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Emily McAllister (30) lost her eyesight due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome after being prescribed the anti-epileptic drug lamotrigine. The Sun Capture |
An American woman in her 30s experienced the shocking experience of losing most of her skin and losing her vision after taking a common anti-convulsant prescribed by her doctor. Due to a rare disease called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), he lost his eyesight and was left with a lifelong disability.
According to The Sun on the 19th (local time), Emily McAlister (30), who lives in Chicago, USA, was prescribed the anti-epileptic drug lamotrigine at a hospital in September 2022. Lamotrigine is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs around the world, including Korea. It is mainly used to treat epilepsy and is also known to be prescribed for bipolar disorder.
But after 16 days of taking the medication, McAllister’s eyes became dry and her face began to swell.
The next day, he suddenly lost his sense of direction and could not speak properly.
A large rash appeared on my face and spread to my torso.
McAlister, who was working as a substance abuse counselor at the time, was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors diagnosed him with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and moved him to the intensive care unit.
This rare disease is characterized by the immune system attacking healthy skin, mucous membranes, genitals, and eyes.
It usually starts with flu-like symptoms, followed by a red or purple rash that spreads to the skin and forms blisters. The same symptoms appear in the mucous membranes, genitals, and eyes. Symptoms such as fever and pain of unknown cause may also appear.
The skin on McAlister’s face began to rot and peel. The risk of infection was very high.
The medical staff tried to save her skin as much as possible.
But McAlister ended up losing 87% of his skin. Since 2022, I have had six eye surgeries to restore my vision, as well as three stem cell transplants, salivary gland transplants, and uterine surgeries.
McAlister, who was declared legally blind in both eyes, called for awareness of the drug’s side effects.
“I have no vision in my left eye, and I wear a special contact lens in my right eye, which helps a little, but I’m still legally blind,” McAlister explained.
He pointed out, “It is true that people’s awareness of Stevens-Johnson syndrome is very lacking.”
There are many drugs that can cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The most common drugs are penicillin, anticonvulsants such as lamotrigine (used for epilepsy and neuralgia), and certain sulfonamide antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole and sulfadiazine.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can also cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
“Drugs that cause these side effects shouldn’t exist in the first place,” she said, adding, “Unfortunately, I can’t go back to my previous life, but I’m fortunate to be able to watch my daughter grow up.”
Reporter Seong Kim
▶ Military Inside
– Copyright ⓒ Seoul Newspaper –
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