Lamictal Side Effects Include Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a severe skin rash that often starts out as hives. It may appear in the form of facial swelling, tongue swelling, and skin pain as well as a red or purple rash that spreads rapidly, within hours to days.

Blisters will begin to develop on the skin and mucous membranes, especially in the mouth, nose, and eyes. Lamictal SJS usually culminates in the shedding of the skin, which means that the top layer of the skin has died. It is incredibly painful and can make eating, urinating, and sleeping difficult. If blisters develop on the eye, SJS can cause blindness.

SJS is fatal in about 5 percent of patients who contract it. Lesions can develop on internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or liver, causing inflammation on those organs. It can also cause sepsis, a condition in which bacteria from the infection enters the bloodstream. Lamictal SJS can take months to recover from and can leave lasting damage.

This adverse Lamictal side effect can be severe enough to lead to death, especially if it turns into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, in which 100 percent of the skin is affected. TEN is an even more severe form of SJS and carries a 70 percent mortality rate.

While SJS can occur at any time after the patient has begun taking Lamictal, most develop SJS with in 2 to 8 weeks after beginning a Lamictal regimen.

Famous Lamictal SJS Cases

Lamictal has been linked to numerous cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

In 2009, Lamictal was prescribed to 16-year-old Chelsea to help control her mood swings. While she was warned that she might get a mild rash, things took a turn for the worse when she came down with SJS and she ended up in ICU. Her Lamictal-induced Stevens Johnson Syndrome turned into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. Chelsea did survive and was expected to make a full, although slow recovery.

New York actress Josephine Ganner had a similar Lamictal SJS reaction recently after her New York physician had increased her Lamictal dose.

According to Ganner, the SJS blisters spread inside and out of her body. She also developed blisters on her eyes. While the blisters on her skin recovered without a problem, the blisters on her eyes did leave scar tissue, which did cause blindness.

Thankfully, she was at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, where Dr. Darren Gregory works. Gregory specializes in recovering the eyesight in patients who contract SJS by using amniotic membrane from a placenta to replace the infected tissue.

Take Legal Action

If you or someone you know has suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome as the result of taking Lamictal or another medication, legal options are available. Learn more and get a free consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Stevens Johnson (SJS) & Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this drug played a role in your allergic reaction, so act now.