Consumers who experience a skin rash caused by Lamictal may be at risk for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Lamictal (lamotrigine) is a medicine prescribed to treat seizures in patients older than two. The drug is also prescribed as a maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder. The drug can help delay mood episodes such as depression, mania, or hypomania.

However, recent reports suggest that patients who experience a seemingly innocent skin rash caused by Lamictal may actually be experiencing Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare drug reaction seen with over 200 medications including Lamictal. The reaction attacks the skin and mucous membranes, resulting in blisters and skin burst that cover up to 30 percent of the body’s surface area. Toxic epidermal necrolysis, previously thought to be a separate reaction, is a severe form on Stevens-Johnson syndrome that covers more than 30 percent of the body’s surface area.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis typically start with several days of flu-like upper respiratory symptoms including fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, sore eyes, and general body pain. Following these symptoms, a severe, sudden skin rash forms including blisters. For patients on the drug, a skin rash caused by Lamictal is often the first sign that something is wrong.

As the condition progresses, blisters can merge and cause skin detachment, exposing the red dermis underneath. Problems with mucosal membranes are also associated with the condition, affecting the eyes, lips, mouth, genital area, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract.

Both Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are associated with fatal complications. These complications include dehydration, malnutrition, infection, blood poisoning, pneumonia, shock, and multiple organ failure. During the first 8 to 10 days, the mortality rate of Stevens-Johnson syndrome is 10 percent and the mortality rate of toxic epidermal necrolysis is 30 percent. Long term recovery is possible, although it is associated with complications and an increased on-going mortality rate.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are incredibly severe reactions seen almost exclusively as drug reactions. 50 percent of Stevens-Johnson syndrome cases and up to 95 percent of toxic epidermal necrolysis cases are caused by or associated with a drug reaction. Although the conditions are often associated with a skin rash caused by Lamictal, other drugs associated with the reaction include other anti-convulsant, allopurinol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Other potential complications related to a skin rash caused by Lamictal include Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systematic Symptoms (DRESS), Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DIHS), and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Consumer who suspect that they have a skin rash caused by Lamictal should seek immediate medical care. Skin reactions associated with Lamictal can be serious and life-threatening. Prompt medical attention could mean the difference between life and death.

If you or a loved one developed a skin rash caused by Lamictal which later turned out to be a dangerous condition, you may qualify for legal action against the drug’s manufacturer for not sufficiently warning consumers of the risks. A Lamictal lawsuit could help recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, wrongful death, and more.