Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is one of the most devastating side effects a patient can experience from a medication. While the allergic reaction is relatively rare, over 200 over-the-counter and prescription medications have been implicated in triggering it. The popular antiepileptic drug Dilantin is one of the most frequently implicated drugs.

The alleged association between Dilantin and SJS has been published in many medical text books, with a study from the 1980s highlighting Dilantin patients who developed either Stevens Johnson Syndrome or its more extreme cousin, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

The main difference between SJS and TEN is the rate of progression and the amount of surface area the skin lesions associated with the conditions cover. Typically, an SJS patient may suffer lesions on up to 30 percent of his or her body, while up to 90 percent of a TEN patient’s skin can be covered in the painful red and purple lesions.

Overview of Dilantin SJS Complications

Due to the nature of SJS injuries, patients often have to be treated in the burn unit of hospitals, as skin grafts are often needed. Experts estimate that there are approximately 500 cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome per year in the United States, with a significant portion of them linked to Dilantin. SJS is more common in children than in adults, and a genetic variation makes patients of Asian and African descent more vulnerable. Additionally, patients with a family history of drug sensitivity are at higher risk of developing SJS.

Doctors urge patients suspecting SJS to seek medical help immediately. Early diagnosis can be hard though, as early SJS symptoms are similar to the flu. Symptoms generally occur within the first two to eight weeks of starting a medication. The longer the patient goes undiagnosed, the worse the recovery process will be and the lower the chance of survival.

While SJS is severe, its extreme rarity has made pharmaceutical companies reluctant to include the risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome on their products’ warning labels. Pfizer has been repeatedly criticized for not adequately describing possible side effects for their drugs, including Dilantin SJS. Some injured consumes have taken legal action, and there are currently over 120 Dilantin SJS lawsuits pending throughout the country.