Reactions to drugs are the fourth leading cause of death in the US. As reactions are hard to predict and prevent they can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in many cases. Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is one of those severe allergic reactions to medication that has caused irreversible health damage to many Americans. SJS is a life threatening skin condition that causes the immune system of a person to attack the skin.  As a result, the epidermis starts separating from the dermis, causing burn like rashes. SJS also causes harm to the mucous membranes in the eyes, mouth, nose, lungs, stomach and genital areas.

Antibiotics, anticonvulsants, sulfonamides and many over the counter drugs for fever, inflammation and pain, have been linked to SJS. These specific medications are commonly associated with causing SJS:

• Allopurinol
• Bextra
• Motrin
• Ibuprofen
• Celebrex
• Daypro
• Dilantin
• Aspirin
• Sepra
• Bactrim

SJS is characterized by flu-like symptoms such as a fever, headache, sore throat and lethargy. In many cases, the patient keeps taking the drug (that caused the reaction) to treat fever or a sore throat either because patients self-medicate or because the doctor misdiagnosed the condition. It takes about two to three weeks for the rashes to appear and turn into blisters. By the time they are properly diagnosed, patients end up in the Intensive Care Unit or the Burns Unit due to dangerous conditions of their skin. Treatment for SJS varies from case to case, depending on what stage the patient is at and how (positively) responsive his or her body is to the treatment. After discontinuing the medication that caused the reaction, the patient may be given different drugs to keep infections at bay and to hasten the skin recovery process. Plasma exchange is also employed in several cases to remove affected plasma from the patient’s blood and introduce the cleaned blood cells and plasma replacement fluid back into the blood stream to encourage recovery. Currently, there is no singular approach or one drug that can treat SJS.

SJS cannot be predicted and unfortunately is misdiagnosed by many health practitioners. There has been no study or observation by the FDA or any other health authority to document genetic trends that may be linked to SJS. This makes diagnosis and understanding of the condition even harder. The fact that such a severe reaction starts off with flu like symptoms is another obstacle in catching the condition sooner. However, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the drugs that have been identified as being linked to SJS should send out warnings to people about the potential risk of their drug. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with SJS as a result of a drug reaction, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Your health condition and its treatment can have lifelong effects on your physical, mental and financial state. Our team of SJS attorneys believe that you deserve to get your independence back after suffering from such a life changing condition. Our SJS attorneys have vast experience in dealing with SJS cases in the court and are passionate about helping you fight for your rights. Contact us today to discuss your SJS story.