A mum has told of how her body was "blistering and burning" after being given a prescription which sparked a "excruciating" life-threatening condition.
Nicole Donald and partner Ryan Eder, 29, had daughter Addison three years ago and the mum suffered a "horrifying" reaction to medication she was given after suffering bouts of extreme mood swings linked to post-partum disorder.
The 26-year-old was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and placed on a range of medications, but soon the mum noticed her lips bleeding and skin peeling.
Now she’s shared her harrowing battle with Steven Johnson Syndrome in a bid to warn others about the side effects of common prescriptions and says she wouldn’t wish the “nightmare” on anyone.
“I dread to think what might have happened, as the outcome could’ve been very different only hours later,” said Nicole, from New Zealand.
Talking to NeedToKnow.online she continued: “I count myself extremely lucky. It was so excruciatingly painful – my skin felt like it was sunburnt all over, my lips and the inside of my mouth were bleeding and my eyes were burning.
“My vision started to become so blurry, I couldn’t use my phone or see my family. I couldn’t eat or drink as my mouth was full of ulcers and my tummy hurt so much. It was the scariest health battle of my life, as no one could tell me what was going to happen.
“Addison was only six months old at the time and the thought of being away from her was absolutely heartbreaking.”
Nicole claims she was switched to the new medication after experiencing frequent bouts of numb emotion, which affected her ability to feel motivated.
Although she didn’t initially have any concerns, the mum recalls alarm bells ringing two weeks later.
Speaking about the symptoms, she said: “I started getting a really high temperature and my lips began going red. I researched my symptoms and the medication, which is when Steven Johnson Syndrome came up and immediately went to my doctor.
“Some of the doctors had never heard of this before, with others saying it was very rare, that they didn’t believe it was related to the medication. I didn’t have any concerns as they didn’t, but looking back... I was a little naive about how serious this was.”
Over the next week, her condition deteriorated and a red rash started to spread across her entire body.
Quickly, she was taken to the hospital in June 2020 and standard blood tests were performed, but medics were baffled by the case and couldn’t make a formal diagnosis.
It wasn’t until a new doctor observed Nicole and confirmed it was Steven Johnson Syndrome that panic started to set in.
Soon, she was informed that every mucus membrane in her body was blistering and burning, including her genitalia.
She said: “I remember crying and then it became too painful to cry. I was very nervous and it was such a scary time, but all I could do was try to be brave and fight for my little girl.
“I wasn’t too shocked, as I know every medication has side effects, but I was shocked to learn that no one knew what this condition was."
After two weeks of steroids and pain relief, she started to make a recovery and two months later, she had won the traumatic battle.
Now, the mum-of-three to Addison, Oliver, aged four months, and Harper, who sadly passed away at seven weeks old, is hoping to raise awareness and warn others.
Nicole added: “I have had a lot of health battles in my life, but I have never had anything quite like Steven Johnson Syndrome.
"I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. I’ve lost some pigment in my lips and my left eye has a permanent obvious red vein, but that’s all, so I’m very lucky.
“My advice to anyone is to be cautious with any medication and call a doctor immediately if you have any side effects, even minor ones. At the end of the day, a doctor prescribes medication to make you feel better, not worse, and I was so fortunate the doctor had seen this before, as I may not be here today.”
