Donald asks…
What are some home remedies for shingles pain?
I came down with shingles and the meds are helping with the pain but not a whole lot. Is there any home remedies I should try?
admin answers:
Axsain cream (made from chilli peppers or ‘capsaicin’) has been proven to be effective at stopping the pain. You rub it on, or near, the place where the nerves are itching/painful, that is, in the same dermatome region. If the pain is near your eye or under your hair, you can rub the cream on your cheek well away from your eyelid, or on your forehead. Use a small (pea sized) amount 3 or 4 times a day for about 3 weeks. It stops the pain for seven out of ten people. Since Axsain cream can ‘burn,’ some people rub in an anaesthetic, or numbing, cream about 15 minutes before applying Axsain. This is ‘lignocaine BP’ which can be bought, without prescription, as a 2% gel or a 5% ointment. If your chemist doesn’t have it in stock, s/he should be able to get it in for you and it is cheap, probably less that £1.50. Lignocaine 10% spray can be bought under the brand names Xylocaine or Stud for around £5.50.
Robert asks…
shingles pain?
what causes shinles pain?
admin answers:
Shingles is a viral eruption from within nerve fibers. The chickenpox virus, once it’s been subdued by the body’s defenses, can persist within the nerves of the body (where it’s protected from the body’s defenses), and can erupt causing small water or pus-filled blisters similar to the chickenpox blisters. This re-eruption is often caused by stress (just like cold sores).
Because it is within a nerve it erupts in a pattern only on one side of the body at a time and follows the course of cutaneous nerves (often following the ribs).
Anything that aggravates a nerve will cause pain.
Sandy asks…
shingles pain, i have just been diagnoised with shingles and it is agony?
i would describe the pain as being stabbed over and over or being stung by a million wasps at the same time. any one else out there had shingles and what do they think of the pain? im i just being a wimp? lol
it is around my waist. i am on antibiotics- 5 a day for 7 days and taking ibruprofen for the pain but still keep wincing and twitching every time. feels like im getting electric shocks. hope it clears up soon!
admin answers:
I just answered this for another person that was asking about home remedies (see below). Some of the home remedies might help but I also utilized narcotic pain meds for about 4 days when I had shingles. Talk to your doctor about that. The pain is pretty indescribable to those that haven’t had it. It felt like it was deep inside my body and no matter what I did to scratch at it or poke INTO it I could not get any relief. The good news is that it WILL go away. Maybe adding some of the home remedies will help. Try the cold compresses.
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I’ve had shingles and they are extremely painful. You should go to the doctor and he/she will probably give you antiviral medicines (possibly Valtrex or Famvir), sometimes in combination with corticosteroids, to reduce the pain and duration of shingles. There is not a cure.
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive (dormant) in your nerves. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. Shingles can have long term effect (PHN) so please go to a doctor.
A few herbs have been known to *help* with the symptoms. Cayenne or red pepper, wormwood, St. Johns Wort, Lysine.
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NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR SHINGLES
Cold compresses: Apply towels or washcloths wrung out in cold water (and stored in the freezer if you want them colder) to the lesions.
Lysine cream, available in health food stores, can be applied topically daily or as directed on package label.
Make an ointment of two mashed aspirins mixed with two tablespoons of chloroform (or Vaseline intensive Care). Apply to the lesions and let dry, Calamine lotion can be applied to the lesions.
E capsules can be squeezed directly onto lesions.
Arginine-rich foods such as chocolate, peanuts and nuts, seeds, cereal grains,
IN ADDITION TO YOUR DALLY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:
lysine supplements: 500 to 1,000 mg. Three times daily during an outbreak.
Vitamin C: 2 to 3 g. Daily taken 1 g. (1,000 mg.) every six hours at first sign of pain and continued until the lesions clear.
Vitamin E: 600 I.U. Daily.
John asks…
How did I get shingles and how long will the blisters pain last?
I recently, last Saturday, was diagnosed with shingles. The pain is unbearable even with painkillers and that nerve dulling medicine. The blisters are killer and I can not take it anymore. How long does this pain last for? Also, I am the happiest kid in the world and I played tennis for like literally 24 hours the weekend prior to the diagnosis, however, I have done that plenty of times.
admin answers:
The pain can last quite a while – at least until the sores are well into the drying-up stage. Continue taking your medication as directed. Hopefully in about a week, it will be much better. Also, go to WebMd.com and type in shingles and read up on this condition and see if there are additional suggestions that you might do to make yourself more comfortable.
Charles asks…
My shingles pain came back and i had it 2 1/2 years ago. What should i do?
The areas that were once shingles now hurts again. It went away and sometimes comes back. Now i have that same sharp pain on parts of my upper body. I never had them there. What the hell does this mean? I really need help.
Will it ever go away for good?
admin answers:
Unfortunately yes, they can return again and again.The secret is to keep your immune system as healthy/strong as possible. Good diet, good vitamin regime, etc.
The Varicella virus lies dormant in the nervous system. When your immune system weakens for some reason, another illness, colds/flu, stress, etc. You are vulnerable to another outbreak as this is when the virus can reactivate. Talk to your doctor, a prescribed anti-viral medication can help shorten the length of infection.
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