Drugs that may cause photosensitivity

Photosensitivity may be defined as sensitivity of the skin to a light source. And people with particular skin types tend to be more sensitive to sunburn. Photosensitivity can take a number of forms:

• Medications may make the skin more sensitive to sunlight; these include most of the tetracycline antibiotics, birth control pills, antihistamines, antidepressants and many retinoids (such as Vitamin A derivatives).
• Certain medicals conditions lead to increased light sensitivity. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus experience skin symptoms after sunlight exposure; some types of porphyria are aggravated by sunlight.
• As well, all types of skin cancer are linked to excessive sunlight exposure, and the rare hereditary condition xeroderma pigmentosum (a defect in DNA repair) can accellerate this risk.

You may have heard the terms “photoallergy” or “sunlight allergy”, to describe many of the conditions mentioned above. However, there is in fact no actual allergy in the technical sense of the word.

Four-hundred drugs are known to cause lightsensitive and photo-allergic reactions. If you’re not sure whether any of your medications are likely to cause photosensitivity, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

The use of a well formulated broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays such as Anthelios or Cotz SPF 58 becomes even more important if you are using any photosensitizing medications.

Here are some of the more common photosensitizing medications, listed by generic name.

ACAMPROSATE	ACETAMINOPHEN
ACETAZOLAMIDE	ACETOHEXAMIDE
ACYCLOVIR	ALDESLEUKIN
ALITRETINOIN	ALLOPURINOL
ALMOTRIPTAN	ALPRAZOLAM
AMANTADINE	AMILORIDE
AMINOLEVULINIC ACID	AMINOSALICYLATE SODIUM
AMIODARONE	AMITRIPTYLINE
AMOBARBITAL	AMOXAPINE
ANAGRELIDE	ANTHRAX VACCINE
ARSENIC	ATAZANAVIR
ATENOLOL	ATORVASTATIN
ATROPINE SULFATE	AZATADINE
AZATHIOPRINE	AZITHROMYCIN
BENAZEPRIL	BENDROFLUMETHIAZIDE
BENZTHIAZIDE	BENZTROPINE
BERGAMOT	BETAXOLOL
BEXAROTENE	BIMATOPROST
BISOPROLOL	BROMPHENIRAMINE
BUMETANIDE	BUPROPION
BUTABARBITAL	BUTALBITAL
CAPECITABINE	CAPTOPRIL
CARBAMAZEPINE	CARISOPRODOL
CARTEOLOL	CARVEDILOL
CEFAZOLIN	CEFTAZIDIME
CELECOXIB	CETIRIZINE
CEVIMELINE	CHLORAMBUCIL
CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE	CHLORHEXIDINE
CHLOROQUINE	CHLOROTHIAZIDE
CHLOROTRIANISENE	CHLORPHENIRAMINE
CHLORPROMAZINE	CHLORPROPAMIDE
CHLORTETRACYCLINE	CHLORTHALIDONE
CINOXACIN	CIPROFLOXACIN
CITALOPRAM	CLEMASTINE
CLOFAZIMINE	CLOFIBRATE
CLOMIPRAMINE	CLOPIDOGREL
CLORAZEPATE	CLOZAPINE
CO-TRIMOXAZOLE	COLCHICINE
CORTICOSTEROIDS	CROMOLYN
CYCLAMATE	CYCLOBENZAPRINE
CYCLOTHIAZIDE	CYPROHEPTADINE
DACARBAZINE	DANAZOL
DANTROLENE	DAPSONE
DEMECLOCYCLINE	DESIPRAMINE
DEXCHLORPHENIRAMINE	DIAZOXIDE
DICLOFENAC	DIFLUNISAL
DILTIAZEM	DIMENHYDRINATE
DIPHENHYDRAMINE	DISOPYRAMIDE
DOCETAXEL	DONG QUAI
DOXEPIN	DOXYCYCLINE
DULOXETINE	EFAVIRENZ
ENALAPRIL	ENOXACIN
