Tegretol SJS is a severe, painful severe allergic reaction to a commonly-prescribed anticonvulsant medication.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which attacks the skin and mucous membranes, can be disfiguring and even life-threatening.

Tegretol SJS Sparks Concerns

Tegretol is an anticonvulsant drug used to treat patients who have seizures. The medicine is also used to help control severe pain from true trigeminal neuralgia, an inflammation of the trigeminal nerve that causes intense lightning-like pain areas of the face such as the lips, eye, nose, scalp, gums, cheek, chin and forehead.

The risk of developing Tegretol SJS is approximately 1 to 6 per 10,000 in countries with mainly Caucasian populations. The risk is estimated to be 10 times higher in some Asian countries because of the presence of certain genetic markers.

Patients are advised to discontinue the drug and contact a doctor at the first sign of a rash, because there is no way to tell which rash will develop into full-blown Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

What Is SJS?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a hypersensitive reaction to medication that begins with a fever and rash, but progresses to blistering, painful skin peeling and open sores. The reaction can get out of control quickly, becoming fatal in 5% to 15% of cases.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome can become full-blown Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), causing victims to shed large sheets of skin that come off of the body. Painful, raw sores develop in the mouth and eyes.

Mucous membranes fill up with fluid generated by the immune system in a severe allergic reaction to the medication. When large areas of raw skin are exposed, the chances of the patient developing infection, sepsis (blood infection) and death increase.

Elderly Male Patient Survives Tegretol SJS

The National Institutes of Health published an article from The Korean Journal of Pain that detailed the case of a 68-year-old man who experienced Tegretol SJS.

The man was taking 200 mg of Tegretol three times a day for trigeminal neuralgia (pain in his face). He developed a mild fever and weakness on the second day of taking his medication. On the fourth day, he developed a rash in and around his mouth and sores on his cheek, neck, forearm and leg.

On his fifth day of taking the medication, the man was admitted to the hospital for Tegretol SJS.

Doctors placed him on a regimen of 125 mg of prednisone for several days. Fortunately, by the eighth day in the hospital, he was discharged in good condition.

The patient remembered that a year earlier he had been given Tegretol and had stopped taking it because he developed itchy skin after taking only one dose.

Patients who have demonstrated hypersensitivity to other anticonvulsants are more likely to develop SJS upon taking Tegretol.

If you have experienced Tegretol SJS, you could be eligible for compensation. A consultation with an experienced pharmaceuticl products liability attorney can give you a good idea of your rights and options.