Allergic reaction to the sun.

My 16 year old son was diagnosed with sun poisoning about 4 years ago, it cleared up and he was fine. About a year ago he began having a strange reaction every time he was in the sun for a few minutes. He will break out in a rash - mild hives(on his arms, chest and stomache, back, once on the side of his face)and he will itch badly, he takes a cool shower and sometimes takes benedryl and it goes away within a half hour. He is now having this problem even indoors, at school and at home. He is very miserable because he can't go out and do the normal outdoor activities. He also suffers terribly with migraines and we were told he has "photosensitivity" to light. The doctor gave him Clarinex for the itching but he suffered a migraine every 2-3 days. Is there a connection with migraines and the allergy? Have you heard of this before? Do you think there is a connection to the sun poisoning? He is becoming a hermit but doesn't have much choice. He lasts about 5 minutes outside before he starts itching. He is allergic to grass and olive trees but no food allergies. Help!!
I am now scheduling him with a Dermatologist and possibly a Neurologist. Any ideas? Thanks,
Anna

[Accents]

Sounds like solar urticaria. I am not sure about the migraines. Antihistamines can help. You might try stronger antihistamines like Zyrtec or Allegra. People with solar urticaria can be sensitive to UVB, UVA and/or visible light. Finding the correct sunscreen can help a lot. I suggest sunscreens from Canada or Europe with a PPD rating of greater than 15 for UVA protection. You can also visit our website for more sun protection ideas such as hats, clothing etc.

I have created a support group for sun sensitive people.  
Our website is at Website: http://sun1.awardspace.com/index.html
Our forum is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sun1/
To join, you need to join yahoo, then join our group. Please come by and say hi.

We are a support group for people who suffer from sun sensitivities such as solar urticaria, lupus, porphyria sun hives, photosensitivity, sun allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, actinic prurigo, hydroa vacciniforme, chronic actinic dermatitis, albinism, and more. We share our experiences and ways of coping and living with sun sensitivity such as sunscreens, clothing, hats, sunglasses and the effectiveness of medical treatments. Sun sensitivity shows usually shows up as a bad sunburn in a very short amount of time. Sun sensitivity can be due to drugs or medications, plants, phototoxicity, genetics and diseases.

See you there,
Accents

Moderators: We are a rare group, so we have a tough time finding each other. So I would appreciate you letting me post this message.

[ME_ALONE]

I am a twenty three year old female. I was born only slightly early, but at preemie weight. Since birth I have had a sensitivity to the sun. I would burn in my bassinet, covered with a blanket and in the shade. I do mean all three of those together. As I got older, it lightened slightly, but I still could not go into the sunlight for more than five minutes without becoming pink. Doesn't sound bad, I know, but once I was pink, it was already too late. No matter what was done after that, I would develop a deep red burn that would blister and peel for weeks. Many sunburn ointments only made the burns more painful. At puberty I stopped burning so badly, but habit has kept me out of the light. However since about the age of fifteen, sunlight has now become exceedingly painful. Like someone is holding a searing hot cooking pan millimeters away from my skin. The longer I am in the sun, the worse it becomes. No redness or rash accompanies this. I now carry an umbrella on outdoor outings in order to stay in the shade, and even then I try to make these outings as short as possible.
What is going on?
ME

[Nina713]

I am a 16 year old female. I was born allergic to the sun xerodumapigmentosum i dont know exactaly how to spell it. I have to wear a special suit to go outside made by Nasa. If im out to long without it i get this realy bad bumps that have to be removed by sergery (surgery) and withen an hour I could possibly die. Most doctors I've met said that there will be a cure but no one knows exactaly when. I was told i'd be normal at the age of 15 but it never happen I'm not surprised. I know im not the only one out there like this and i was hoping to meet more people like me. I know most people that are allergic to the sun have hard times with people they live with who aren't. They just dont understand but hopefuly someone replys to this i just want to talk to someone who knows exactaly what its like. I know we're not alone and if someone out there knows what im talking about please Email me specialy people who are allergic to the sun too

***@****

Nina

[Nina713]

this website is stupid, hasnt helped me ever since i signed up. Screw this damn site, if u need med help call ur doctor

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

What did the dermatologist and neurologist advise?

This appears to be a phenomenon called Solar Urticaria. However, an allergy specialist would be to give you a clear diagnosis.

The migraines could be one of the symptoms of the allergic reaction to light or sun, and not a separate disease entity.

In the meantime he may try to restrict his day time exposure to sun, using a sun block and some OTC anti-allergics for your condition. You could ask your doctor for pain releif medications for his symptoms.

Do let us know if you have any other queries.

Best regards.