janiedelite Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Does anyone have problems several hours AFTER being in the sun even on a cool day (60 degrees or so)? I do sunburn easily, but I haven't noticed any sunburn after being outside. But several hours after being outside I feel cold and shivery inside, my skin burns, muscles hurt, and I'm more tired than usual. So today I bought a large-brimmed hat and covered every inch of myself except for my hands and went for a 1/2 hour walk and didn't have any reaction. I've heard some autoimmune patients have problems with sunlight. Since I have neuropathic POTS, which might have an autoimmune component, could this be the same type of reaction? Or is this just my POTsy body trying to adjust through a mild sunburn, even though my skin didn't change color?I was also thinking that maybe my neuropathy is just overactive since I've been a little more active, and activity is known to trigger small fiber neuropathy pain. Also, maybe I do have MCAD. My urinary methylhistamine was normal, but the Mayo doc said he couldn't rule it out. Living in the Pacific NW, we don't have many sunny days and I don't have these problems on cloudy days. I'm so pasty and really hate how much POTS keeps me indoors and robs my Vitamin D-absorbing capacity! However, now it seems that even on cool days I still can't be in sunlight! Thanks, janie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajw4790 Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Hi!I am not sure I have much to add, as I am not sure I have the same thing. I am sensitive to the suns rays, but because they are hot and so bright.There was another topic recently along the same lines that you may want to check out.http://dinet.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=12124&hl= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Thanks ajw, I totally understand that we have more problems in the heat. But I wondered if the sun shining on people's skin, even on a cool day, cause a reaction other than the obvious pooling that would result from the heat. I have those problems with heat and pooling, or glare and nausea/dizziness/headache. But I seem to have a delayed reaction to the sun that takes several hours to manifest, and I'm prone to mild hives and they usually manifest after sun exposure. Tylenol seems to help sometimes with the chills/burning feeling. Anyone have a delayed reaction to sun exposure???I did a bit more research about photosensitivity and found:Solar Urticaria: Hives (large, itchy red bumps) that develop after only a few minutes of exposure to sunlight are called solar urticaria. The hives appear within 10 minutes of sun exposure and generally last for only a few hours. A person can be prone to developing solar urticaria for a very long time, sometimes indefinitely. People with large affected areas sometimes have headaches and feel dizzy, weak, and nauseated.Hmmm, headache, dizzy, weak, nauseated, hives... maybe I'll just stay on the zyrtec and see if I still have a reaction in the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 this isnt related but i noticed increased sensitivity to the sun on beta blockers - not good in summer in australia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjt22 Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 I do not like sunlight. I do not like even having it come in my windows. I'm sensitive to the brightness, I'm sensitive to the heat, and I don't know how to explain it, but I just don't like the way it makes me feel. I feel it in my brain, much as I do flourescent lights. I think it's possible that my pupils don't constrict properly and that could be part of the problem. I know I'm very sensitive to heat, and that's probably another factor. However, the "feeling it in my brain" part I really can't explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ana_22 Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 yeah im sensitive to light too, natural and artificial.im not sure if this helps but i know there is a genetic disorder when you are allergic to the sun (we learnt a bit about it years ago in school) sorry i cant remember the name of it was so long ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted May 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Okay guys, I think I've got this figure out. In a different recent topic (Low BP in response to spring allergy season) we discovered that some of our recent POTS flares were due to excessive histamine in response to pollen. I normally have hayfever symptoms this time of year (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.), but haven't experienced the delayed fatigue, nausea, aches, chills after being outside until this spring. Since I started taking zyrtec again, my "sun" allergy is much less . So I really think that my problems with sun were just problems with pollen... I wish all my other POTS flares had such an easy fix! Thanks so much for your support and input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Sunsensativity here too. I think it's from my meds though as I didn?t have this an an initial problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.