I thought that comment was odd. But a week later, my sinus infection had not improved. I took the prescription to my pharmacist. I told him that my doctor had told me to only fill the prescription if I felt I really needed it. I asked if there was any reason I should not take the med, given that I simply was not getting over my ailment. The pharmacist nodded and said Ketek was a powerful antibiotic and had some strong side effects. But if a week had passed since seeing my doctor and I was not on the mend, perhaps I should fill it.

I’m not one to react adversely to medicine. And I can usually ride out minor side effects, believing that if it has been prescribed for me, it’s working some sort of miracle. I started the drug and almost immediately after taking the medication I felt even sicker than before, with dizziness, headaches and an overall feverish feeling. I took a second dose the next day and the miserable symptoms returned. I realized then that it must be the Ketek and stopped taking it.

You may remember me telling you about Kim Oakes. She’s the remarkable woman who survived a painful battle with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS). SJS/TEN is a severe adverse reaction to medication in which the skin blisters and peels away. The eyes, mouth and other mucus membranes can also blister over causing serious complications and even death.

More than 200 drugs have been linked to SJS/TEN. Kim’s reaction was caused by a common antibiotic called Clavulin. She said she knew immediately after taking the first dose of Clavulin that something was wrong. The medication made her feel worse, not better.

The same happened with Hannah, the 14-year-old who had a serious bout with SJS that was linked to her bipolar medication trileptal. Hannah said the medication had made her physically ill for weeks before she broke out in painful rashes and blisters. She just didn’t realize it was the trileptal that was making her so ill.

Since writing about SJS, I have learned about the many medications that can cause SJS/TEN. And yes, Ketek is on the list. There have been publicized reports of SJS/TEN related to the antibiotic. Since my trial with Ketek, I have told my doctors not to prescribe it to me.

So, just a word of warning during these days when colds and flu are on the rise. Be aware of the medicines you are prescribed. Read up on the side effects and adverse reactions. And stay safe.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Beware of side effects from meds this season

Kim had suffered a severe adverse reaction to a common antibiotic she received after being bitten by a feral cat. She was diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

“I knew something was wrong when I started taking the antibiotic,” Kim says. “I felt different immediately.” She had taken other antibiotics before and never had any problems. But this drug made her ill. Just days after beginning the antibiotic, she stopped the medication. But then her fever spiked and her head began pounding. Her body broke out in a rash.

Her condition continued to deteriorate. Kim was admitted to the hospital and received morphine for the pain. The doctors and nurses were baffled. It wasn’t until a wound specialist checked her that she was finally diagnosed with SJS/TEN.

Once diagnosed, doctors were able to treat her, but the struggle was only beginning. Kim was put into a drug-induced coma for 15 days. She remembers strange dreams, like wanting to fall into a deep sleep but her sister, Lisa, kept throwing pixie dust on her, keeping her from drifting off. “She may have saved my life,” she says with a laugh.

Kim was determined to overcome SJS/TEN, and miraculously, was able to go home before Christmas. She spent the day with her children. “I was just so glad to be home,” she says.

Kim began physiotherapy last week – impressing her physiologist with her strength and range of motion. Movement is hard, she says, because the new skin is taut and hurts when stretched. She knows recovery is a long road, but she looks forward to going back to work as an animal control officer.

“It’s been a wild ride,” she says. “I’m glad that part is over.”

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Kim continues to recover from dangerous bout with TEN

Kim experienced a rare reaction to the antibiotic that started with a headache and progressed quickly to toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a reaction to medication where the skin blisters and peels off. Ninety percent of the time the reaction is caused by drugs such as ibuprofen, antibiotics and anti-seizure medications.

Kim lost 70 percent of her skin and was put into a drug-induced coma. She was given a 30 percent chance of survival by one doctor. She managed to beat the odds, and was released from the hospital this week.

“Why aren’t people told that they could die if you have a reaction to this drug?” Kim’s father, Art Oake, posed to CBC News.

Nearly one in a million Canadians are treated for SJS/TEN each year. One in six die, according to the story. Toronto dermatologist Dr. Neil Shear urges patients who take antibiotics or drugs used to treat epilepsy to look for signs of adverse reactions, such as fever, tender skin and blistering or sores in the mouth. Patients who experience any reaction should stop taking the drug immediately and call their doctors, he said.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Father asks why he wasn’t warned of possible reaction to drug

“It is absolutely amazing that within three weeks of being admitted to ICU, she will be able to walk out of the hospital (with the help of a walker),” Lisa writes in a Dec. 17 update. Doctors say that Kim’s fast recovery has been staggering. One doctor told the family that when he first saw Kim when she admitted to the hospital weeks ago, he believed her chances of survival were only 30 percent.

Many who contract TEN, a more serious version of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), do not survive. SJS and TEN are rare but serious and potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity disorders that affect the skin and mucous membranes, causing the top layers of skin to peel away and the eyes and mouth to become blistered. SJS and TEN can be caused by an adverse reaction to common antibiotics and over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and Children’s Motrin.

Last month just before Kim was diagnosed, Elizabeth Patton, a 17-year-old girl from Brentwood, Tenn., was hospitalized with TEN. Her story ended differently. Just days after Thanksgiving, Elizabeth lost her battle to the disorder, leaving behind a family that vows to warn others about the seriousness of SJS and TEN.

According to Lisa’s updates, Kim was taken out of her drug-induced coma last week, though she remained in the hospital’s burn unit., unable to see guests. She began getting around with the help of a walker and was finally able to visit with her children. In a sense, she willed herself well, turning down morphine and working hard to recuperate, so that she could be home with her family for Christmas.

Call it a Christmas miracle, but it appears Kim’s Christmas wish is coming true.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Canadian TEN victim leaves hospital in time for Christmas

SJS and TEN are dreadful conditions that cause painful rashes and blisters on the skin and can also affect all orifices including the mouth and eyes. It can lead to blindness or even death. Kim has lost the skin on more than 70 percent of her body. To protect her from the severe pain, she was put into a drug-induced coma.

Every day is a struggle for Kim. Doctors are keeping close watch on her temperature, monitoring her condition, hoping each day that she can be taken off the ventilator for good. Doctors say this is a critical time for Kim as the skin loss makes her more prone to infections from fungi and bacteria that can lead to septicemia, the leading cause of death with TEN. The family has been cautious, even scared to visit her for fear of contaminating her. The family is hoping her two children, Shauna and Hunter Quilty, will be able to visit her on Christmas day.

With more than 2,000 members, the Facebook site is quickly gaining attention from family, friends, and even others who have been touched by SJS and TEN.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Family creates support group to raise awareness of SJS/TEN

Within days, everything changed. Kim started having severe headaches and then target-like blotches sprang up on her skin.

The mother of two is now in a coma and on a ventilator, her body wrapped in antibiotic gauze. The severe reaction to the antibiotics has left her without skin on 70 percent of her body. Doctors have given her a 50 percent change of surviving, according to Canada.com.

Kim was diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), in which the top layer of skin peels off causing painful blisters and lesions. SJS and TEN are most often triggered by drugs such as ibuprofen, antibiotics and anticonvulsants. TEN most severely affects the mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth causing painful blisters that make eating painful and can cause blindness.

Doctors say now is the most critical time for Kim as the skin loss makes her more prone to infections from fungi and bacteria that can lead to septicemia, the leading cause of death with TEN. Kim’s family is scared to even go into her room for fear of contaminating her. The best news for now is that Kim’s eyes have not been affected, nor are there any signs of organ problems.

SOURCE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome › Canadian woman with TEN fights for life