Khaberni - An American woman's life turned into a horrific health tragedy after a rare and dangerous reaction to a common antiepileptic drug, causing her to lose 87% of her skin and suffer from permanent blindness, in a medical case that nearly cost her life.
According to "The Sun" newspaper, Emily McAllister's (30 years old) suffering began in September 2022 after her doctor prescribed "Lamotrigine," widely used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Just 16 days after starting the medication, she began experiencing concerning symptoms that included severe dryness, eye redness, facial swelling, and lip swelling.
Her condition quickly worsened the next day, as she experienced confusion, imbalance, and breathing difficulties, before a widespread rash appeared on her face, later spreading to the rest of her body, accompanied by painful blisters.
The doctors then diagnosed her with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare and life-threatening condition caused by the immune system attacking healthy skin, mucous membranes, eyes, and genital organs.
While in intensive care, doctors tried to save as much of her skin as possible, but her condition rapidly deteriorated, causing her facial skin to erode and peel, leaving her tissues exposed and vulnerable to infection.
In the end, Emily lost 87% of her skin and underwent six eye surgeries since 2022 in an attempt to restore her vision, along with stem cell transplantation, salivary gland transplantation, and three uterine surgeries.
Today, Emily is blind in both eyes, having completely lost sight in her left eye, while relying on a special medical contact lens in her right eye that provides her with very limited vision, after having had normal vision before her injury.
For her part, Emily said that her life has completely changed due to her illness ordeal, which left permanent effects that made her live with a disability and lose a significant part of her daily independence, emphasizing that awareness of this dangerous condition is still limited despite its severity.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is often known to start with flu-like symptoms, followed by red or purple skin rashes that turn into blisters and widespread skin peeling, affecting the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, digestive system, genital organs, and eyes, causing severe pain and a direct threat to life.
Doctors indicate that the most common cause of the syndrome is a reaction to certain medications, including antibiotics such as penicillin, epilepsy and nerve pain medications like "Lamotrigine," and some sulfonamide drugs, in addition to non-steroidal pain relievers such as ibuprofen.
Estimates indicate that more than two million Americans and about 60,000 Britons are taking the drug lamotrigine, which is also used in some cases to treat migraines, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic nerve pain.
Despite the tragedy, Emily expressed her gratitude for being still alive, especially as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome can be fatal in many cases.
She concluded her talk by saying that her life will never be the same as it was before the injury, but she feels fortunate to still be able to watch her daughter grow up in front of her, considering her survival itself a miracle.
