Onfi Anti-Seizure Medication Linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome

SJS has been a known side effect of the seizure medication Dilantin for some time. It is also now associated with a newer seizure medication Onfi (clobazam) that came on the market in 2011 after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patients who suffer from a rare form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. It was also approved to treat patients with mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. Onfi is made by the European drugmaker Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals.

SJS became a side effect to Onfi almost as soon as it was released to the public.SJS is a horrible side effect that mostly affects the skin.

SJS 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. It usually culminates 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. It can cause blindness if blisters develop on the eyes.

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 the bacteria from the infection enters the bloodstream. It can take months to recover from and can leave lasting damage.

Another reaction that is closely related to SJS is Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), which is a more severe form of SJS where 30 to 100 percent of the epidermis can separate from the body. In SJS, less than 30 percent of the skin is affected.

A Texas woman filed an Onfi Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit against Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals recently after her son, who was taking Onfi for just a few weeks to treat seizures caused by epilepsy, suffered from SJS.Since the reaction, the mother, Kelly Gutierrez, said that after that even after the brunt of the SJS was over that her son was “horribly disfigured, has stitches in his eyes, is blind, and suffers horrific pain on a daily basis.”

While he was in the hospital being treated for the SJS, he had to undergo a series of skin grafts to replace portions of his skin that had died.

If you or someone you know has suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome as a result of taking Onfi, legal options are available. Please visit the Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) & Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation where you can submit a claim for a free legal consultation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether this anti-seizure medication played a role in your allergic reaction, so act now.