New Zithromax Study Shows Hundreds of Stevens Johnson Syndrome Cases

The Zithromax study, released on July 19 by eHealthMe, found that 390 people reported they came down with Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking Zithromax during a 15-year period between 1997 and 2012. The study was based on data released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The number of Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome cases peaked in 2004, when it was reported that 50 individuals were diagnosed with this debilitating Zithromax side effect. The study also found almost 90 percent of those who experienced this Zithromax side effect came down with Stevens Johnson Syndrome after being on the antibiotic for less than a month.

This makes sense because Zithromax is a very popular antibiotic due to the fact that patients only have to take the medication for five days to kill their infection, while most traditional antibiotics such as amoxicillin and penicillin need to be taken for 10 or more days. The FDA reported that Zithromax is prescribed 50 million times each year.

Whether a person is male or female does not appear to be a significant contributing factor to a Zithromax SJS diagnosis; however, 53 percent of those who came down with SJS while taking Zithromax were male and 47 percent were female.

Zithromax SJS syndrome is especially prominent in children. Thirty-nine percent of those who came down with the SJS from Zithromax were between the ages of 2 and 19. Over 25 percent of those were between the ages of two and nine.

Most of those who suffered the Zithromax-induced Stevens Johnson Syndrome were being treated for a fever. The other most common conditions Zithromax SJS patients are treated for include “ill-defined disorder,” pneumonia, bronchitis, and upper respiratory tract infection.

The study also notes what drugs Zithromax was combined with by the SJS patients. The top drug is acetaminophen, carbamazepine (which is an anticonvulsant prescribed to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder), ascorbic acid (which is a form of vitamin C), rocephin (another antibiotic), and ibuprofen.

The study did not look at adverse reactions to the generic version of Zithromax, azithromycin – only the brand name made by Pfizer Inc.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a horrible drug side effect that mostly affects the skin. It usually starts out with flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and headache. The skin rash may initially start out as hives, but blisters will begin to develop on the skin and mucous membranes, especially the mouth, nose, and eyes.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms usually culminate in the shedding of the skin — which means that the top layer of the skin has died. Eating, sleeping, urinating, and even breathing can all become difficult. If blisters develop on the eye, SJS can cause blindness.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome 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. SJS can also cause sepsis, a condition in which the bacteria from the infection enter the bloodstream. It can take months to recover from and can leave lasting damage.

Are You a Victim of Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

If you or someone you know has developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking Zithromax, Zmax, or Z-Pak, legal options are available to you. Learn more and get a free legal review at the Zithromax Z-Pak Azithromycin Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this antibiotic played a role in severe skin reaction or other serious Zithromax side effects, so act now.