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Khaliah ShawAmerican graduate student who became a victim of Stevens-Johnson syndrome due to lamotrigine use
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Diagnosis and Initial Symptoms
- Severe Skin Reaction
- Hospitalization and Treatment
- Traumatic Recovery
- Physical and Emotional Impact
- Ongoing Challenges and Fear
- Lamotrigine and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Graduate Student Suffers from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome After Lamotrigine Use
American graduate student Khaliya Shaw nearly lost her eyesight and shed 90% of her skin after taking a common anticonvulsant medication. Halia has filed a $3 million lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
Diagnosis and Initial Symptoms
In 2013, the then 26-year-old Shaw was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while completing her Master's degree in Public Health. She was prescribed lamotrigine as part of her treatment. Within a month of taking the medication, Shaw developed a rash on her face and peeling skin on her lips. She initially visited a local emergency room, where she was misdiagnosed with the flu.
Severe Skin Reaction
A few days later, Shaw awoke in excruciating pain. Her skin was peeling off her face, neck, back, and chest, and blisters covered her mouth. The reaction left severe scars and progressively impaired her vision. Along with numerous other patients, Shaw has taken legal action against GlaxoSmithKline for promoting the drug without adequately warning of its risks. She is seeking over $3.45 million to cover her medical expenses.
Hospitalization and Treatment
As her skin reaction worsened, Shaw returned to the hospital. Doctors initially struggled to diagnose her condition and even isolated her due to concerns about an infectious disease. Her condition escalated, and she was transferred to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, where a dermatologist diagnosed her with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS). SJS is a rare disorder that typically begins with flu-like symptoms, likely explaining the initial misdiagnosis.
Shaw spent her first night in the hospital watching her skin peel and leave large, open wounds. Doctors determined she needed to be put into a medically induced coma to alleviate the intense pain. She was later transferred to a burn unit 90 miles from her previous hospital.
Traumatic Recovery
After five weeks, Shaw awoke from the coma to find herself blind and breathing through a tube inserted in her open trachea. She later learned that she had lost 80-90% of her skin. Over time, however, she began to regain her vision. Upon seeing herself in a mirror for the first time after the severe allergic reaction, she was horrified.
Physical and Emotional Impact
Shaw had lost all her hair and her once-brown skin was now a mottled pink and white. "It was a shock to see...all my hair was gone," she recalled. "And I didn't have any nails on my fingers."
In the following days, Shaw underwent eye treatments to address the damage to her vision and prevent further complications. SJS can cause extensive tissue damage, including blindness. She also experienced seizures, a side effect attributed to the extended use of sedatives.
Shaw received physical and occupational therapy to aid in her rehabilitation. After seven days in the specialized burn center, she was released home. Today, she continues to see numerous doctors, specialists, and therapists on a weekly basis. She has returned to live with her mother and still struggles with vision problems.
Ongoing Challenges and Fear
"I'm trying to get my eyesight back," said Shaw, who has put her graduate studies on hold. She is forced to wear sunglasses indoors as bright light causes pain. The thought of taking additional medications to treat her bipolar disorder terrifies her. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings, energy level changes, and other symptoms, but Shaw fears that new drugs could trigger another severe allergic reaction.
Shaw details her recovery in her blog, where she writes: "I still can't fully grasp what had happened to me while I was in the hospital. I can still hear the IV pump beeping. I don't ever want to step foot into a burn unit again."
She avoids certain triggers that remind her of her ordeal. "No amount of inconvenience or discomfort in life is worth reliving what Stevens-Johnson Syndrome took from me." Shaw finds solace in the gradual growth of her hair and uses her blog to process her experience and reclaim her identity as a "fabulous, funny, bubbly, witty, and outspoken" person.
Lamotrigine and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Lamotrigine, also known by the brand name Lamictal, is approved in the United States for long-term monotherapy for bipolar I depression, partial-onset seizures, and other conditions. It now carries a black box warning about the potential for life-threatening skin reactions, including SJS, a form of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs associated with SJS include allopurinol, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and other anticonvulsants.
