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Sunlight Might Hold the Key to Treating Autoimmune Diseases
(www.scientificamerican.com)
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this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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Well this is certainly shocking since most of the drugs given to autoimmune patients are in classes that raise cancer risks by multitudes, and prohibit patients from exposure to direct sunlight. Same with chemo patients.
The article talks about "Ultraviolet (UV) light boxes, which emit only a narrow bandwidth of light that is not linked to skin cancer," so it's possible the UV treatment and the drugs can be combined.
Is sun sensitivity just a sideeffect or how the drug intrinsically works?
The drugs every autoimmune patient are given for the most part have very specific warnings about staying out of the sun. That's the irony.
Yeah, I know, I've tried many of them :).
Its a a pretty common side effect for lots of meds though, so I didn't really see the irony. I was wondering if it was more than just a side effect.
No, it's specific to classes of drugs that are prescribed to autoimmune patients because they work by embedding themselves in the renal system for long termeasueed release. It's not a general think for most medications at all.
Okay, good to know. Doxycycline and some antibiotics have sun sensitivity, same reason?
Edit: list of a bunch of medicines with sun sensitivity effects: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/sun-and-your-medicine
No. Not even close.
https://www.arthritisresearch.ca/sun-exposure-medications-and-rheumatoid-arthritis/
https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/methotrexate-advise-patients-to-take-precautions-in-the-sun-to-avoid-photosensitivity-reactions
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/leflunomide-side-effects.html
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/sulfasalazine-side-effects.html
These are the top 3 drugs immediately prescribed to any patients that are thought to need immunotherapy. MS, RA, PA...etc. Everything from Lupus to Alopecia. These drugs increase cancer risk of any soft tissue type by 200% at a minimum individually, and more so for dermal types by sun exposure.
The irony is in prescribing such drugs and then having a study that says the thing that will accelerate your cancer risk may be beneficial.
Doxycycline is taken by a large portion of the human population, and I believe the worst they may expect is less melanin production. They'll get a sunburn faster than expected.