Are There Side Effects?

The effects of UVADEX® (methoxsalen) are minimal, and there is no recommendation concerning eating or drinking. The medicine used in photopheresis will make you more sensitive to sunlight for about 24 hours after treatment. For this reason, you must take some simple but very important precautions to protect your eyes and skin. (Without these precautions, you put yourself at risk for cataracts or serious sunburns). For 24 hours you should:

• Avoid sunlight as much as possible - even indirect sunlight coming through a window.
• Wear sunscreen (no lower than SPF 15) when exposed to sunlight (outdoors or indoors).
• Wear UVA-protective, full-coverage sunglasses when exposed to sunlight.

Other possible side effects usually are minor and go away within a day. These could include fatigue, temporary increase in itchiness, or a slight fever or redness appearing 6 to 8 hours after treatment. Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) may be taken for fever if needed.

A few patients have had a slight drop in blood pressure during the treatment. This is easily corrected by giving additional fluids into the vein.

As with any procedure that involves a needle puncture, there is a small risk of getting an infection around the wound. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about potential risks.