Most patients who take azithromycin experience minor side effects or none at all, but some can instead be diagnosed with a serious condition known as azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Background of Azithromycin

Azithromycin, an antibiotic manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Inc., was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1991. Azithromycin is also marketed under the names Zithromax, Z-Pak and Z-max, and is used to treat a range of bacterial infections in adults and children.

For adults, azithromycin is commonly used to treat respiratory infections and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Children are more likely to take azithromycin to fight off ear infections or pneumonia.

Azithromycin Side Effects

With any antibiotic, patients can expect a certain risk of a few mild side effects. Mild side effects can include vomiting, dizziness, stomach pain, diarrhea and common skin rashes that go away on their own without further treatment.

Unfortunately, patients who take azithromycin may also be at risk of a much more serious condition. Azithromycin has been increasingly linked with a serious and even life-threatening condition known as azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome: What Is It?

The first sign of developing azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a mild skin rash. Of course, this may actually be a mild skin rash and nothing more. However, a rash that is actually associated with azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome will spread rapidly, become painful, turn red or purple, develop blisters and begin to peel.

For some patients, treatment may only require being taken off the drug, but for others, symptoms may become so severe that serious medical attention is required. For severe cases, symptoms of azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome essentially resemble burns, and are often treated in the burn unit of the hospital.

Once a azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome rash has spread to cover over 30 percent of a patient’s skin, it becomes reclassified as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). TEN is a more advanced, severe, and dangerous form of azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Unfortunately, patients with TEN are at a much greater risk. The rate of fatalities linked with SJS is 15 percent, while TEN patients face a risk of death of up to 40 percent.

Even for patients who survive SJS or TEN, they may be left with long-lasting damage. Azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome can cause permanent scarring marring their skin where the painful rash once was.

Filing a Lawsuit After Azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Patients may not realize they are at risk for azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome until after the symptoms have begun to set in. Pharmaceutical companies are under a legal duty to give patients and their doctors a warning about the risks involved with taking their medications, and failing to satisfy that duty can make the company liable for the resulting harm.

If you or someone you love has suffered from azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome after using azithromycin or a similar product, you may be able to file an azithromycin lawsuit against Pfizer.

While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of those affected by azithromycin Stevens Johnson Syndrome or bring a loved one back to life, it can help to compensate for the financial expenses incurred by medical bills and lost wages.