# shingles



## dogo (Dec 3, 2005)

Shingles I believe thats what my sister has . She lives a good ways from me. But we talk on the phone every day . She has been to the doctor and he ask her to come back the 27th. she said she did'nt think she could last that long . She was feeling awful. She has little sores that looked like ring worm appearing on her skin so far nothing she has put on it has helped . I was hoping maybe some of you would give me a suggestion I could pass on to her ? She said her daughter looked it up and it seems to be after effect of the shingles . "Postherpetec - Neuralgia ". Maybe you people that are up on herbs would know something that would dry it up or at least start the healing process. This country doctor she is going to seems to know little if anything about her condition. I suggested she go to the emergency room . At least they might be able to doctor her rash sore's are what ever . So if you guys can help or suggest some herb ointment salve or what ever. She needs some kind of relief. She is a widow lives by her self. She is the oldest of us children . I'm her only brother and you can't help but to worry about her. Thank you so much . You all have gave me some good advice once before and now its my sister who needs it. Again thank all of you....


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

My husband had these and they only go half way around the body. They follow a nerve, and are a left over result of chicken pox virus even from when you are a child. Anyone who has had the chicken pox can get shingles. The doctor gave my husband a pain medication, cause he had lots of pain with them, and had him use Extra Strength Benadryl to stop the itch. He also told my husband that the effects from them, even after they clear up, CAN last for several years, although USUALLY, they just last a few months. My husband had them just over a year ago and he still once in a while has the pain and itching from them, and has quite a scar from where they were. When he had them it was a bunch of blisters with a red base under the whole thing. They started about the middle of his chest and went around and underneath his left breast and almost to his back. It followed a nerve that went along a rib. He was fortunate. Some people have them from their head down to about the waist. They get hospitalized for some of them, if they get severe like that I guess.

Your sister has my prayers that these heal up quickly, and my sympathy for what she is going through. I know what my husband went through, and it's not fun.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I did this when DH had shingles and it took away the pain and cleared up the shingles in a few days. 

I mashed 2 old fashion Bayer aspirins into a powder, then added 2 tablespoons of acetone to them. Most fingernail polish remover has acetone in it and can be used. I used a cotton ball to soak up some of the liquid and dab it on the blisters. The aspirin took away the pain and the acetone dried up the blisters. He said the pain slowed immediately. I dabbed it on his blisters about 4 or 5 times the first day including dabbing it on him while he slept, then he took over doing it after that. I don't remember how often he dabbed it on, he went back to work and had no more pain after he started using the aspirin/acetone mixture. I told him it's safe enough to use as often as he wanted. Every time he would get a little twinge of pain, he dabbed on more. 

I guess I should add that DH was in real bad pain. He had some ointment and pills that a doctor had given him. He took them for a few days and was still in pain so bad that he couldn't sleep. He was totally amazed that this simple remedy stopped the pain and cleared up the blisters. 

The doctor had told him that he would have pain off and on for up to 2 years. He never had any pain after using this home remedy. I highly recommend it.

He doesn't have any scars either. Wish I could take credit for it, but I got the recipe from a natural healing book. I think it might have been "Back to Eden".


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

*Assuming* you're right and she has shingles...

The allopathic approach for the *onset* of a herpes outbreak is to take acyclovir 800 mg five times a day, or famcyclovir, 500 mg three times a day, or valacyclovir, 1 g three times a day. Earlier treatment reduces the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia/lasting pain in the affected area. The earlier the treatment the better; if her usual doc cannot see her tomorrow she should go to the nearest urgent care clinic and be seen (this is cheaper than the ER and in California such a visit runs around $90, so it's probably cheaper in other states). Did she tell her doc that she thinks she has shingles? He really ought to find her a cancellation to see her immediately due to early treatment making such a difference in avoiding post-herpetic neuralgia.

A tapering 3 week course of predinose starting at 60 mg per day is sometimes used in people with normal immune systems, to help control pain during the initial attack, but this won't affect post-herpetic neuralgia.

Post-herpetic neuralgia is treated with capsaicin ointment or lidocaine topical patches. Chronic debilitating post-herpetic pain can be treted with nerve blocks (injections) which may or may not include steroids with the anesthetic. Amitrityline (25 to 75 mg--pain doses are less than those used for depression) nightly helps some folk; others get some relief from gabapentin ("neurontin") or from both drugs used together.

If her doc has not discussed these drugs with her, then she should think about seeking a second opinion.

This is not alternative treatments, but sort of the 'standard' thing that gets offered by an allopathic doctor, as a yardstick by which to measure whether her 'country doc' has exhausted all the usual tactics.

If she goes near children or anyone with a depressed immune system while she has blisters, she can give them chicken pox. So she needs to be careful about going out until the blisters clear up.

Acetone is toxic and personally I wouldn't want it on broken skin such as might be left by bursting blisters. And aspirin is an acid, which also probably isn't a great idea on broken skin either.

