I have a question about Steven Johnson Syndrome. Way back (long time ago), Alan was hospitalized for 10 days, in isolation because he came down with a BODY-WIDE RASH, his face ballooned up, and I kept telling the people in the ER that he had just began Celebrex a few days before this happened. They would not listen, they called in specialists and were examining him and he was getting bigger, and the rash was spreading and I was going "For god's sake, give him a benadryl".

They were clucking and going "Maybe Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, maybe this, then people began showing up in Haz Mat suits" They put Alan in isolation for a week and no one entered that room without being covered from head to to. They began giving him benadyl and lo and behold HE GOT BETTER. I have photos of him from that time. He looked like a swollen lobster in his face and the rash on his body was HORRIBLE.

I remember looking up reactions to celebrex and cox 2 inhibitors and read about Steven Johnson Syndrome.

So I said to myself "oh, he has Steven Johnson Syndrome". The doctors just told us "never give him Celebrex again or any sulfates". So we never did.

I have been researching Elavil and it can cause Steven Johnson Syndrome. But...and here is my confusion... did Alan actually have this? or did he just have a severe allergic reaction to the Celebrex?

I ask this because when one reads about Steven Johnson Syndrome it says says "severe body wide rash, (what Alan had) but then it goes on to further state "peeling of the skin and it can be fatal". Alan's skin never peeled, it just was a bad rash from head to toe, his face was completely beet red, and ballooned. When given the benadryl over the course of 5 days, his whole body slowly returned to normal, they took him out of isolation and said it was an allergic reaction to the Celebrex.

So did Alan ever really have Steven Johnson Syndrome, or could it have been a very mild case of Steven Johnson syndrome, or just a severe allergic reaction to the Celebrex. Or are the two the same thing?

I just want some clarification if anyone knows the answer.

Thanks much

Melody