What medications are common contact allergens?
Contact allergens include some drugs - including externally applied - antibiotics (neomycin, gentamycin, detreomycin), vioform, propolis, balsam peruvian, corticosteroids, sulfonamides, antifungal drugs, anesthetics.
Antibiotics, antibacterial agents.
The most common contact dermatitis is associated with the use of neomycin, an antibiotic used in many creams and ointments. Allergic contact eczema may also occur as a result of topical use of penicillin. For example, the presence of lesions on the skin of the eyelids and around the eyes may suggest sensitization to neomycin (and mercury) if the patient uses chronically eye drops. These, because substances are common components of eye drops. Often, they also sensitize tetracyclines, (e.g.oxycort), because many ointments and aerosols with this antibiotic are sold without a prescription. Among the antibacterial agents, contact allergens are: hydroxyquinoline derivatives (vioform). There are allergies to iodine and chlorhexidine.
corticosteroids
Hypersensitivity to externally applied corticosteroids has been difficult to demonstrate for a long time, because a strong pharmacological effect masks their allergenic effect. However, studies in 7,038 patients with contact dermatitis (in 17 European centers) showed conclusively that 2.6% of patients were allergic to this drug. Most often, they were observed in patients with atopic dermatitis (21% of allergies), with occupational contact eczema (14%). In these patients, especially the hands and the lower leg, sometimes the face, were occupied, while the remaining parts of the body were very rare.
Some medicines threaten with phototoxic and photoallergic skin damage
Note: when tanning, some medications threaten to "phototoxic" skin damage
Sun rays falling on the skin can trigger phototoxic and photoallergic reactions. Phototoxic reactions occur when after absorbing light energy through the skin (mainly UVA) - certain chemicals present in the body are photoactivated. These substances are primarily medicines that we use orally, or medicines and cosmetics that we apply to the skin; also sometimes herbal substances (e.g. St. John's wort). The photoactiv substances contained in the medicines give light energy to the tissues of our body, simultaneously release toxic free radicals. This causes damage to the skin cells and acute inflammation. This reaction is usually limited to the place of simultaneous activation of both these factors - i.e., light radiation and the presence of a phototoxic substance.