I hope this is coherent, I've revised it a bunch of times so I'm not sure where I've said what. But the technical content is straight out of "current medical diagnosis and treatment".

Once this outbreak is over, if it is indeed shingles, she might want to ask her doc about the shingles vaccine, which prevents recurrences.


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## Sher (May 10, 2002)

I'm sorry your hubby has to suffer with this. My dad had them first..then a couple of years later I got them. Man..it was painful.

I called home to see what mom had given dad..she had me up my Vitamin C', and start taking L-Lysine..you can get it in most grocery stores or health food stores..Walmart and the like. She also had me use vitamin E oil. I used capsules for a while..then bought the vitamin E oil. Rub it on the shingles..it helps to keep them from causing scars.

The above really worked. From time to time I get a "hot spot" and start taking the L-Lysine for a while..Praise to God..I haven't broken out bad with them again.

I sure hope something helps him. Try oatmeal on them..might soothe them a bit..like in a paste. Best wishes.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

Unfortunately, the shot is for before you get shingles, to prevent them. Once you have had them, you are not likely to get them again. That is the good news. And, the shot will not stop you from transmitting chicken pox to others.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Dunroven, anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles. Having shingles doesn't mean you can't have them again.

Taking the shot during a shingles outbreak would be pointless. But it reduces the chances of another outbreak in anyone who has had chickenpox.

The shingles shot is a live attenuated virus and so cannot be used in immunosuppressed people or those who have immunosuppressed house-mates.

People who haven't had chickenpox should get the chickenpox vaccine instead to prevent getting shingles by preventing chickenpox in the first place.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

Well, my information comes from the doctors who saw my husband, so I'll just go with that. They say it is "highly unlikely" that anyone who has shingles will ever get them again, like 1:1,000,000 chances.

The shot was the subject of lots of controversy for causing outbreaks of shingles in the people who took those shots. They don't even recommend them around here after that controversy this summer. I believe (don't quote me), there were 5 cases here in Iowa of people who contracted shingles as teenagers (which is also relatively unusual) after taking the shots.

My husband's doctors were from 3 different places, 1 in Texas, 1 in Oklahoma, and 1 in Iowa.

You are correct that anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles though, I will agree with that.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

I do stand corrected on one item. I did some checking on my stats about the teenagers who got the shots and got shingles. This was the chickenpox prevention shot they were giving that caused this. Not good either, but still I do stand corrected on that. I still wouldn't take the shot myself.


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

dogo said:


> Shingles I believe thats what my sister has . She lives a good ways from me. But we talk on the phone every day . She has been to the doctor and he ask her to come back the 27th. she said she did'nt think she could last that long . She was feeling awful. She has little sores that looked like ring worm appearing on her skin so far nothing she has put on it has helped . I was hoping maybe some of you would give me a suggestion I could pass on to her ? She said her daughter looked it up and it seems to be after effect of the shingles . "Postherpetec - Neuralgia ". Maybe you people that are up on herbs would know something that would dry it up or at least start the healing process. This country doctor she is going to seems to know little if anything about her condition. I suggested she go to the emergency room . At least they might be able to doctor her rash sore's are what ever . So if you guys can help or suggest some herb ointment salve or what ever. She needs some kind of relief. She is a widow lives by her self. She is the oldest of us children . I'm her only brother and you can't help but to worry about her. Thank you so much . You all have gave me some good advice once before and now its my sister who needs it. Again thank all of you....


Shingles is caused by a herpes virus (herpes zoster), which is a virus that lives in the nervous system. Any form of herpes will respond to L-Lysine (an amino acid). It is wonderful for "cold sores" (herpes simplex) and "other" forms of herpes, including zoster.

When I have a fever blister, I take 1000 mg three times a day. It will not UNDO the damage that has already been done, but it certainly will keep an outbreak from getting worse. If you catch it in the earliest stages, it can reduce the length of time that you must suffer dramtically.

I had chicken pox when I was 38 years old and used L-Lysine as a treatment and reduced my total outbreak time to about six days. The doctor told me that he had never seen anyone recover that quickly from Chicken Pox before. 

You can bet that if I ever get a case of shingles I will be gobbling down L-Lysine as fast as I possibly can.

donsgal


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## dogo (Dec 3, 2005)

God bless all of you. You all have been a great help and thank you so much . I will relay this to my sister right now . I'm sure she is up . At our age it seems we never sleep like normal people and once again thank you all for coming through again......dogo


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Shingles: An acute viral infection characterised by inflammation of the sensory ganglia of certain spinal or cranial nerves and the eruption of vesicles along the affected nerve path. It usually strikes only one side of the body and is often accompanied by severe neuralgia. Also called Herpes zoster.

A person can 'catch' shingles after contact with shingles sores, even if s/he hasn't had chicken pox. So don't allow any person to touch you unless your sores are well covered. It is very contagious. 

