Zithromax, a popularly prescribed antibiotic has been linked to a life-threatening condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome or SJS.

Reported as having a 50% mortality rate, a recent article published in The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana covered the case of a Stevens Johnson Syndrome victim who was able to turn his grave situation into a positive outcome.

Automotive magnate Tom K. suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome. During a shoulder surgery, doctors found evidence of a low-grade fever. By the time the test results came back, Tom had already returned home, so went to the ER for a prescription for antibiotics.

While the article doesn’t mention if Zithromax was the antibiotic Tom was prescribed, antibiotics like Zithromax may trigger the potentially fatal skin reaction.

Tom goes on to describe that shortly after taking the antibiotic, he developed the rare, serious drug reaction Stevens Johnson Syndrome, likening the SJS symptoms to “fire ants”. Though Stevens Johnson Syndrome is relatively rare, a doctor at the Saint Joseph Hospital Burn Center diagnosed Tom correctly and began treatment quickly.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an autoimmune disease, a disorder wherein the immune system goes haywire and attacks the body’s own tissues. In the case of SJS, the body mistakes its own skin for an infection and launches an all-out assault at the cellular level. The mortality rate for Stevens Johnson Syndrome varies by the severity of the case and Tom’s physician estimated his survival odds at fifty-fifty.

Fortunately, Tom’s story has a happy ending. He recovered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Not only that, but six weeks after his fight with the disease, Tom made a record-breaking donation of one-hundred thousand dollars to the Burn Council of Northern Indiana.

The donation is so large that the director of the Burn Council, which operates suites in Saint Joseph’s Hospital where Tom was treated, was blindsided by the money.

But the Burn Council has plenty to spend it on. The organization helps maintain suites for families of burn victims, and provides bandages and ointments to low-income families.

The Burn Council has reported that patients with few options sometimes try to treat their own burns with dangerous home remedies like butter and toilet paper. Tom has turned his life-threatening experience into a positive by giving back to those who saved his life after his experience with Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

While, Tom K.’s case had a positive outcome, for many people who suffer from Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the disorder may cause permanent damage or even death.

Zithromax and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Many questions about what exactly triggers Stevens Johnson Syndrome remain, though it is known that the vast majority of Stevens Johnson Syndrome cases are caused by drug reactions.

A wide variety of drugs may cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome and one of the most common antibiotics on the planet, Zithromax (azithromycin), is among the drugs that may trigger Stevens Johnson Syndrome among susceptible patients.

Zithromax is also sold as the Z-Pak or Zmax. SJS lawsuits may be filed by patients that have developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome against drug makers. Zithromax SJS lawsuits typically allege that drug makers have not done enough to warn and protect the public from the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.