New York, NYIt is a parent’s worst nightmare when a medication that is supposed to help a child instead causes harm to the child. Such is the case with certain Zithromax side effects, which reportedly include a risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. At least one Zithromax lawsuit has reportedly been filed against the maker of the drug, alleging the company did not warn consumers about the risks associated with the drug.
Zithromax (known generically as azithromycin) is an antibiotic made by Pfizer. According to reports, in 2012 a lawsuit was filed against Pfizer alleging a child who took azithromycin immediately developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a life-threatening allergic reaction to medication.
Stevens Johnson Syndrome (also known in its more severe form as toxic epidermal necrolysis [TEN]) is an allergic reaction to medication that can develop in a patient at any age and at any time, even in cases where medication has previously been tolerated. Patients often develop severe blistering of their skin and inflammation of their mucous membranes. Many people who develop SJS or TEN are treated in their hospital’s burn unit because the symptoms are similar to severe burns.
Not all patients survive their SJS ordeal, and those who do often have permanent injuries, including scarring, difficulty eating and vision problems. Recovering from SJS can take months of medical care. Because SJS is a rare condition, patients are often misdiagnosed at first with a different condition, delaying them from receiving appropriate medical care and, in some cases, further exposing them to the medication that first caused the condition.
Azithromycin is not the only medication reportedly linked to SJS. In the UK, reports of SJS have been linked to heartburn tablets and ibuprofen. In 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, issued a warning that Onfi (clobazam), an anti-seizure drug, had been linked to an increased risk of SJS.
Lawsuits have been filed against the makers of certain medications, including Zithromax, alleging that they knew or should have known about the risks associated with the medications but failed to warn patients or the medical community.
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