Certain Medications May Make You Sensitive to the Sun

People should be aware of sunburn risks year-round, and not just from excess sun exposure.

Certain medications can make a person more sensitive to the sun - and it may not take long to burn. As sunburn can play a role in development of skin cancer like melanoma, it's all the more important to be aware.

According to Jonathan D. Rich, D.O., a primary care doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians Downtown in Baltimore, avoiding the sun isn't realistic for most people, so everyone needs to take precautions and know whether medications can make them more prone to sunburn.

"Probably, the most common ones you'll see will be antibiotics. Of course, some skin care or acne medications will do it. Some of the common anti-inflammatory medicines will do it, Dr. Rich said. "Definitely check with your pharmacist or provider to see if there's something that you need to be aware of."

People can also check the "possible side effects" information that comes with medications.

Dr. Rich added that the chemical reaction to the sun can also present itself like an allergy or appear like poison ivy, and may appear on areas of the body not directly exposed to the sun.

View Mercy primary care physician Dr. Jonathan Rich's interview regarding common medications and sun sensitivity.