Shingles Treatment

What Treatments Work For Shingles?

If you've come to this page looking for information on the treatment of nerve pain from shingles, we'll assume you already know the basic causes and symptoms of shingles, and are interested in treatment options. So we'll skip the discussion about herpes zoster, etc, and get right down to what you can do to relieve shingles symptoms.

The discomfort from shingles disease can be treated and, in many cases, by antiviral medications, including:

• acyclovir,
• valcyclovir,
• famcyclovir.

When your doctor has determined that you have shingles, he or she will probably prescribe one of the above medications. If this is done within the first 48 hours after your symptoms begin to appear, you have a lower chance of problems later, such as postherpetic neuralgia.

This is the condition in which there is nerve pain associated with shingles even after the rash is healed. It is the most common complication of shingles.

Getting started with treatment quickly is important because postherpetic neuralgia can be serious. 40% to 50% of people with postherpetic neuralgia do not respond to treatment.

Over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, may also be recommended. These will reduce nerve pain during an attack of shingles. Topical creams containing capsaicin may help. But capsaicin should be used carefully because it may irritate or burn the skin of some people.

Also see shingles prevention.