EPIRUBICIN	EPOETIN ALFA
ESOMEPRAZOLE	ESTAZOLAM
ESTROGENS	ETHACRYNIC ACID
ETHAMBUTOL	ETHIONAMIDE
ETODOLAC	FELBAMATE
FENOFIBRATE	FLOXURIDINE
FLUCYTOSINE	FLUOROURACIL
FLUOXETINE	FLUPHENAZINE
FLURBIPROFEN	FLUTAMIDE
FLUVASTATIN	FLUVOXAMINE
FOSINOPRIL	FURAZOLIDONE
FUROSEMIDE	GANCICLOVIR
GATIFLOXACIN	GEMIFLOXACIN
GENTAMICIN	GLATIRAMER
GLIMEPIRIDE	GLIPIZIDE
GLYBURIDE	GLYCOPYRROLATE
GOLD And GOLD COMPOUNDS	GOLDENSEAL
GREPAFLOXACIN	GRISEOFULVIN
HALOPERIDOL	HENNA
HEROIN	HYDRALAZINE
HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE	HYDROFLUMETHIAZIDE
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE	HYDROXYUREA
HYDROXYZINE	HYOSCYAMINE
IBUPROFEN	IMATINIB
IMIPRAMINE	INDAPAMIDE
INDOMETHACIN	INFLIXIMAB
INTERFERON BETA 1-A	INTERFERON BETA-1B
INTERFERONS, ALFA-2	IRINOTECAN
ISOCARBOXAZID	ISONIAZID
ISOTRETINOIN	ITRACONAZOLE
KANAMYCIN	KAVA
KETOCONAZOLE	KETOPROFEN
KETOTIFEN	LAMOTRIGINE
LEUPROLIDE	LEVOFLOXACIN
LINCOMYCIN	LISINOPRIL
LOMEFLOXACIN	LORATADINE
LOSARTAN	LOXAPINE
MAPROTILINE	MECLIZINE
MECLOFENAMATE	MEDROXYPROGESTERONE
MEFENAMIC ACID	MELATONIN
MELOXICAM	MEPROBAMATE
MERCAPTOPURINE	MESALAMINE
MESORIDAZINE	METFORMIN
METHAZOLAMIDE	METHENAMINE
METHOTREXATE	METHOXSALEN
METHYCLOTHIAZIDE	METHYLDOPA
METHYLPHENIDATE	METOLAZONE
MINOCYCLINE	MIRTAZAPINE
MITOMYCIN	MOEXIPRIL
MOLINDONE	MOXIFLOXACIN
NABUMETONE	NALIDIXIC ACID
NAPROXEN	NAPROXEN
NARATRIPTAN	NEFAZODONE
NIFEDIPINE	NISOLDIPINE
NITROFURANTOIN	NORFLOXACIN
NORTRIPTYLINE	OFLOXACIN
OLANZAPINE	ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES
OXAPROZIN	OXCARBAZEPINE
OXYTETRACYCLINE	PACLITAXEL
PANTOPRAZOLE	PAROXETINE
PENTOBARBITAL	PENTOSAN
PENTOSTATIN	PERPHENAZINE
PHENELZINE	PHENINDAMINE
PHENOBARBITAL	PILOCARPINE
PIMOZIDE	PIROXICAM
POLYTHIAZIDE	PRAVASTATIN
PROCARBAZINE	PROCHLORPERAZINE
PROCYCLIDINE	PROMAZINE
PROMETHAZINE	PROPRANOLOL
PROPYLTHIOURACIL	PROTRIPTYLINE
PSORALENS	PYRAZINAMIDE
PYRIDOXINE	PYRILAMINE
PYRIMETHAMINE	QUETIAPINE
QUINACRINE	QUINAPRIL
QUINESTROL	QUINETHAZONE
QUINIDINE	QUININE
RABEPRAZOLE	RAMIPRIL
RANITIDINE	RIBAVIRIN
RILUZOLE	RISPERIDONE
RITONAVIR	ROFECOXIB
ROPINIROLE	RUE
SACCHARIN	SAQUINAVIR
SCOPOLAMINE	SELEGILINE
SELENIUM	SERTRALINE
SILDENAFIL	SIMVASTATIN
SMALLPOX VACCINE	SOTALOL
SPARFLOXACIN	SPIRONOLACTONE
ST JOHN’S WORT	STREPTOMYCIN
SULFACETAMIDE	SULFADIAZINE
SULFADOXINE	SULFAMETHOXAZOLE
SULFASALAZINE	SULFISOXAZOLE
SULINDAC	SUMATRIPTAN
TACROLIMUS	TARTRAZINE
TERBINAFINE	TETRACYCLINE
THIMEROSAL	THIOGUANINE
THIORIDAZINE	THIOTHIXENE
TIAGABINE	TIMOLOL
TIOPRONIN	TOLAZAMIDE
TOLBUTAMIDE	TOLMETIN
TOPIRAMATE	TORSEMIDE
TRANYLCYPROMINE	TRAZODONE
TRETINOIN	TRIAMTERENE
TRIAZOLAM	TRICHLORMETHIAZIDE
TRIFLUOPERAZINE	TRIHEXYPHENIDYL
TRIMEPRAZINE	TRIMETHADIONE
TRIMETHOPRIM	TRIMETREXATE
TRIMIPRAMINE	TRIOXSALEN
TRIPELENNAMINE	TRIPROLIDINE
TROVAFLOXACIN	VALDECOXIB
VALPROIC ACID	VALSARTAN
VANCOMYCIN	VARDENAFIL
VENLAFAXINE	VERAPAMIL
VERTEPORFIN	VINBLASTINE
VITAMIN A	VORICONAZOLE
YARROW	ZALCITABINE
ZALEPLON	ZIPRASIDONE
ZOLMITRIPTAN	ZOLPIDEM