21-05-2025
I was prescribed a common antibiotic and wasn't told of the risks... it caused my organs to fail
A 27-year-old woman is sounding the alarm over a commonly prescribed antibiotic that caused her organs to fail.
Elle Dunn was 15 when she was prescribed minocycline to clear up her acne by a dermatologist right before her sister's wedding.
However, what was meant to be a simple treatment instead left her fighting for her life.
Dunn recalled that within days of taking the antibiotic medication, her 'jaw began to lock up' and she began to 'break out into weird rashes'.
But while her family kept saying that her symptoms were 'normal', her rashes soon spread over all her arms and legs.
By the time she attended her sister's wedding, Dunn had severe hives and a dangerously high 106-degree fever.
Little did she know that her organs were shutting down.
She was silently suffering from Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms syndrome (DReSS).
DReSS is described as a hypersensitive allergic reaction to certain drugs. The immune system goes into overdrive and starts attacking healthy tissues and organs.
This can cause a fever, rashes and inflammation in crucial organs such as the liver, lungs and kidneys.
Minocycline is prescribed to around 1million Americans every year for various bacterial infections including pneumonia and in some cases, acne.
While facial acne is usually a result of hormonal imbalances and clogged pores, it can also be caused by bacteria on the skin.
In Dunn's case, doctors struggled to pinpoint the cause of her deteriorating condition as her body continued to swell up and develop rashes for weeks at end.
She recalled in a TikTok video: 'Every single one of [my] organs was shutting down and [doctors] told my parents that [I] was actually going to die.'
As doctors scrambled to find out what was happening to Dunn, the then-teenager stopped breathing for about 30 minutes due to the severity of her condition and had to be put on assisted breathing.
She told PEOPLE: 'I remember just feeling like my body was shutting down. I had no idea what was happening to me, and neither did the doctors at first.'
However two weeks later, doctors misdiagnosed her with Parvovirus - a contagious virus mainly affecting children that can cause facial rashes and a fever.
But she continued to remain in immense pain as her symptoms worsened over the next two months and had to return back to the hospital.
Eventually, a medical student realized that she was suffering from DReSS syndrome after they had spent a week learning about the disorder.
DReSS syndrome is most commonly triggered by antibiotics and can be caused by any form of the anti-bacterial drug.
Its symptoms can cause an outbreak of measles-like rashes all over the body, high fever, increase in white blood cells in the blood, swelling in the lymph nodes and injuries to internal organs.
The exact mechanisms of how the syndrome is triggered remains unknown but experts believe it is usually due to a combination of genetic factors and the immune system's response to certain drugs.
Scientists estimate that one in 10,000 suffer from the condition - out of which one in 10 die.
The syndrome is usually treated with a combination of topical steroid treatments and anti-inflammatory medication.
After her diagnosis, Dunn told the magazine: 'When they finally told me it was DReSS syndrome, I had never heard of it before. I had no idea an antibiotic for acne could do this to me.'
Due to the severity of her condition, she was asked to use steroid treatments for weeks to suppress her immune system and stop the spread of the rashes.
Dunn now claims that she has since learned to be extremely cautious with medication and does not take any medication without checking with experts.
Furthermore, she has also begun efforts to raise awareness about the syndrome and said: 'If my story can help even one person recognize signs early and get the right diagnosis, then it's worth sharing .'
