These well-known drugs increase the risk of sunburn

2023-07-06 16:07:24

Drug photosensitivity is a skin reaction that occurs when a person takes certain drugs and is then exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) light. “These drugs can make the skin more sensitive to light, resulting in a increased chance of sunburnredness, irritation or skin rashes“, warns Luisa Alonso Fito, member of the Committee for Patients and Citizenship of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Pharmacists (SEFAP).

Among these drugs are some of relatively common use consumed orally, such as pills or syrupsor applied directly to the skin, such as creams or ointments. “The list of drugs that can cause this reaction is long, but some of the most used are anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, hormonal contraceptives such as the vaginal ring or the pill, and some treatments for high blood pressure and certain antibiotics,” lists the primary care pharmacist, who adds that many ointments for insect bites, more commonly used in summer, also cause photosensitivity.

As preventive measures to avoid these skin reactions, Luisa Alonso recommends consulting the pharmacist or other health professional in case of doubt and read the leaflets the medicines that we take where it should be clearly indicated if we must protect ourselves from the sun.

In the case of having to take drugs that cause photosensitivity, the SEFAP spokesperson recommends following the general recommendations for sun protection (high protection cream, protective clothing and avoiding sun exposure at hours of high radiation intensity), consult your doctor who has prescribed the drug how to proceed and, in the case of self-care medications, such as creams for mosquito bites, “use them as far away from sun exposure as possible, preferably at night and never before going to the beach or the pool«.

Luisa Alonso recalls that photosensitivity affects all skin typesregardless of color, both light-skinned and dark-skinned people, and even black-skinned people.

Photo allergy

Some medicines, when receiving solar radiation, slightly change their chemical structure. When this happens, the body’s defense system of certain people identifies it as harmful and attacks, giving rise to an allergic-type reaction. “The photoallergy it is less frequent than photosensitivity, and it does not depend so much on the medication but rather on the characteristics of the person. Just like some of us have allergies to pollen and others don’t, the same thing happens with photoallergy due to medications”, explains Luisa Alonso, who adds that, unlike photosensitivity, whose reaction can lead one to think that they have sunbathed too much, in photoallergy the allergic reaction »is more like eczema or a dermatitis contact and can appear both in areas where the sun has hit us and in areas where we have not been exposed.

Although this problem depends to a large extent on each individual, the primary care pharmacist explains that, just as there are drugs, such as penicillins, that cause allergic reactions in more people than others, there are some that are more closely related to photoallergy: For example, two frequently used are dexketoprofeno And his brother ketoprofen. Both are anti-inflammatories that are used both in cream and in tablets or sachets. And we even have presentations for self-care that do not need a prescription, so it is important to consult with the pharmacist«.

The severity of these allergic reactions can be highly variable. In any case, as the SEFAP member points out, it is advisable seek medical attention “in the event that blisters appear or the reaction spreads over very large areas of the skin.” And keep in mind that these reactions are repeated (also in the case of photosensitivity), “so, if it has ever happened to us, we should not expose ourselves to the sun again taking the same medication.”