News for May, 2010

Understanding causes of SJS can help reduce number of reactions

More than 2,000 drugs, including penicillin, , some epilepsy drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs including popular OTC brands Advil, Aleve and Motrin, have been linked to a rare but life threatening allergic reaction to medicine known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (). When people first present symptoms of the condition, they are most often misdiagnosed until the patient’s health worsens. Though rare, some cases can be fatal. Which is why it is important to understand and recognize its symptoms so that medical attention can be sought early.

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Retired NBA player Manute Bol suffering serious medication reaction

Retired NBA player Manute Bol is in the hospital with kidney failure and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (), a life-threatening skin condition. The former Washington Bullets center was hospitalized in Northern Virginia after spending several months in his hometown of Sudan. Bol was building a school there through the group Sudan Sunrise. According to Bol’s facebook page, the former NBA player developed after taking medication.

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Texas man sues drug maker after suffering serious skin reaction

A Texas man is suing the maker of his anti-epileptic drugs claiming the medications caused him to develop a severe skin reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or , according to the West Virginia Record.

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SpunkyRachel: ‘I have finally begun to flourish’

It’s been almost a year since we last checked in on Rachel Corley-Gutierrez, better known by her YouTube moniker, SpunkyRachel. The young woman was diagnosed with the rare but life threatening allergic reaction to medication known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome () just two weeks after taking ibuprofen for a headache. Her YouTube video diaries track her long and painful road to recovery. Her latest update is encouraging.

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New migraine treatment to be available in US this month

A medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat migraine headaches is scheduled to become available in the United States this month. Cambia (diclofenac potassium for oral solution) was found to reduce migraine pain within 30 minutes, according to a study published in Cephalalgia, the international journal of headache.

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New arthritis drug linked to SJS, TEN

A newly approved drug for the treatment of arthritis in patients at risk of developing NSAID-associated gastric ulcers has been linked to a rare but serious hypersensitivity disorder known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome ().

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