16 hours ago
Warning over common over-the-counter drug that can fuel cancer in warm weather
As another heatwave hits the UK, pharmacists have sounded the alarm over common drugs taken by millions that could increase the risk of deadly skin cancer.
Certain medications—including painkillers, antibiotics, antidepressants, statins and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—can make the skin more susceptible to damaging ultra-violet rays.
Britain is set to bask in 28C temperatures from today, and it's predicted that the UK could reach a staggering 32C next week—hotter than Ibiza.
But many Britons taking some of the most commonly prescribed medications ought to avoid the sunshine, experts say.
This is because these drugs can trigger an immune response that makes skin more sensitive to sunlight—known as phototoxicity—increasing the risk of burning, and therefore skin cancer.
Research shows it takes a scarily low number of sunburns, only five, to double the risk of developing skin cancer, a condition that kills more than 2,000 people in the UK every year.
Melanoma is the most dangerous type, accounting for four out of five deaths from the disease.
By 2025, Cancer Research UK predicts there will be 21,300 cases of melanoma in Britain.
Around 90 per cent of melanoma cases—around 17,100 each year—are caused by cellular damage from UV and UVB rays from the sun and tanning beds.
Yet only 37 per cent of people take their sunscreen with then to reapply through the day.
Here, MailOnline outlines the common medications everyone should be wary of when spending time in the sun...
Ibuprofen
One of the most likely culprits is one of the most widely used painkillers in the UK, Ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NAID) that is used to treat everything from headaches to period pains.
But taking this common painkiller in hot weather, can put users at risk of burning, according to Thorrun Govind, former chair of the England Pharmacy Board.
'Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can lead to phototoxic reactions [chemically-induced skin irritation], especially when taken in high doses or combined with sun exposure,' she told The Sun.
Antibiotics
Certain antibiotics can also absorb UV light and irritate the skin within hours of being in the sun.
According to Ms Govind, people taking doxycycline and ciprofloxacin—commonly prescribed to treat sexually transmitted infections and UTIs—should be particularly wary.
'It's important to avoid prolonged sun exposure while taking these medications', she warned.
The NHS advises anyone who is taking doxycycline to avoid using tanning beds and to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to prevent sunburn.
Another common side-effect of both of these antibiotics is dehydrating nausea and diarrhoea.
Antidepressants
The 8.7million people in the UK taking antidepressants must be very careful about spending time in the sun, experts have warned.
This is because antidepressants may inhibit the body's internal temperature regulation system, leaving users in danger of overheating and suffering heat stroke.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline and fluoxetine (Prozac), are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety in the UK, but can also increase sensitivity to sunlight, putting users at greater risk of burning.
These drugs can also trigger excessive sweating and in some cases a dry mouth, symptoms that can be exacerbated during hot weather, increasing the risk of dehydration and heat stroke.
What exactly triggers heat-related side-effects from taking SSRIs in some patients, and how common it is overall, is unknown.
However studies have suggested the drugs can trigger changes in the melanin content in cells, increasing the risk of sun burn.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Ms Govind said there is some evidence to suggest that HRT—which replaces the oestrogen lost during the menopause—could increase the risk of skin cancer.
Currently around 2.6million women take HRT in England to help with symptoms of the hormonal change, which can include hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes and difficulty sleeping.
But, according to experts at Lund University, taking HRT significantly increases the risk of basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.
About 75,000 people are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) each year and the condition accounts for approximately 70 per cent of all skin cancers.
Unlike the deadliest type, melanoma, these cancers are slow growing and doctors can almost always cure them.
However, patients often have to undergo invasive operations to remove large chunks of their skin in order to destroy the cancer – which can be disfiguring.
Statins
Statins are one of the most commonly-prescribed drugs in the UK, with around seven to eight million people taking them to ward off heart attack and stroke.
But experts now believe that the medication could make some users more susceptible to sunburn.
Whilst this is not a very common issue, according to Ms Govind, it is still something to be wary of.
'Always use sun protection regardless,' she warned.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends one teaspoon-sized dollop of sunscreen per limb, equating to around seven teaspoons if you are applying the product to your whole body.
