Stevens Johnson Syndrome, also known as SJS, is a rare but potentially fatal disorder that is usually caused by an intense allergic reaction to certain medications. While the medical community doesn’t yet fully understand how SJS becomes so destructive, it is believed that the blood vessels in the skin are damaged, which also harms the surrounding tissues. Often, those affected by SJS develop serious and painful blisters, lesions, and scarring that devastates the underlying mucous membranes as well.
The onset of WWII was a period of time that SJS became more known to the public, as antibiotics made from sulfonamides became more common. These medications were used on the battlefield to prevent infections within wounds and fast became a trusted first aid treatment that preceded penicillin. Tragically however, these drugs known as “sulfa” began to incite severe reactions that doctors had little experience in healing.
Sulfonamides gained popularity in the following decades and were utilized in a variety of medications. The prominent COX-2 drugs known as Bextra and Celebrex began to be implicated in a number of intense reactions like SJS and doctors and scientists began to worry about barbiturates, Dilantin, Viramune, Lamictal, and common antibiotics, concerned that they would lead to SJS problems as well.
If you are one of the countless victims suddenly faced with Stevens Johnson Syndrome linked to your use of a trusted medication, you should talk with an experienced SJS attorney as soon as possible. You may be entitled to monetary compensation for your excruciating pain and emotional suffering, but you have to act before your state’s statutes of limitations expire, leaving you sick and empty-handed. Contact a Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawyer today for guidance on protecting your legal rights.
