of the peripheral nerves that can cause numbness, pain or lack of sensation.

They’ve also been blamed for high numbers of reports of tendon ruptures as well as injuries of the aorta – both possibly because of the drug’s degrading affect on collagen.

Patients taking this drug may also be at risk for a deadly skin rash linked to Cipro. This rash may be one of the earlier symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis, two related conditions that attack the skin and mucous membranes.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a recognized reaction to a large number of different medications. Fortunately, it’s very rare. But when it does happen, it puts the patient at risk for permanent damage and possibly death.

For that reason, patients taking Cipro are encouraged to seek medical attention at the first sign of skin symptoms like rash, itching, hives and peeling or blistering skin.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Symptoms

The very earliest symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome might be mistaken for those of the flu. They include cough, sore throat, fever, body aches and itchy or irritated eyes.

Within a few hours or a day or two, a deadly skin rash linked to Cipro sets in. It typically starts over the torso and spreads to the rest of the body.

As the condition progresses, areas of skin within this rash form blisters that enlarge and peel off. A significant proportion of the patient’s body surface area can be affected this way.

Physicians generally refer to the condition as toxic epidermal necrolysis once 30 percent or more of the skin’s surface is gone.

Patients also suffer from lesions that affect the mucous membranes, the soft tissue that lines much of the inside of the body. Sores in the mouth and throat can make speaking and eating painful.

Conjunctivitis is another common mucous membrane complication of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. This inflammation of the eye’s surrounding tissue can cause irritation and purulence severe enough to seal the eye shut.

This deadly skin rash linked to Cipro is treatable, but the required treatment can be long and involved. Patients must often be confined to an intensive care or a burn unit.

Care providers focus on relieving symptoms and preventing infection while the body recovers – a process that can take days, weeks or sometimes even longer.

Deadly Skin Rash Linked to Cipro Can Leave Permanent Damage

Even after Stevens Johnson Syndrome resolves, the patient can be left with permanent residuals. Patients are also at risk for corneal damage that can leave them with permanently impaired vision or even blindness.

Long-term effects of this deadly skin rash linked to Cipro can include scarring or discoloration of the skin, loss of fingernails and toenails, contractures of the joints and lung disease.