When you pick up your prescription at your local pharmacy, you don’t expect that medication to be something that sends you to the hospital. Unfortunately, for a small percentage of people, even taking low-risk drugs can lead to a life-threatening complication called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS). Below is a closer look at which drugs cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
What Is SJS?
SJS is a severe disorder of the body’s skin and mucous membranes. It is very rare, and in most cases, it happens as a result of a negative reaction to a medication. You can suffer symptoms of SJS as soon as you start taking a drug or up to two weeks after you’ve discontinued it.
Usually, SJS starts with flu-like symptoms and progressively worsens, leading to the development of these additional indicators:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- A burning sensation in the eyes
- Fatigue
- Pain across large areas of your skin
- A red or purple rash that spreads
- Blisters that form on your skin and mucous membranes
- Sloughing of skin days after blisters form
Early intervention is vital with SJS, as once the condition starts, it can rapidly worsen. If left untreated, it can lead to sepsis, multiple organ failure, and even death.
Which Drugs Cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome?
If you have developed SJS, tell your doctor before starting anything new. Once a particular drug has caused SJS, you will need to avoid that medication and others like it for the rest of your life.
The medications most often linked to SJS include:
- Antibiotics: Including minocycline, penicillins, quinolones, and cephalosporins
- Sulfa drugs: A group of antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole and sulfasalazine
- Anti-seizure medications: Including phenytoin, phenobarbital, and carbamazepine
- NSAIDs: Oxicam pain relievers such as piroxicam and meloxicam, along with over-the-counter options like ibuprofen
- Allopurinol: A medication taken long-term to prevent gout
- Nevirapine: A medication used to manage HIV
- Modafinil and armodafinil: Medications that reduce daytime sleepiness
This list is not exhaustive, and many other medications have been connected to SJS. For a fuller look at how these drugs trigger the reaction and what symptoms to watch for, see our causes & symptoms page.
Once a Doctor Identifies Your Trigger Drug, What Comes Next
Once we know what caused your SJS, you must avoid that drug for the rest of your life. A second exposure can bring the reaction back faster and more severely than the first, so the drug that harmed you becomes one you can never safely take again.
Avoid the Drug That Caused SJS
The first step is direct: do not take the trigger drug again. This holds even if years pass or if you took that same medication safely before the reaction happened.
Ask your care team to document the drug clearly in your chart. The entry should name Stevens-Johnson syndrome, not simply list the medication as a routine allergy.
You will not always recognize a related drug by its name, which is why this becomes the responsibility of your care team.
Ask About Related Medications
The harder part is knowing which other drugs may pose a risk. Medications that share a chemical structure, or belong to the same drug family, can sometimes provoke the same immune response. This is called cross-reactivity.
You may not recognize a related drug by its name. That is why your doctor and pharmacist should check any new prescription against the medication that caused your SJS. This step matters most when a drug belongs to a category already linked to severe reactions.
Tell Every New Provider
Tell every new doctor, dentist, and pharmacist that you have had SJS. Name the drug that caused it, and ask whether any new medication belongs to the same family.
Do not assume one office will pass that information to another. Prescriptions can come from many places, and each provider needs the same warning before they write or fill anything new.
Keep Your Own Record
We also recommend keeping your own medication record. Write down the drug that caused your SJS, the date of the reaction, and the hospital where you received care.
You can also carry a medical alert card or bracelet that names Stevens-Johnson syndrome and the trigger drug. In an emergency, that information can speak for you before another medication is given.
Document the Allergy Everywhere
Ask each provider to add the drug to every system that holds your records. A single note in a chart can stop a dangerous prescription before it is ever written.
If you are unsure which drug caused the reaction, your hospital records may help clarify the timeline. That same timeline can also help answer the larger question behind this blog: which drugs cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and which one caused your injury?
Understand Whether the Warning Failed
Accountability matters, too. Drug manufacturers are required to warn prescribers and patients about a known risk of SJS, and when that warning is missing, vague, or buried, the people taking the drug never get the chance to weigh the danger for themselves.
At Dunn Sheehan, we have handled more SJS claims against more drug manufacturers than any firm in the nation, and that work starts with the same question you are asking now: which drug, and what did its maker know?
You can see what that has meant for our clients on our results page. If you are trying to determine whether your reaction points to a manufacturer’s failure, one of our lawyers specializing in SJS can walk you through it.
Legal Options for Victims of SJS
If you think you may have SJS, the most important step is to seek medical treatment. However, if your case is severe, you might also consider talking to an SJS attorney as well. Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for ensuring the drugs they make are safe and that you receive adequate warning of any potential hazards. At Dunn Sheehan, we can discuss and assess your case to determine whether you may be a good candidate for an SJS lawsuit.
FAQ
How Soon After Taking a New Drug Does SJS Start?
SJS can start anywhere from a few days to eight weeks after starting a new medication.
Can Any Drug Cause SJS?
Many kinds of drugs can cause SJS, but some, such as certain anticonvulsants, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medications, are more likely to cause it than others.
Is SJS the Same as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)?
Though these conditions are part of the same spectrum, they are not quite the same. If less than 10% of your body shows evidence of skin detachment, you likely have SJS. If 30% or more of your body is affected by detaching skin, you likely have TEN. If between 10% and 29% of your body is affected, you may have an “overlap” between the conditions.
How Do You Know If You Have SJS?
The only way to know for sure is to have a doctor diagnose you. However, many people develop a sore throat, fatigue, and a burning sensation in the eyes before getting a spreading red or purple rash.
Have You Been Affected by SJS?
If you have been diagnosed with this rare and life-threatening side effect, you have legal options. Call Dunn Sheehan to book your free consultation with an SJS lawyer today.
