Asthma meds and the sun?

Basically i went out on sunday (stupidly without suncream) and i burnt , ive been burnt before but this time seems much worse (had blisters), and i got sunstroke(and spent a night in hosp) despite eating and drinking like i usually would...

Was just wondering if the meds im on could be a cause of this?

Em x

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Hi Emma,

Sorry to hear that you've been suffering. Sunburn and sunstroke are not pleasant, I know. I remember this time last year I got quite badly burnt after only a relatively short time in the sun - by coincidence, we were with some medic friends, one of whom was a dermatologist, and I asked the same question - was one of my drugs responsible for making me more sensitive to the sun?

There are various drugs that cause photosensitivity, or increased sensitivity to the sun, but as far as I am aware, none of the commonly used asthma drugs have this effect. Certainly, my dermatologist friend didn't think that any that I was on at the time (pred, theophylline and all the usual suspects) were responsible. Methotrexate can have this effect, and this can persist for some months after stopping taking it, but it had been over a year since I last took methotrexate.

Certain antibiotics can also have this effect, including doxycycline (commonly given for chest infections) and trimethoprim (used for cystitis/urinary tract infections). There are a few other chemotherapy agents which also cause photosensitivity, including gold and sulfasalazine. NSAIDs can occasionally cause it, although ibuprofen, probably the most commonly used NSAID, rarely does. Others include some antidepressants, antihypertensives, and diabetes medications.

Don't forget that sunburn is more common during the first hot weather of the season, because you haven't had a chance to get some sun exposure and build up a tan, which develops protective melanin pigment. The only safe way of avoiding sunburn, though (and, indeed, if you make a regular habit of it, an increased risk of skin cancer) is to wear a high factor sunblock, cover up, and stay out of the sun when it is hottest.

Hope you feel better soon and you manage to enjoy the rest of the summer without misadventure.

Take care

Em H