When Flu Season rolls around, it’s about as welcome as a stranger would be in your home. No one likes the symptoms associated the flu and so people employ any number of methods to deal with it. Some look to cut the flu off at the pass with pre-emptive vitamins, while others try to quickly douse it after the fact with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Others still may opt for nothing more than a beloved grandmother’s old folk remedy. However, those people who are perhaps looking for a more effective remedy than chicken soup, will likely turn to their doctors for relief.
Just remember though that some medicines may also carry side effects that can impact your skin with sun exposure. The thing is though, while prescribed drugs are accompanied by a leaflet of informative, detailed information about the product, the truth is that many of us simply don’t read it.
Since we’re a skin health blog, we’re going to focus on skin concerns you may not think about. When dealing with our own fight with the flu, we notice, the literature enclosed with the prescription drug Tamiflu includes a warning for the potential of “Serious Skin/Hypersensivity Reactions”. It goes on to state, “Cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and erythema multiforme have been reported in post marketing experience with Tamiflu.” Tamiflu is a highly prescribed medication that is used by millions worldwide.
Now of course these days in our litigious society, we’ve all come to expect everything including the kitchen sink to be covered in such literature. And we’re not doctors. But if you’re concerned about whether a flu (or any other) medication may cause rashes or other skin conditions as a side effect, or just have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your physician for clarification. As always, we recommend sunscreen daily before going outdoors.
When it comes to your health, we believe that it’s always a good idea to be proactive!