Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a strange life threatening reaction to medicines. Allergic reactions to medicines are the fourth most important causes of deaths in the US; it produces more than 100,000 deaths every year. SJS is one of the most destructive of all the medicines reactions and its effects are associated to the use of another drug called Bextra (made by Pfizer Inc.) and Arava (made by Aventis). These two medicines are "recommended" to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Due to the risks of Bextra and Arava, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) ordered Pfizer to quit the painkiller drug from the US, Canada and European market in April 2005.
SJS has also been related to prescribed medicines like Remicade, Daypro, Topamax and other over the counter drugs (OTC): Advil, Ibuprofen and Motrin (for children). SJS is recognized for symptoms like swelling of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, eyes, genital and intestinal tracts. Other symptoms are blindness, photophobia, lung malfunction, asthma, loss of nail beds, arthritis, fatigue and others. The people most likely to suffer SJS are very sensitive to medicines like Arava and Bextra; the majority of the cases occur in people within the age range of 20 and 40 years but it also has been diagnosed in children of three months of age. 15% of the people who suffer this illness die from it.
If you suffer this awful sickness, you can qualify to make a complaint against the companies that produce these drugs.