Stevens-Johnson
Syndrome Treatment
 FREE Case Review
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Steven-Johnson’s Syndrome, or SJS, is a very serious skin condition where the mucous membranes surrounding the skin become irritated and inflamed. Most of these reactions are totally debilitating, and 15% of the reported cases result in fatalities. There are certain Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) that trigger this reaction in some people, but Bextra is the only COX-2 Inhibitor of that family of drugs that triggers this dangerous skin allergy. Most drugs that cause SJS are in a group called sulfonamides, a class of antimicrobial drugs first introduced for soldiers to use on wounds in the Second World War. This reaction was common enough that the Food and Drug Administration mandates that any products containing “sulfa” carry a warning advising about this potentially fatal condition. The FDA has now decided that the occurrence of SJS in patients who take Bextra greatly outweigh the benefits of said drug, and asked Pfizer to remove Bextra from the American and European markets.
SJS is one of the most debilitating and tragic adverse drug reactions. The syndrome begins with flu-like symptoms which are easily misdiagnosed or ignored. As the membranes underneath the skin become more and more irritated, the skin turns red and blotchy, and eventually this inflammation overwhelms the entire skin. In more severe cases, the irritation spreads into the eye, causing what is called “dry-eye syndrome,” which can result in permanent blindness. Also, many patients’ pores are so scared by SJS they can no longer sweat, which causes victims to retain dangerous levels of heat. If left untreated, Steven-Johnson’s Syndrome will kill. It often takes years to reduce the visual effects of SJS, but everyone touched by this tragic condition will carry scars with them that will never heal.
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