What is Levulan prescribed for?

Levulan Kerastick is a two-step  treatment prescribed for the treatment of pre-cancerous skin lesions of the face or scalp called actinic keratoses (AK). (blue Light plus the medication)

Who should not be treated with Levulan?

You should not be treated with Levulan if you have:

• Skin sensitivity to blue light
• Porphyria (a disorder of the metabolism that can lead to sensitivity to light)
• Allergies to chemicals called porphyrins

General Precautions to take when on Levulan:

The treated lesions are sensitive to light therefore, people being treated will need to avoid sunlight and sources of bright light for at least 40 hours after Levulan is applied.

There are some things that you should tell your doctor when taking this medication:

There are other medications that increase sensitivity to light. Tell your doctor or doctor if you are using any other medicines. These medicines include:

• thiazides (prescribed for the treatment of high blood pressure)
• tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, griseofulvin, or sulfonamides (prescribed for the treatment of infection)
• sulfonylureas (prescribed for the treatment of diabetes)
• phenothiazines (prescribed for the treatment of serious emotional problems)

What side effects can you expect when taking Levulan? (This is only a partial list of side effects reported with Levulan. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list of possible side effects and drug interactions..)

Blue light treatment may cause tingling, stinging, prickling, or burning feeling of the treated areas. These feelings should improve at the end of the blue light treatment and should end within 24 hours.

Following blue light treatment, the AKs and, to some degree, the surrounding skin, will redden. Swelling may also occur. These changes should reach a maximum the day after BLU-U treatment. However, these changes are temporary, should improve markedly by the end of the first week, and should be completely gone by 4 weeks after treatment. Other side effects at the treatment sites may include:

• Scaling
• Itching
• Changes in skin color

For more detailed information about Levulan, ask your doctor.