A California teen landed in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day due to a severe allergic reaction to medication that had been prescribed to a friend. Desperate to ward off what she thought was an oncoming cold, a Yaasmeen Castanada did what many do every day–she took antibiotics. No biggie, right? Wrong. Instead of helping Castanada feel better, the meds made her feel way, way worse. Within 24 hours, Castanada was covered head to toe in blisters so searing, they were practically burning her alive from the inside out. In the weeks since, things have only gotten worse for the 19-year-old mother of one.
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The California college student is now in covered in bandages and is sedated on a ventilator in the burn ward at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. It's really, really bad. To look at Castanada, you'd think the young woman had been burned alive. Blisters now cover up to 70 percent of her body. Her mother, Laura Corona, says her daughter's skin is so delicate, merely wiping it will cause it to fall off in flakes. As you can imagine, Castanada's family is beside themselves. How could this have happened to her?
Doctors say Castanada suffers from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare but dangerous allergic reaction to medication that affects the skin and mucous membranes. The syndrome begins with flu-like symptoms. However, it's not long before sufferers' lips, skin, eyes and genitals often become inflamed and blistered. Then the top layer of the affected skin dies and begins to shed. And though it may appear as though the sufferer's skin is literally burning from the inside out, it actually isn't. That's just the blistering. It really is that bad.
The only way to treat Stevens-Johnson syndrome is to get those symptoms under control and eliminate the underlying cause. This, however, requires long-term hospitalization, as it may take several weeks to accomplish. Moving forward, the sufferer would have to permanently avoid the medication that triggered the syndrome in the first place.
Among the medications that may cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome are anti-gout medication, like allopurinol; pain meds such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, and others; penicillin, anticonvulsants and some antipsychotics, and radiation therapy. Considering how long this list is, your best bet is to just avoid taking anything that hasn't been prescribed to you by your own doctor. It doesn't matter how sick you're feeling. As much as a headaches and sore throats suck, they have nothing on this deadly and terrifying syndrome. Just suck it up until you can get in to see your doc. Trust me, the peace of mind you'll get (along with your prescription) is well worth the wait.
Image via Global Panorama/Flickr
