Many Maritimers practice sun safety, but not everyone knows that taking certain prescription medications means you may need to be even more diligent, as some drugs can cause an increased sensitivity to the sun.
“Most people are aware of antibiotics that may do so, like tetracyclines, or fluoroquinolones, which are used to treat pneumonia like infections or bladder infections,” says pharmacist Glenn Rodrigues.
Rodrigues says the list of medications that can cause potential problems is long and varied. It includes fluid pills, which are often used to treat high blood pressure, as well as diabetes and acne medications.
Antihistamines and painkillers can also cause photosensitivity.
“The anti-inflammatories, some of the cholesterol medications, chemotherapy, medications to treat mental health conditions,” says Rodrigues.
These drugs can cause two different types of reactions - phototoxic and photoallergic.
In phototoxic reactions, the medication becomes activated by exposure to sunlight and causes damage to the skin, similar to sunburn, and it can happen in a matter of minutes.
“The other type, which is a lot less common, some people will actually have allergic reactions,” says Rodrigues. “So when the molecules react, it triggers your immune system and for some people this will occur a day to three days after the reaction initially happens.”
Pharmacist Chelsea Pineda says it is important to always read the information leaflet that comes with medications and, when in doubt, ask questions.
“For the medications that are a bit more well known to cause sun sensitivity, we often actually use an auxiliary label and put a label right on the vial or the box of medication to kind of flag the patient to be aware that this does cause sun sensitivity,” says Pineda.
The best way to protect yourself is with sunscreen, and lots of it.
“Generally an SPF of at least 30 and you want to look to make sure it says on the label that it is sponsored by the Dermatology Association, as well as specifying that it is broad spectrum, covering both UVA and UVB rays,” says Pineda.
Rodrigues says photosensitivity is not just a summertime problem, as reactions are typically caused by UVA rays.
“They come all year round,” says Rodrigues. “They penetrate the clouds, they penetrate glass, they also penetrate deeper into the skin, so it’s something that people should be aware of on an ongoing basis."
