Do drugs provide protection against sun-induced flares of disease?
Read Lilly’s Personal Opinion Yes, some drugs do help by damping down the immune responses and inflammatory processes. Steroids (for example prednisolone) will help to prevent and treat lupus manifestations due to sunlight. However, it is always best to be on the smallest possible dose of steroids, so avoiding UV light and wearing sunblock is important even if you are on steroids. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) seems to be particularly helpful at preventing rashes, arthritis and pleurisy which may be sun-induced, but is not a replacement for sensible behaviour. Other drugs (such as azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide) which are often used for more serious disease or to keep the dose of steroids as low as possible may also reduce the risks of sun-induced flares.
