US woman tells how rarely the allergic reaction of the acne drug has almost killed

For Elle Dunn, who was only 15 years old when her minocycline, a frequently used antibiotic, was prescribed as a routine treatment for acne in a medical crisis near death.

Dunn is now 27 and visits the terrible episode in a viral TIKTOK video that brings light on a rare and potentially fatal state that has not been diagnosed for weeks. Her experience underlines the hidden risks of self -routine drugs – an important memory for patients and health service providers alike.

In the beginning, Dunn experienced apparently small symptoms – jaw pain, rash and tiredness – that quickly developed into a full body reaction. During her sister's wedding, where she developed heavy beehives and a dangerously high fever, it took a terrifying turn. She hurried to the hospital and was put into the intensive care unit when the doctors had difficulty identifying the cause.

“I remember that my body was just down” PEOPLE In an interview. “The last thing I remember is beeping. Everything was black – then I saw myself from above. I saw the doctors, the nurses and my parents expelled. It was not scary. It felt almost peaceful, like a dream.”

For almost 30 minutes, Dunn no longer reacted clinically – an experience that shook her family. Initially diagnosed with Parvovirus, her condition deteriorated over six weeks. Finally, doctors identified the real cause: clothing syndrome (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) – a rare but difficult reaction to medication.

According to the national organization for rare disorders, clothing syndrome can influence the skin, blood and internal organs such as liver, kidneys, lungs and heart. The immune system essentially starts an attack against the body – triggered by certain medication, including some antibiotics.

“I've never heard of dress,” said Dunn. “I had no idea that something that was prescribed for acne could almost take my life.”

The treatment was intense: high steroid doses to suppress their immune response and make it weak, but alive. The recovery was slow and painful, but it looks at herself happily. “Yes, I died technically, but I survived without permanent damage. Some patients lose their hair or suffer long -term damage. I was lucky.”

More than a decade later, the experience of all medication she occupies has not made it hyper -conscious. “I always ask doctors twice twice. I never want to experience it again,” she says.