A man, who as a 4-year-old developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) as a result of taking an anti-seizure medication demonstrated how devastating SJS side effects can be.

As an adult, he still lives with the consequences.

The man said he had second-degree burns from SJS which affected his tear ducts, leaving him blind. The blistering also spread to his mouth and body.

Dr. Shawn Varney stated in a news article, “It’s a small portion of people who will develop this, but it is something that is avoidable and preventable.”

Stevens Johnson Syndrome

SJS is most commonly caused by a severe allergic reaction to a drug. It begins as a red or purplish rash and flu-like symptoms and develops into blistering. The blistering may then spread across the body and cause the skin to peel off, literally burning off from the inside out.

This leaves the body open to secondary infections, sepsis, and even death. The blisters can affect the skin in addition to mucous membranes found in the eyes, nose, mouth, and vagina area.

SJS requires immediate hospitalization and can take up to several weeks to recover. About 5%-15% SJS patients die from the condition. Patients may be left with permanent scarring which can limit motion, blindness (if the disease affected the eyes), or other long-lasting side effects.

When the blistering covers more than 30% of the body, the diagnoses changes to toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). TEN is considerably more dangerous than SJS.

While the skin of SJS patients may peel off, TEN patients may have their skin peel of in large sheets. This happens because the top layer of skin (epidermal layer) fills with a fluid that causes the skin to sag. Once the skin fall off, the body is more open to sepsis and other diseases.

TEN patients are often treated in burn wards because of the severity of the blisters. Some 30%-40% of TEN cases are fatal. Survivors may be left with scars or experience limited movement.

While SJS and TEN are both rare conditions, they are severe enough to cause concern and discussion amidst the medical community. Adults and children may develop the condition. About 300 new SJS cases are reported each year.

SJS Lawsuits

SJS lawsuits have been filed against many drug manufacturers for failing to warn against potential SJS side effects.

Medications mentioned in SJS lawsuits include Zithromax, Dilantin, and some anti-seizure medications. An Onfi SJS investigation is underway in addition to dozens of other medications as well.

SJS lawsuits have been successful. A $10 million Motrin SJS lawsuit was just closed that confirmed the allegations that the manufacturers of Motrin failed to warn against SJS side effects.