“I had problems focusing and staying awake. My chest hurt so bad like my insides were on fire,” Kisandra wrote on the Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Foundation support group forum. The then-16-year-old went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with herpes. Luckily, the next day Kisandra ran into her regular doctor while picking up her refill for Biaxin. He noticed the blisters on her body and “he suddenly grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the office of an allergist who had a team of medical students in his office. My doctor begged the allergist to just look at me,” she said. “As soon as he brought me into the office the allergist gasped like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. … I sat there in the chair crying as they lifted my shirt and looked all over me.

Kisandra finally got a true diagnosis. She was suffering from SJS, a rare but life threatening allergic reaction to medication. The condition causes a rash on the skin that blisters over causing the skin to peel off in sheets. Eyes, internal organs and genitals can also be affected. For some, the condition can be fatal. More than 2,000 medications have been associated with SJS, in particular antibiotics.

“To end my story I fully recovered after two months with no permanent damage, well physical anyway. I have to say I came out of this very lucky,” Kisandra said. “My only wish is that more doctors know what this syndrome is because if they did they would probably save more lives.”

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › SJS survivor hopes more doctors will learn about rare allergic reaction

One reason why it is hard to pinpoint what medications may cause SJS is because the time it takes for the reaction to occur varies. For some, the symptoms occur almost immediately. Others report experiencing symptoms days, weeks or even a month after taking the offending medication.

SJS is a medical emergency, usually demanding hospitalization. For many, SJS begins with flu-like symptoms such as a fever and sometimes sore throat, cough and burning eyes. A rash develops on the skin and becomes gradually worse, blistering over and causing the top layer of skin to peel away. This exposes the body to life-threatening infections and in many cases, patients with SJS are treated in burn units. Blisters can also form on the mucous membranes, such as the eyes, mouth and genitals. This can lead to serious ocular problems and dehydration.

The most severe form of SJS is toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which occurs when a larger percentage of the body is affected. Both SJS and TEN can be fatal. Some statistics list TEN with a 40 percent fatality rate.

The condition is rare – affecting about one in a million people – thus, it is often misdiagnosed. Early diagnosis and discontinuation of the offending drug can curtail some of the severity of the condition though in most cases SJS and TEN have to run their course. There is no known treatment, and there is no test to determine who will get SJS or TEN, which makes it even more important for people to understand the symptoms and to act quickly if they experience any adverse reactions after taking medication.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Brown was booked about a month ago for not paying child support. She said the jail physician had switched her anticonvulsant medication to Dilantin, which triggered the allergic reaction. While rare, SJS has been linked to more than 2,000 medications, commonly antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen) and anti-seizure drugs. There is no way of knowing who will have the reaction; the condition affects both children and adults.

“Her skin is burning off. Her eyes are swollen shut,” Brown’s sister-in-law Alysha Banks told JC Online. “If you see her, it’s just terrible.”

Much of Brown’s skin has peeled away, leaving her at risk for serious infections. Like many patients hospitalized with SJS, Brown is being treated in a burn unit. Blisters in the mouth can lead to dehydration, and sores in the eyes can cause scaring and vision problems. Doctors haven’t said how long Brown will be hospitalized.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Seizure medication triggers severe allergic reaction in inmate

The studies showed a 75 percent cure rate for hepatitis C in patients treated with a telaprevir-containing regimen over 24 weeks. The numbers are impressive, but TheStreet.com says they are largely what investors were expecting for a viral cure rate. About 55 percent of patients treated with telaprevir overall achieved viral cure within the 24-week treatment, a drop in what was observed in previous phase II studies.

Another concern is the development of SJS in a patient enrolled in the phase III study. The condition was diagnosed 11 weeks after telaprevir dosing had ended. The patient was hospitalized and eventually made a full recovery, but the question is how the FDA will react to the report. SJS, an allergic reaction to medication linked to numerous drugs, can be life threatening. It presents with a rash that can occur during use or even weeks or months after the medication has been discontinued.

Only 1.4 percent of the patients treated with telaprevir reported having discontinued the medication because of rash. While the number is low, rash is still an adverse event and, TheStreet.com says, “the disclosure of even one case of SJS puts the drug’s safety profile under further scrutiny.”

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Study on new hepatitis C drug shows possible SJS link

SJS is a serious reaction that while rare, can be triggered by a number of medications. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are among the drugs most often associated with the condition, including over-the-counter versions of ibuprofen. As many as 40 percent of those who develop SJS will die. Those who do survive often have lifelong consequences caused by scars on the eyes or internal organs from the painful blisters. Blindness and vision problems are a common lingering symptom. For Jordan, that threat was all too real.

“We started to be concerned he might not live,” said his mother Maria Green. When he finally began to pull through, “he hadn’t opened his eyes for a week.” The damage had been done. Jordan was practically blind.

