Famotidine Linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)

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Famotidine is a drug often prescribed for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as well as for ulcers and severe indigestion. However, at the heart of Famotidine lawsuits is the allegation that it also causes more Stevens Johnson Syndrome cases than the warning label suggests.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is an extreme skin reaction which can quickly turn into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), and then turn fatal. It burns off a person’s skin from the inside out, but often starts at what appears to be a harmless rash. The rash turns into blisters, often collecting at wet regions such as the groin and eyes, and at this point a person must be treated in a burn unit.

The current Famotidine side effects listed on the label include nausea, pneumonia, hypotension, and fever. There is no mention of SJS, even though a recent collection of studies of over 20,000 people suggests that it should be listed as a Famotidine complication.

The collected study includes 20,885 people who were prescribed Famotidine and considered the amount of time a person took the drug, the age and gender of patients, how severe their SJS was, how long it took them to recover (if they did), and potentially related drugs and conditions excepting Famotidine. The figures were provided largely by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which keeps a close watch on Famotidine complaints as well as thousands of other complaints by patients.

Since 1977, 200 million drug outcomes have been recorded by the FDA. As far as SJS goes, the most common victims are those with epilepsy, high blood pressure and convulsion issues, but anyone can become a victim. Some people as young as two years old have died of SJS, which is almost always caused by an adverse drug reaction. It is, after all, an allergic reaction, and safely taking a drug previously doesn’t mean a person is immune.

As of December 2013, almost 21,000 people have reported that they experienced complications from Famotidine side effects. Of those people, 362 (or 1.74 percent) had SJS. The most cases of Famotidine SJS were reported in 2008 with 45 patients, followed closely by 38 people in 2012 and 31 people in 2006. The numbers have been steadily increasing since Famotidine came on the market in 1997, when only two people reported getting SJS from the drug.

Just like every other instance of drug-induced SJS, the vast majority of people experienced this skin reaction in the first month of taking Famotidine—in fact, 82.98 percent of people got SJS from Famotidine in the first month. The numbers slowly trickle downward from there.

Just 9.22 percent of people got SJS within one to six months of starting the drug, and 4.26 percent got it in two to five years from starting it. While the latter numbers are low, they showcase that SJS can actually strike at any time. Some people have taken a drug for years with no adverse effects, and then suddenly their body reacts strongly to it. This delayed reaction can lull a person into a false sense of security, and make them think the drugs they’ve been taking for years aren’t to blame for their sudden rash. SJS is also largely misdiagnosed by physicians since it’s still relatively rare.

The SJS Statistics

When it comes to gender, SJS doesn’t play favorites and the victims are pretty evenly split. While 56.76 percent of Famotidine SJS victims are male, 43.24 percent are female—however, this may also be because more men are prescribed drugs for indigestion than women. Most people who were victims were over the age of 60 at 57.02 percent, followed by those 50-59 at 24.94 percent, with the numbers slowly trickling down with each age category. Sadly, 1.78 percent of Famotidine sufferers were aged newborn to one year old.

When it comes to “severity,” the FDA offers least, moderate, severe and most severe categories. A full 100 percent of Famotidine sufferers fell into the severe category. In total, 86 people (or 23.76 percent) were prescribed the drug for hypertension, 61 (16.85 percent) for a gastric ulcer, 35 (9.67 percent) for constipation, 30 (8.29 percent) for an ulcer, and 30 for gastritis. The most popular drugs co-used by patients were Norvasc with 58 people (16.02 percent), Prednisolone also with 58 people, Lasix with 53 people (14.64 percent), Clarithromycin with 52 people (14.36 percent) and Atarax with 50 people (13.81 percent).

Were You Diagnosed with SJS?

If you or a loved one took Famotidine or another medication and developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), you may be eligible to take legal action against the drug manufacturer. Filing a Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit may help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages. Learn more and obtain a free case evaluation at the Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.