Stevens Johnson Syndrome: "My Husband's Eyes were Sewn Shut"

San Antonio, TXIn May, 2009 Melina's husband had a cyst that indicated traces of staph infection so he took an antibiotic for 12 days. "On the 12th day Sean's eyes were irritated and red and he was also congested so he took some allergy meds," says Melina. "Next day he woke up covered in a rash from head to toe and he was non-stop vomiting; by the time Sean was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) he was almost dead."

Melina drove Sean to the local hospital, stopping every few minutes so he could throw up. By the time Sean was admitted his temperature was 104 degrees and climbing.

"The doctors had no idea what was wrong," says Melina. "I told them that Sean had taken Bactrim and the allergy med; they put him on another antibiotic and he was ambulanced to the burn center here in San Antonio—that saved his life.

Sean was put in ICU immediately and he went into convulsions--the doctors thought it was Stevens-Johnson Syndrome right away. He had a skin biopsy that evening and next morning the results confirmed that indeed he had SJS. We had never even heard of this disease. They said he had likely had a severe allergic reaction and pinpointed it to the Bactrim.

When I was finally allowed to see Sean he was a mummy—completely wrapped in silverlon wound dressing from his neck down; only his face (which was covered in blisters and boils) was exposed because they were trying to treat his eyes. He was completely shaved.

Sean was put into a coma for 3 days, on a respirator for 4 days and stayed in ICU for 2 weeks. They had to sew his eyes shut because they would heal shut if he survived. Or he could have been permanently blinded. Doctors asked my permission to put him under: they put amniotic membrane into his eyes and sewed them shut. He was on lots of morphine. Had lots of nightmares and couldn't wake up from them because he couldn't open his eyes. They stayed shut for 2 weeks.

At one point his temperature soared to 106 and his blood pressure was so high they thought he would have a stroke.

Sean is on short term disability and we don't know if he will ever be able to work again. But disability checks run out in November and after that he isn't guaranteed a job. He can't sleep at night and he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. How can he go back to a normal job?

He has to see another ophthalmologist soon and figure out how to get the sutures out. His immune system is weak. He looks like a leopard—his skin is so spotted--and he has to stay out of the sun for at least one year. And just as it can't get any worse, the doctors who are monitoring him every 2 weeks said he can also wind up with more disorders because of SJS!

All our friends and family looked up SJS online and advised us to sue the makers of this drug. And the nurses at the burn center said there must be a bad dose of Bactrim going around because the last 6 cases of SJS they saw were related to this drug."

Sean is lucky to be alive; other victims of SJS, including children, have succumbed to this horrific allergic reaction. On its website, the Stevens Johnson Syndrome Foundation says that almost any drug can cause SJS/TEN, including over-the-counter drugs such as Ibuprofen and Children's Motrin and prescription drugs such as Dilantin. Everyone should be aware of allergic drug reactions.