A 24-year-old woman developed a rare and serious skin condition called Lyell’s syndrome, or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), shortly after starting a new medication.
The woman had been prescribed lamotrigine, a drug commonly used in the NHS to treat mood disorders and epilepsy. Just days after beginning the treatment for bipolar disorder, she noticed a red rash spreading rapidly across her body.
By the fourth day, the rash had blistered and large sheets of skin began peeling off. Concerned by the severity, she went to Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital in Morocco for treatment.
Doctors quickly diagnosed her with Lyell’s syndrome, a life-threatening reaction to medication. Besides lamotrigine, antibiotics and common painkillers like ibuprofen have also been linked to this condition.
Lyell’s syndrome occurs when the body overreacts to a drug, causing the outer skin layer—the epidermis—to detach and peel away. This exposes the sensitive tissue underneath and causes intense pain.
Survivors have described the feeling as if they were being “burned from the inside out” or “cooked alive” because of the extreme pain and widespread skin loss.
The condition can lead to serious complications such as sepsis and organ failure. It has a high mortality rate, ranging from 20 to 40 percent.
In the reported case, nearly 30 percent of the woman’s body was affected, including her chest, back, arms, and thighs. The case was detailed in the medical journal Cureus.
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