According to a June 2014 study, the quinolone antibiotic drug norfloxacin (also sold as Chibroxin Ophthalmic and Noroxin Oral) has been found to allegedly be the root cause of incidences of Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

The quinolone SJS study was published last year in Polish medical journal Postepy Dermatol Alergol and takes a close look at two known cases of norfloxacin SJS and TEN.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are painful, and on occasion fatal, skin conditions. An individual may develop SJS or TEN as an allergic reaction to various prescription and over-the-counter medications. However, quinolone antibiotic drugs (Norfloxacin, Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox) have been found to have a high number of reported cases of serious SJS and/or TEN quinolone reactions.

One of the quinolone SJS incidents studied involved a 68-year-old man who had been recently prescribed a twice daily 400mg dose of norfloxacin to treat a urinary tract infection. Four days after beginning his quinolone antibiotic treatment, he was admitted into his local hospital for “multiple non-coalescing macular lesions on the skin of the trunk, face and upper extremities.” During the initial hospital admission, the patient had SJS burns, rashes, and lesions covering 20 percent of his body.

The following day, hospital staff documented that the lesions had spread to the scrotum, perianal, and palmar regions, which later developed into painful blisters. According to the quinolone SJS study, “within the next 2 days, conjunctival hyperemia and blisters, erosions and ulcerations of the oral mucosa appeared leading to difficulties in swallowing and visual impairment.” He spent 30 days of hospitalization requiring constant supervision and care with intravenous treatments and topical treatments to treat the SJS burns, blisters and lesions.

While these are the only currently documented cases of norfloxacin quinolone SJS, the research of the studies have stated awareness of the antibiotic’s SJS side effects should be raised among the medical community in order to avoid future instances of individual’s developing these painful skin reactions.

Quinolone SJS Symptoms and Side Effects

Fluroquinolone is an antibiotic drug group encompassing many different quinolone drugs sold under a whole host of brand names including Norfloxacin, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, and various generic drug names.

There are many benefits from taking quinolone antibiotics; however, there also serious and sometime life-threatening side effects, like SJS and TEN.

When a patient develops quinolone SJS or TEN, the individual’s topmost skin cells die, leaving the deeper layers exposed and unprotected. The sensitive mucous membrane also becomes exposed and may be prone to infection and blistering.

Due to the sensitive dermis’ exposure to the elements and the subsequent pain experienced by SJS victims, they need to be hospitalized for weeks to months at a time for monitoring and treatment.

In some extreme cases, a SJS patient may die.

Some SJS side effects may include:

• Painful blistering of the skin and mucous membrane involvement.
• In many cases preceded with flu like symptoms and high fever.
• As it evolves, the skin literally sloughs off.
• Ocular involvement includes severe conjunctivis, iritis, palpebral edema, conjunctival and corneal blisters and erosions, and corneal perforation.

As a result of the pain and suffering experienced by quinolone SJS victims, many quinolone users or their family members have filed quinolone SJS lawsuits or have joined quinolone SJS class action lawsuits.