Good morning all.
Ive been on hydroxycarbamide for about 10 months now. Had a few problems to start with but now I seem to tolerate it well. I had read that you should be careful with the sunshine…so I sat in the garden swing under the canopy, thinking I was protected from the sun. The weather was perfect for me not too hot. But I burned! How can you burn in the shade of the canopy!! Won’t do that again! So be careful my friends. If I go out I’ll use sunblock from now on.
Have a good day
hi Cokopops, I hope that you aren't too sore. Definitely wise to use a high factor sun block, as per the advice about Hydrox: Your skin may be more sensitive to the sun whilst you are taking hydroxycarbamide so it would be wise to avoid exposure to the sun, using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing and a hat. Best wishes, Maz
I asked my dermatologist similar question , how can someone still get sunburn under a umbrella and a hat on holiday, he said the UV rays bounce around off walls, floors etc My experience is just that, I now always use SPF 50 blocker plus UV block shirts and hat and umbrella and still get a tan! 😀, but don’t burn.
My advice comes from my consultant I have been on Hu for many years but had not been on it for to long it was a brilliant hot day made the most of it next day my arms from elbows down to fingers swollen so mentioned it to my consultant next visit he told me Hu makes you photosensitive to the sun if sitting out in it wear factor fifty suncream and sunglasses and a. Hat off some sort make sure you apply plenty of suncreamBest wishes
Stay safe
Scottish terrier
It's good you note the canopy. Many fabrics are not very good at blocking the harmful rays. Esp if it's letting regular light through you can expect it's letting UV through too unless it's specially designed. Most are not very light proof.
As ainslie notes, what is nearby can make a big difference. I have a car under a canopy, but the light from the cement pavement next to it has aged its paint anyway. I now have dark sidewall fabric to stop that.
I’ve been taking HU for many years and I have never been able to tolerate the sun very well. I live in Florida where in the summer it gets into the 90s. Yesterday I had to go to a funeral and we had to stand outside for a long time and I had to walk back to the air-conditioned car and wait for my partner because I felt I was going to pass out. He used to like to sit out by our pool and get tanned but I always sat in the shade. So, yes, HU definitely affects us and the doctors should warn us when they prescribe it.
Hi Cocopops,I also thought I was doing everything right but still burning so I bought a UVA-UVB light meter and went around my house to places I usually sit and tested with the meter. I was fine with most as the previous owner had film installed on a lot of the windows, but I love having the windows open and that is how I was burning. It took me a while to figure it out because the hydroxy makes my brain a little slow (ok, maybe a lot). The meter is also good for checking if your clothes are really blocking the sun.
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Some clarification on just how much cover I need from the sun please? 
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Update 8.1 - post venesection
