Arthritis Medications And The Sun Can Interact
Note: this resource is written by a NZ-based organization and is primarily aimed at people in Aotearoa NZ (where the ozone layer home makes the risk of sun damage much higher) but this is still crucial information for anyone on medications for arthritis and inflammatory conditions.
"The interaction of inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and other forms of spondyloarthritis), medications to control arthritis and sun sensitivity is not always clear, and the reactions between medications and sun vary; • NSAIDs, such as Naproxen and diclofenac, can make you more sun sensitive as can Sulfasalazine/ Salazopyrin. Hydroxychloroquine can increase light sensitivity and vision changes. • COX-2 inhibitors like Celecoxib can cause irritation, with a breakout in rashes... • There is an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) for people being treated with DMARDs such as methotrexate and some biologic therapies. These medications also increase the risk of NMSC recurrence. • Methotrexate can irritate the skin where sunburn has occurred previously... • Long-term corticosteroids thins the skin, making it more likely to burn, and more susceptible to wrinkling and thinning of the skin (skin atrophy)."
The interaction of arthritis, medications to control arthritis and sun sensitivity is not clear, and reactions between medications and the s
