Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a life-threatening skin disease that can cause rash, skin peeling, and sores on the mucous membranes. With Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a person has blistering of mucous membranes, typically in the mouth, eyes, and genital areas, and patchy areas of rash. SJS symptoms include:

• permanent blindness
• dry-eye syndrome
• photophobia
• lung damage
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• asthma
• permanent loss of nail beds
• scarring of the esophagus and other mucous membranes
• arthritis
• chronic fatigue syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a life-threatening condition, yet it is often misdiagnosed and under-reported by many physicians. Emergency facilities and doctors often do not recognize the symptoms, causing a delay in treatment and increasing the harmful effects of the reaction.

Complications from SJS can include blindness, dry-eye syndrome, esophagus and lung damage, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In some SJS patients, their pores scar shut, causing them to retain heat. If left untreated, SJS can be fatal.

Once Stevens Johnson Syndrome begins, there is no treatment to stop it. The only course of action is to treat the illness’ many symptoms. Since SJS victims often have serious blistering and ulceration, many SJS patients are referred to burn treatment centers.

What Causes Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson syndrome is a rare and unpredictable reaction. While the exact cause is unknown, the condition is usually triggered by a medication or an infection.

Drugs that can cause Stevens Johnson syndrome include:

• Anti-gout medications, such as allopurinol
• Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
• Medications to fight infection, such as penicillin
• Medications to treat seizures or mental illness (anticonvulsants and antipsychotics)
• Radiation therapy

A full list of medications that can cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome can be found here.

Patients most likely to develop Stevens Johnson Syndrome are extremely allergic to antibiotics or painkillers like Ibuprofen. Most cases occur in adults between the ages of 20-40 years, but SJS has been diagnosed in children as young as three-months old.  Anyone who takes prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs runs the risk of developing allergic reactions and developing serious health problems like Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Infections that can cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome include:

• Herpes (herpes simplex or herpes zoster)
• Pneumonia
• HIV
• Hepatitis

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawsuits

Pharmaceutical companies are obligated to follow strict laws and protocols when it comes to prescription drugs or products they manufacture for consumer use. Companies that fail to abide by these laws could be civilly liable to those harmed by their product or drug.

Several high-profile SJS lawsuits have resulted in multi-million dollar jury awards to patients who developed drug-induced Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Oftentimes these SJS lawsuits are filed by the victim’s family due to the young age of the patient or their unfortunate death from SJS complications.