While the anti-seizure drug Dilantin can be a godsend, some patients suffer life-threatening complications such as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), resulting in Dilantin SJS lawsuits.

Dilantin is an anticonvulsant, a drug that can help treat some of the most common types of seizures associated with epilepsy. The World Health Organization actually considers Dilantin among the drugs that form the backbone of even the most basic pharmacopeia. The drug usually works better than most earlier-generation anticonvulsants, which affects general brain function, leaving patients feeling drugged. However, a subset of patients may suffer from a serious complication called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, leading to potential Dilantin SJS lawsuits.

SJS is an autoimmune disease, wherein the body’s disease-fighting system misfires and attacks the body’s own tissues and organs. A more well-known autoimmune disease, Lupus, is also alleged to be linked to Dilantin.

In the case of SJS, the body attacks its own skin. The disease starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, aches, and chills. Over the course of hours or days, this escalates to a painful rash, with blisters and ultimately sores and ulcers.

The damage can spread to the inside of the nose and mouth, as well as the eyes. In some cases, even the surface of the internal organs follow suit, developing similar damage. It can take months, or even years, for survivors to fully recover from the disease. And many are left with permanent effects from SJS, leaving patients with impaired organ function, blindness, and disfiguring scars.

Many questions remain about SJS, but nearly all cases are believed to be triggered by reactions to both over-the-counter and pharmaceutical drugs. Dilantin is among one the drugs known to cause SJS in some individuals.

It is very difficult to predict who will develop SJS from what drug. In the case of SJS, there appears to be some genes that make people more likely to develop the reaction, but the association is inconsistent. Many with the genes in question never develop SJS and many who develop SJS do not have the genes in question. It is known that certain alleles appear to make people more likely to develop SJS, particularly in certain ethnic groups.

More than 100 Dilantin SJS lawsuits have been filed by SJS patients and survivors. These SJS lawsuits typically allege that drug makers were aware — or reasonably should have been aware — of the serious risk of the SJS side effect associated with Dilantin. These Dilantin lawsuits further allege that drug makers did not do enough to protect the public from the risk of developing SJS. These Steven Johnson Syndrome lawsuits typically seek to recoup medical costs, legal fees, and other costs related to Dilantin SJS reactions.