Dilantin, Phenytek, and Health Issues Defective Drug Cases in the Ohio Area
Columbus, Ohio
Dilantin and Phenytek are both anti-convulsants, drugs used to control epileptic seizures by slowing impulses in the brain. Both drugs have the same active ingredient, phenytoin sodium. These dangerous drugs have suffered from both design and manufacturing defects that have made them responsible for many injuries and pharmaceutical injury lawsuits.
FDA Warnings and Recalls
Dilantin, and its maker, Warner-Lambert, have a long history of recall by the FDA, going all the way back to 1990. Since that date, the drug has had 12 separate recalls. In 2007, the way Dilantin was produced was changed, resulting from a problem with an inactive ingredient linked to dissolution and a recall of Dilantin also linked to problems with the pill dissolving incorrectly.
Then in 2008, the FDA warned that some persons of Asian descent--especially those of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Filipino ancestry--possibly carried a gene that made them susceptible to a higher risk of contracting Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) after taking phenytoin. Early studies put this risk as high as 3%.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a potentially life-threatening. Although it begins with basic flu-like symptoms, it progresses to rashes that start in the mucus membranes and results in skin death over large sections of the body. It is a rare disorder, but one that is most often caused by medications, including anti-convulsants such as Dilantin and Phenytek. There is no specific treatment for the disorder, and those suffering from it are often treated similarly to burn victims due to similar secondary risks following skin loss.
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), or Lyell’s Syndrome, is also a life-threatening skin disorder, often caused by reactions to certain medications, and is recognized by many as a more severe version of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Contraction of TEN has been linked to the drugs Dilantin and Phenytek.
Your Ally against the Drug Companies
If you or someone you love has ever used Dilantin, Phenytek, or other similar anti-convulsants, and you are concerned Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, please contact the expert personal injury attorneys at Robert Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. to find out more about your options and to schedule a consultation.
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