Help! Friend has Shingles! Anybody Know how to Stop the Pain?

[baymule]

A friend of mine broke out in shingles last week, has been to the doctor, but it still hurts. He is broke out on his chest and the whelps wrap around his ribs to his back. Does anybody know anything that would help? Thanks Ya'll are the greatest!

 

[Neiklot]

What is shingles?

 

[Beekissed]

Shingles are the lay term for herpes zoster...not related to the sexually transmitted herpes but more along the lines of chicken pox virus. Very painful as it occurs along the nerve roots and pathways as an inflammation. It can lie dormant at the nerve root and flair up during times of stress, fatigue, illness, etc. Usually starts after the age of 50 if it is going to happen but not always...one can get it at a younger age.

It can be accompanied by blisters or a rash or just a reddened area where the nerves end at the skin layers. It usually is on one side of the body, usually occurs at the same place each time but not always. Is contagious if the blisters are weeping or sloughing skin cells. Good hand washing and not touching the rash/keeping it covered is a good idea.

There are anti-viral meds for this that can make the duration of the outbreak shorter but they are very expensive.

Anti-inflammatory meds like Motrin(ibuprofen) can help, cool compresses can help. You can even use muscle rub near the site of the rash or blisters~NOT ON the rash!~and this will give some relief as well while the muscle rub is active and cooling/heating. Aloe gel on the site may soothe it. Some folks swear by bleach for the rash, just like in poison ivy or chicken pox but the underlying neural pain won't be relieved by that...it may work to dry up the blisters though.

If it were mine and it had a rash/blisters, I'd apply ACV and then raw honey, then cover with gauze. I'd also try the muscle rub, cool compresses and anti-inflammatory meds. But I'd also be downing some Vit. C....lots of it...to boost my immune system's action. The better it works the sooner it fights that virus back into submission....and then I'd continue to work on boosting my immune system to prevent further flair ups.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

One of the books I studied about healing herbs, claimed that sometimes for deep pain associated with shingles, you use a counter pain. Cayenne was what was recommended......I'm not joking. My sister had it and my oldest friend and they probably both thought I'm nuts, but its not my idea. Anyway I can vouch for the medical treatment because the capascain (spelling) lotion I used to apply on my patients that had shingles is made from cayenne, put in a lotion. The idea is that the body will be distracted from the worse pain, which is deep, toward the surface (the skin) and that the pain on the surface won't be as bad as the deep pain. My godchild is currently suffering with shingles, but she is just taking an antiviral.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Cayenne is indeed correct. Zostrix may be over the counter and has the capsacin in it. That is the "hot" in hot pepper. Capsacin containing cream will definitly help. Hydrocortisone is NOT a good choice. Shingles IS Herpes Zoster and is the same virus as Chicken pox. I have seen this in children who have had the varicella vaccine although no one is reporting the association as yet.

Trim sends
//BT//

 

[dipence71]

I started a thread on this too. Look it up for some good information......

 

[baymule]

I started a thread on this too. Look it up for some good information......

Duh! AFTER I posted, I scrolled down and saw your thread. I texted the info I found there to my friend. I'll see him tomorrow and see how he is doing.

 

[moolie]

Cayenne is indeed correct. Zostrix may be over the counter and has the capsacin in it. That is the "hot" in hot pepper. Capsacin containing cream will definitly help. Hydrocortisone is NOT a good choice. Shingles IS Herpes Zoster and is the same virus as Chicken pox. I have seen this in children who have had the varicella vaccine although no one is reporting the association as yet.

Trim sends
//BT//

Hey Trim, just to be sure I'm understanding your post correctly--are you suggesting that children who have had the varicella vaccine are more susceptible to shingles later on?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Having had chicken pox will not stop you from later on getting shingles. In fact, I would feel it could cause it, providing your resistance is low. I don't think you could get shingles, unless you were somehow exposed to the virus or had it lying dormant in your body. Only when you get chicken pox as a child, its only once and shingles doesn't come with that kind of guarantee. Its like a broken promise if you think about it.