Popping painkillers can make you blind

If you are one of those who keeps popping painkillers, think twice before doing so.It might lead to extreme dryness of your cornea and blindness.

KEM Hospital in Parel got three such cases in the last one month. One is a 25-year-old woman, who took paracetamol for her headache which led to extreme dryness in her eyes.  Doctors are now struggling to save her eyesight.

Once a sporadic case, the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) induced by drugs is becoming common due to the easy availability of painkillers and less awareness, said doctors. “In the last one month, we got three cases of women between 20 and 25 years with drug-induced SJS,” said Dr Arjun Ahuja, head of ophthalmology department, KEM Hospital.

He is treating Nasreen Ansari, 22, whose corneas have become white because of extreme dryness. “She can see only up to 2 to 3 metres. We tried to treat the dryness by placing amniotic membrane but it didn’t work,” said Dr Ahuja.

The KEM Hospital doctors have now tried a unique method of Buccal Mucosa (the lining of the cheeks and the back of the lips) transplant in both her eyes. “The transplant is now is taking care of the dryness problem. With this, we may be able to save her vision,” said Dr Ahuja. While it is difficult to stop a drug-induced SJS unless the person or the doctor knows he/ she is allergic to the drug, experts say curb on over-the-counter sale of drugs can help save eyesights.

Dr Kavita Rao, cornea and refractive surgeon with Aditya Jyot Hospital, feels awareness needs to be created. “We need more awareness on self-medication and over-the-counter sale of drugs which induce the syndrome,” she said. Sulfa drugs are known to trigger allergy, said Dr Hijab Mehta, an ophthalmologist. “Even painkillers or antiepileptic drugs can induce the syndrome. We are seeing more cases of drug-induced SJS,” he said.

If there is a breakout of rashes after taking a medicine, one should immediately see a specialist. Such patients have to be put on intravenous fluid and steroids within 24 hours to reverse the reactions. “Redness in skin with fever should not be ignored,” said Dr Ahuja.

@somitapal