Woman, 31, was left ‘burning from the inside out’ in 17-day coma after taking ibuprofen for period pains

By Emily Stearn, health journalist for Mailonline

10:39 a.m. May 7, 2024, updated 1:47 p.m. May 7, 2024

• Jaqueline Gmack, from Papanduva, Brazil, suffered from Stevens-Johnson syndrome
• WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A woman has claimed she was left in a coma for 17 days after suffering a rare reaction to ibuprofen which caused her to “burn from the inside out”.

Jaqueline Gmack, from Papanduva, Brazil, took over-the-counter tablets in 2011 to help relieve her menstrual cramps. In just 48 hours, the 31-year-old experienced a slight itching in her eyes and blood blisters in her mouth.

After being rushed to the hospital, her symptoms quickly worsened and she developed blisters on her face that made it difficult for her to see properly.

Doctors revealed she had Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and placed her in an induced coma.

This rare skin condition causes the immune system to overreact to a trigger, such as a medication, and attack healthy skin, mucous membranes, eyes and genitals.

However, even today, Ms. Gmack’s vision has only returned to about 40 percent of what it was, despite more than a dozen surgeries.

Additional testing is still needed to determine whether the reaction caused permanent damage.

Recalling her ordeal after waking up from the coma, Ms Gmack said: “It was like I had been burned from the inside out.

“I didn’t know what happened to me.

“I noticed that my whole body was bandaged, my vision was completely blurred and I had a tube in my throat, but I had no pain.

“It was only then that the money started to drop and I realized that I was very weak and that something very bad had happened to me.”

Ms Gmack is not believed to have ever suffered a reaction to ibuprofen or to have any underlying health conditions.

SJS often begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a red or purple rash that spreads and forms blisters.

The same goes for the mucous membrane, reproductive organs and eyeballs.

Mucous membranes are thin layers of soft tissue that line the digestive system, inside the mouth, nose and genitals.

Without treatment, the disease can be life-threatening, with studies suggesting that around one in 10 cases is fatal.

It is estimated that this disease affects only one in a million people each year.

Hospital treatment usually involves fluids to prevent dehydration, creams and dressings to hydrate the skin, strong pain relievers to relieve discomfort, and medications to control inflammation and prevent infections.

Some patients are placed in an induced coma to minimize damage.

Ms Gmack said: “They (the doctors) told me it was a miracle that I survived.

“My family wouldn’t let me see myself in the mirror for a few days.

“When I finally looked in the mirror, I saw someone I didn’t recognize.”

In an effort to save her vision, she began eye treatment.

“He (the ophthalmologist) also said that I needed to have surgery as soon as possible, otherwise I would lose my eye,” she added.

“I left the office crying.”

Since then, she has undergone 24 operations to improve her vision, including a cornea transplant, a stem cell transplant and an amniotic membrane transplant – where a sheet of amniotic membrane is attached to the surface of the eye down to the eyelid.

When performed immediately after an ocular surface burn, research has suggested that it reduces pain and speeds healing.

In the decade since, Ms Gmack continues to have fortnightly check-ups to monitor her eye health and says she has about 40 per cent of her vision.

“The hardest obstacle to overcome is knowing that I can never have the vision I once had,” she said.

“I wish I could find a cure to see again. But I feel like a warrior.