Anti-Seizure Drug Onfi May Trigger Lethal Reactions

The drug Onfi (Clobazam) is used to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of epilepsy that typically manifests in early childhood. While Onfi can help to control seizures, a small percentage of patients suffer from serious autoimmune reactions to Onfi side effects, including potentially lethal side effects like Stevens Johnson Syndrome or SJS.

In SJS, the body attacks its own skin, treating skin tissue like a foreign invader. The reaction starts with general, flu-like symptoms. In fact, physicians often mistake the early stages of SJS for the flu, since it typically presents with muscle aches, fatigue and weakness. However, the reaction progresses to a painful rash, followed by sores. The sores in turn lead to ulceration on the skin.

The damage from SJS starts on the patient’s skin, but typically spreads to sensitive mucus membranes like the mouth and eyes. In extreme cases, the damage my even spread to the surface of internal organs, impairing their function.

In many cases, the damage to the skin leads to serious scarring over much of the patient’s body. These scars can cause deformity, as well as pain and difficulty moving. When the scarring happens on the eye, SJS can cause permanent blindness due. Additionally, scars on internal organs can lead to additional complications, including a permanent reduction in functionality.

About one out of 20 cases of SJS syndrome are fatal, though many survivors face long-term complications, like scarring, blindness and organ failure.

In the most extreme cases, SJS syndrome can progress to an even more dangerous form of the disorder called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis or TEN. In TEN, large patches of the skin die and slough off. This damage is so severe that it resembles burns. In fact, many ICUs treat TEN in their burn wards since the wounds have many of the same clinical characteristics. For example, the large patches of dead skin leave patients with an extreme vulnerability to dehydration, secondary infections, and pain. TEN has an even higher mortality rate than SJS, with about 40 percent of victims dying from the disease.

Unfortunately, physicians have few options with SJS and TEN. There is no one single accepted treatment, and many treatments are controversial. Some physicians argue for debridement – scraping away at the damaged tissue to encourage healing – but this is not universally agreed on as effective. Additionally, some physicians have advocated steroid-based treatments, since these drugs can help with other autoimmune reactions. However, this treatment is not universally accepted, and studies on its efficacy are unclear.

Some studies suggest – but cannot confirm – that steroids actually make the condition worse, increasing the likelihood of complications. Faced with no good options, most physicians resort to supportive therapy or palliative care – keeping the patient as comfortable as possible and treating the symptoms of SJS, hoping the patient will survive the reaction and recover on their own.

If you or a loved one took Onfi and experienced serious side effects like SJS or TEN, your life has probably been turned upside down. But you need to remember that you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Stevens Johnson (SJS) & Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation and submitting your information for a free legal review.