Polymorphic Light Eruption

[whatatool]

I'm 99% sure I've developed this (joy of joys...allergic to bloody sunshine!!)
Anyone else? I was using Nivea factor 50 and still really suffered with rash and itching on my thighs.
Anyone have any suggestions? Just cover up affected areas forever? More effective sunscreens?
Help!!

Not necessarily. UVB also plays a part. My phototherapy is UVB because I do not react through glass. If you react through glass then you are reacting to UVA.

I did say mainly UVA, in 75-90% of cases. Not all factor 50 sunscreens are equal in terms of UVA protection
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/polymorphic-light-eruption

When you say excellent please could I ask what number you are at now for vitamin D?

did you use nhs to test or private test?

DH still v bad and I’m sure he’s deficient. I’d love to see him better. It’s been an issue for so long now, over 30 years.

Thank you

Resurrecting this thread.. I have my first ever attack of this thanks I believe to a three week course of doxycycline. Anyone else had experience of it on strong and prolonged antibiotics? Is this it? Will i forever be sensitive to the sun? I am very outdoorsy and not to be overdramatic but this feels a bit like a life changing thing!

That's pretty much how mine began. It was triggered bya combination of antibiotics and DEET. For me it appears to be lifelong, and worsening. Sorry. But it is manageable. Antihistamines make a big difference. Gradual exposure is key to increasing your skin's tolerance. If you are an outdoorsy person, you should be able to achieve this easily every spring. But you may nonetheless react to a bright day in winter, so be aware.

Mine started after some antibiotics too and now it comes back; I’m on year 3. It lasts 2-4 weeks every spring summer and it’s horrible. Itchy, bumpy, red. The only thing that helps to keep it calmer while it’s flaring is to use a very basic moisturising cleanser (use an oil to balm one) and then a moisturiser that is designed for hypersensitivity (I use Avene Cicalfate repair cream). I moisturise 2/3 times a day. SPF when you go outside. Try not to scratch your face. Using a handheld fan on your face can help with the tightness and itching.

I never found antihistamines etc helped, but ibuprofen did occasionally help take the edge off a little.

Just to add a little hope to this thread - I had PMLE for a few years but it has completely gone and not returned! I have Crohn's disease and a change of meds plus steroids for something else triggered it. I covered up completely, reduced what I put on my skin and upped my Vitamin D intake significantly. So far so good, after 3 years!

It’s called the gut skin axis. Antibiotics change your microbiome forever in some instances.

I developed hayfever after taking cipro. Body never the same. Developed varicose veins too.

the microbial properties on your skin which have been disrupted. There are some antibiotics that cause UV sensitivity

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3921241/

ive recently also read about this hypochlorus acid spray. It’s on Amazon.

it also much be changing the commensual bacteria on your body.

internally you could try bacillus subtilis MB40.

decreases staph aureus.

put it all into chatGPT it will make sense. May be an overgrowth of staph aureus on your body.

but could be something else?