At that time, Jordan underwent an unprecedented surgery that placed in Jordan’s eyes and eyelids a protective coating made of amniotic membrane found in human placenta. The surgery was a success. Before long, he was playing video games.

Now, Jordan has his sights on his future. He wants to be a doctor. “If it wasn’t for (my doctor), I’d be at a school for the blind,” Jordan said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › High school graduate inspired to be doctor after bout with SJS

SJS usually begins with a fever, sore throat and fatigue. As the condition progresses, purple spots begin to cover the face and trunk. Those spots fuse together into patches that eventually form blisters. The blistered area sheds off leaving the body exposed and causing extreme pain for sufferers. Ulcers and other lesions appear in the mucous membranes, usually the mouth and lips but also in the genital and anal regions. Lesions in the mouth can be extremely painful, which causes the patient to refuse food or water. Conjunctivitis in the eyes occurs in about a third of the population who suffer from SJS. The liver, kidneys and lungs can also be affected.

Mild cases of SJS – with less than 10 percent of body surface involved – have a mortality rate of about 5 percent. The more skin involved, the more life threatening it is. Those who survive often experience organ damage or failure, cornea scratching and blindness.

People who have suffered from SJS should wear a medical alert bracelet notifying others that they should avoid taking any drugs that carry a risk for the condition. Drugs that have been linked to SJS are required to include a warning of the risk of SJS on the medication’s safety packaging. Unfortunately, some people who have fallen ill with SJS believe they were not adequately warned of the potential side effects of the drugs.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Understanding causes of SJS can help reduce number of reactions

My son was 2.5 years old when he was admitted to the Children’s Hospital on Nov 7th, 2009, in Winnipeg, MB Canada. I also had never heard of SJS. Today, it is all I think about.

The mother of young Liam refers to herself simply as Melanie. But she so identified with Avi Selk’s recent Dallas Morning News story about a rare skin condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS, that she felt compelled to comment on the story.

My son was very ill. He was the first child they had ever had in that hospital that had needed to be incubated to save his airway, to keep him breathing,.. the first child that hospital had ever had in PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) fighting for his life.

SJS is a life-threatening condition that begins with a rash on the skin. The rash blisters over and the skin begins to peel off in sheets, exposing the body to infections. Blisters can form on the eyes and internal organs, leading to complications with the eyes, bowels and digestive system. In severe cases, the condition can be fatal.

While the cause of SJS is still baffling, most believe that it is caused by an allergic reaction to medication. As many as 2,000 drugs have been linked to SJS, most often antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-seizure medications. The only drug found in Liam’s system at the time of his diagnosis was Children’s Motrin, a common over-the-counter medication that Liam had taken numerous times before.

My son was the picture of health. SJS stormed in our lives, it is forever in my mind and I am forever haunted, waiting for its return. Without knowing the ACTUAL trigger,.. I live in constant fear.

People need to know about SJS, doctors needs to know about SJS… ignorance is not bliss.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Mother says SJS awareness is a must: ‘Ignorance is not bliss’

SJS and its most severe form, TEN, are allergic reactions to medication. More than 2,000 drugs have been associated with the condition. The condition begins with blisters that cause the top layer of skin to peel off. Blisters can also form in the eyes and internal membranes leaving sufferers susceptible to infection and dehydration. In severe cases, fatalities have occurred.

Inderide is a beta blocker that primarily affects the cardiovascular system by decreasing heat rate, cardiac contractility and blood pressure and promoting brochospasm in the lungs. It also increases chloride, sodium and water excretion by interfering with the transport of sodium ions across the renal tubular epithelium. Interide was already contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to sulfonamide-derived drugs.

Interide’s new safety label was approved by the FDA and goes into effect immediately.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Hypertension drug’s new label warns of SJS, TEN

SJS, is a medical condition so rare that even doctors are baffled by it. But it can affect anyone. While it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly causes the condition, most medical experts say it is triggered by medication. It causes the skill to peel off, exposing the body to infection. Blisters can also form on the eyes and internal organs, causing blindness and other serious complications. Thousands of drugs have been linked to SJS, including anti-inflammatory medicines, anti-viral drugs, and antibiotics.

About 90 percent of Nichole’s body was affected by the condition, but she managed to survive. Nearly two decades later, Nichole still has adverse effects because of SJS. Her tear ducts were so badly damaged that she must have glass ones implanted every year to help maintain moisture in her eyes. She also has a limited diet because scar tissue has ravaged her throat.

Despite her struggles, Nichole is sharing her story with local media and the Discovery Health Channel in hopes of preventing others from becoming ill. “This can happen to anybody,” she told KTVL-TV.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › SJS survivor shares story with local, national media