You’re sun-savvy. You slather on sunscreen—maybe even put on a hat—before you go out in the sun. But you may be doing something that makes you more sensitive to the sun than you realize. If you take any of certain very common medications, including some antihistamines and painkillers, and are exposed to sunlight, you’re more sensitive to sunburn—even severe sunburn. So it pays to check the drugs you’re taking—including OTC ones—to know whether you should take extra sun-care precautions.
Common phototoxic drugs include…
• Antibiotics. Examples…
Quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro XR), levofloxacin (Levaquin)
Tetracyclines, such as tetracycline (Achromycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin)
Sulfonamides, such as sulfamethoxazole plus trimethoprim/cotrimoxazole (Bactrim), sulfamethoxazole (Gantanol)
• Antihistamines. Example…
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Malaria medications. Examples…
Quinine (Quinerva)
Chloroquine (Aralen)
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
• Cancer therapy drugs. Examples…
5-fluorouracil (Fluoroplex)
Vinblastine (Velban)
Dacarbazine (DTIC-Dome)
• Cardiac drugs. Examples…
Amiodarone (Cordarone)
Nifedipine (Procardia)
Quinidine (Quinidex)
Diltiazem (Cardizem)
• Diuretics. Examples…
Furosemide (Lasix)
Thiazides, such as hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril)
• Antifungals. Example…
Griseofulvin (Fulvicin)
• Painkillers. Examples…
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), piroxicam (Feldene), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Skin medications. Examples…
Photodynamic therapy for skin cancer, such 5-aminolevulinic acid (Levulan)
Tazarotene (Tazorac)
• Acne oral medication. Example…
Isotretinoin (Accutane)
• Psychiatric drugs. Examples…
Phenothiazines, chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
Tricyclic antidepressants, desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil)
• Antiaging topical products. Examples…
Retinoids, tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova)
Alpha-hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid
Salicylic acid
If you do use any of the drugs on this list, be extra vigilant. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that people with sun sensitivity use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher…avoid the sun, especially during the midday hours (10 am to 4:00 pm)…and when you do go out, cover up.
To learn more ways to take care of your skin, check our Bottom Line Guide to Younger-Looking Skin.