Zithromax and other antibiotics often carry with them a heightened risk of various allergic antibiotic reactions. Some of them are mild, but others are more serious and, in some cases, can be fatal.

Though in most cases, antibiotic reactions are mild and go away on their own. But one reported Zithromax allergic reaction may be more serious and cause for immediate medical attention: Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

If you are taking Zithromax, you should be aware of any Zithromax allergic reaction you may experience, and ensure that it does not progress into a serious condition like SJS.

Antibiotic Reactions

Antibiotics are among the safest kinds of drugs, but even these medications do have some side effects. Most are mild, like a simple skin rash that is harmless and generally goes away on its own. In some cases, treatment requires being taken off the antibiotic, but others can be managed without stopping the drug intake.

If a once mild antibiotic reaction becomes more serious, such as becoming painful or obstructing daily tasks, you should seek medical help immediately.

It is possible for a mild Zithromax allergic reaction to progress into a serious or even fatal form of skin disease.

Zithromax has been linked with the painful and life-threatening cutaneous reaction that affects the skin and mucous membranes known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

SJS can rapidly cover huge portions of the body, which is both very painful and dangerous. SJS skin rashes can become so severe that its symptoms resemble burns.

Because of these similarities, SJS is often treated in a hospital’s burn unit. SJS should be considered a medical emergency, and medical help should be sought immediately.

Your mild skin rash reaction may be progressing into Stevens Johnson Syndrome if it becomes purple or red, spreading rapidly across the skin. The rash generally blisters and peels dramatically.

SJS often covers a large portion of skin. When SJS spreads to cover more than 30 percent of the body in rashes, it becomes known as TEN, or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. The difference between SJS and TEN is simply the severity: the SJS mortality rate is 15 percent, and the mortality rate of TEN is closer to 40 percent.

After reports of Zithromax SJS began to spread, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked that Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Zithromax, include a warning label about the risk of SJS associated with the drug.

Zithromax SJS Lawsuits

A number of injured patients have filed Zithromax lawsuits against Pfizer Inc. These lawsuits allege that the manufacturer knew about the life-threatening risks linked with their drug, but chose to deliberately downplay the severity of these side effects.

Instead of warning the public and the medical community about these serious risks, the company allegedly over-marketed the drug as safe and effective.

Plaintiffs involved in these lawsuits claim that, had Pfizer Inc. adequately warned them of the increased risk of SJS linked with the drug, they would have chosen to take a safer alternative antibiotic.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis after taking Zithromax, you may be able to file a Zithromax SJS lawsuit.