Coping with light sensitivity

[cathie]

This will probably be redundant before you read it because its clouded over and they're talking about snow on the weather forecast. I'm looking out the fleece to throw over a wee apple tree we planted a month ago which is putting out leaves.

Anyway... I wrote about light sensitivity possibly linked to RA meds last week. The main reaction subsided within a week, but every time I got outside when the sun's shining (even with a hat on) I get a red face. Even just for a few minutes (less than five).

Last night I managed to catch the red face by putting an ice compress on it (one of those blue gel things) and it did subside. A friend lent me this brilliant solar hat (made by a company called Sunday Afternoon) which she got in New Zealand last year and that seems to cover you up quite a lot too.

Anyway it'll be looking for crampons by the middle of the week if the weather people are to be believed. Our poor joints are in for another shock I suppose.

XX to all

[sylvi]

Cathie, i have light sensetivity,not so bad now i'm off the mtx. Thats one of the side effects. Having said that my eyes are not so bad now,but i still have to wear a hat on bright sunny days. I'm not sure when i'm going back on it or if. I will have to wait until my knee is done.

Sylvi.xx

[cathie]

Yes mtx is top of my list of suspects.

Look after yourself as the weather changes this week. Im going to fleece our new apple tree if the temp goes down too much. Its a bramley. I suppise if tre need to be protected so do we!

Keep well

Xx

[oldtimer]

I use a sun protection cream all the time, even when it's just bright. I use it instead of a moisturiser - I try to buy them at the end of the season in large quantities when they are reduced, but that seems to happen much less nowadays. I suppose more people are going away for sun and buy them all the year round.

The only problem is around the eyes, where you can't put sun protection cream - I have reactolite glasses that darken in bright light and wear a hat.I look stupid in any hat but who cares!

Hope that helps.

[cathie]

I find that even factor 50 doesnt pritect me so it must b a different range of rays. But those reactor sunglasses are good. Today is misty cool no sun so i can go out!!

[Tinwoman2]

Cathie, my cheeks turn red in seconds when I got out in the sun too-even with 50 sunscreen on. I wear sunglasses & sometimes a baseball hat to keep the sun off of my face.

Several of my meds have sun sensitivity as a reaction, and I choose to keep taking them so that all of my conditions stay in 'control'.

Christine

[cathie]

Yes, I feel the same way, but last week I couldn't go outside at all - including but perhaps especially in the car - until it got dark - I felt like a vampire! Have you ever explored alternative meds which do the same thing but which let you go out? I found that the icepack treatment about an hour after going out did help a bit. We will have to stay pale and interesting won't we. XX