Can you tell when you are (temporarily) photosensitive?

September 16, 2015 10:06 AM

I'm on a 10-day course of Cipro (ciprofloxacin), which I've never taken before. Photosensitivity is one of its known potential side effects (and the fact that my doctor didn't seem to know this is a bit bothersome...). I'm mostly avoiding the sun while taking it, but during brief forays out into the noontime sun the last couple of days, it has felt like my skin is more sensitive to the intense rays. Any idea whether this is just in my mind (aka nocebo effect), or could this be genuine perception?

I know that under normal circumstances, if I've been in the sun for long enough that an imminent burn is possible, I start feeling the onset as a sort of low-level pain sensation. That's what I'm feeling at the moment from brief exposure, but it's totally possible that it's purely psychological. Still I'm wondering if there's any possible physiological basis for in fact being aware of drug-induced photosensitivity via skin sensation. Anyone else been there, done that? (And no, I'm not planning to play guinea pig by seeing how long it takes me to burn.)

posted by Creosote to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Best answer: Yes, I could feel it when I was on drugs that made me photosensitive. I was aware of the discomfort well before I got burned, then went "oh, duh" when the burn showed up.
posted by Michele in California at 10:16 AM on September 16, 2015

I've been on Cipro in the tropics and I felt like a vampire, so no, I don't think you're imagining it. Put on some sunscreen.
posted by theodolite at 10:18 AM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

I've noticed the sun seemed hot at about the same time it was too late to prevent a burn. It was really fast - 30 min was enough for a bright red burn with minor ppeeling. Lather on the sunscreen and consider a light long sleeved shirt.
posted by maryr at 10:57 AM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

When I talked to my pharmacist (about doxycycline) he basically said that I should just be careful in the sun, pay attention, and that it only happened to a subset users. Everything he said made me believe that some people would simply sunburn quicker while taking antibiotics. This leads me to think that if you feel something before you get burned normally, you would feel something in this case as well. IANAD.
posted by Phredward at 11:05 AM on September 16, 2015

Response by poster: Am certainly taking precautions... was mostly curious about the sensations. Any wisdom on how long photosensitivity might last after meds are discontinued would also be appreciated.
posted by Creosote at 11:31 AM on September 16, 2015

Best answer: Yeah, I've felt this before when on Cipro. I'm on it right now and after a doctor's visit I spent maybe 7 or 8 minutes walking in the sun and kind of felt like I might burst into flames (more than usual, as I'm quite pale). Now I remember why!
posted by bedhead at 11:48 AM on September 16, 2015

I was on a different one that made me photosensitive. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary while in the sun, but later my entire body became blotchy red, and I felt pain and nausea. (Doctor said to just wait it out).
posted by flimflam at 11:52 AM on September 16, 2015

I've been on Cipro, Doxycycline, and Levaquin at various points in very sunny locations and not noticed a difference between those times and my normal exposure to sun.
That said, I am very white and apply high quality SPF 30+ religiously and frequently in those environments.
posted by Candleman at 12:03 PM on September 16, 2015

Any wisdom on how long photosensitivity might last after meds are discontinued would also be appreciated.

Dr. Google tells me that the half-life of cipro is four hours, but also that caffeine may lengthen it. Seems like 'photosensitivity gone by the following day' is a safe bet.
posted by orchidfox at 1:11 PM on September 16, 2015

In my experience, it has lasted around a week.

Googling the issue, it seems that Cipro would likely cause photosensitivity rather than photoallergy. Given that, and that Cipro is excreted after 24 hours, at least 24 hours seems like an early bound.

Always good to use a good sunscreen with UVB and UVA protection though: its one of the best aging prevention tools out there!
posted by troytroy at 1:30 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the feedback, and I'm interested to learn that it's not just my imagination. As usual, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and common sense of Metafilter respondents—it's a happy medium between the prescribing doctor who said not a word about side effects or potential interactions of the two medications he set me up with, and the sort of "Cipro is Poison!" websites you run across when googling to see if you can learn anything from the experiences of other folks.
posted by Creosote at 4:50 PM on September 16, 2015