Following are some herbal remedies for the symptoms of shingles. It really can be a painful, sometimes agonising, and distressing condition, and it can last for years in severe cases. An elderly friend of mine (actually my 'other mother') suffered for 2 years (about 20 years ago), and nearly went blind because some of the sores got into her eyes. She's 90 now and doing just fine, but she still wears the scars. It does pay to seek medical attention for shingles, because it's easy for the scars to become infected, and it's especially important because the sores can actually grow internally, as well as externally. Also it's important to get an expert diagnosis, because shingles can resemble other conditions. 

Make an infusion of any of the following herbs. Drink some as a tea, and also use it as an external wash: Lemon Balm leaves, Horehound leaves, St Johnâs Wort flowering tops.

Rub the sap from inside Aloe Vera leaves, or use an ointment containing the sap, onto affected areas to relieve the itch.

Cover a teaspoon dried Elderflowers with 1 cup of boiling water, infuse for a few minutes. Drink a cupful 3-4 times daily. 

Drink about 1 litre of Celery juice every day.

Peel the skin from one side of a Houseleek leaf, squeeze out the juice and apply the juice to shingles sores. 

Cider vinegar dabbed onto shingles sores will give relief. Apply several times a day.

Take a cup or two of Scullcap tea per day as a nervine.

Toss a handful or two of Oats (oatmeal) in a warm bath, and relax in it for a while. Oats can be very soothing to the skin.

If you aren't allergic to aspirin, take a cup of Meadowsweet or White Willow tea to relieve pain and fever.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

dunroven said:


> Well, my information comes from the doctors who saw my husband, so I'll just go with that. They say it is "highly unlikely" that anyone who has shingles will ever get them again, like 1:1,000,000 chances.
> 
> The shot was the subject of lots of controversy for causing outbreaks of shingles in the people who took those shots. They don't even recommend them around here after that controversy this summer. I believe (don't quote me), there were 5 cases here in Iowa of people who contracted shingles as teenagers (which is also relatively unusual) after taking the shots.
> 
> ...


Well, my information is from one of the books that is commonly used as reference by doctors, Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, published by Lange. It does say 'usually does not recur' but does not give a frequency.

I know of two individuals without diagnosed immune deficiency who had shingles more than once.

Any live attenuated vaccine poses the risk that some individuals will come down with a mild version of the illness addressed by the vaccine. This is more likely in people whose immune systems are compromised. Killed vaccines (such as injected flu vaccines) do not pose this risk.

I'm speculating but it seems likely to me that those kids who get symptomatic illness from the chicken pox vaccine are those whose immune systems had a 'blind spot' for the chicken pox virus--that is, had they contracted wild-type chicken pox they would have been the ones to become seriously ill. But there's no way to test this hypothesis.

I don't recall any information about the lysine issue raised here. The two individuals with recurrent shingles had questionable nutritional status, so it is possible that lysine has some role in shingles outbreaks--maybe a dietary deficiency is what sets it off? Again, speculation on my part, haven't google-scholared to see if any allopath has studied that or not. Anybody got a link to any studies they know of about it? Or is the information on lysine still anecdotal? (This may be one of those things that should be studied and probably won't be, because no pharma company can make a killing off it if it proves true.)


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Well, here's a link about genital herpes and lysine:

http://www.herpes.com/Treatment.shtml

Dunno how reliable the info is or whether the site has an economic interest in pushing lysine though.

As the site points out--probably won't hurt, might help, so worth a try.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

culpeper, good job on having some non-allopathic suggestions that don't sound dangerous. As someone pointed out on another thread in this forum, a lot of times people (ie: me, but also others) wind up saying 'go to your doctor' without offering an alternative approach. My knowledge base is allopathic with only a little alternative thrown in, so that's what I'm able to put into the pot.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Just a reminder to stick with "alternative" methods only in this forum, please.


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## GoatsRus (Jan 19, 2003)

I second L-Lysine for anything Herpes related. L-Lysine will not cure an outbreak once it has appeared, but if you feel the "tingling" sensation, start taking the pills. I have stopped cold sores from appearing just by taking the L-Lysine. I keep some at work and at home...just in case.


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

I had recurring shingles, so it can happen, actually. I got them about seven times over a three year period. The drugs mentioned will 'cure' the current episode, but I didn't ever find that they took away the pain.

http://www.greenwillowtree.com/StoreFront.bok has a peruvian berry called camu. It cures shingles in a few days if you take the recommended doses. Since I bought it I have never come all the way down with them. I only get one small spot on my back, but it is always in the same place, so I know if that spot starts to itch that I need to take preventative measures. 

I buy the bulk powder instead of the capsules, it's cheaper. This powder works well for immune boosting also, and is supposed to be an effective anti-depressant as well. 

Hope your sister feels better soon, sending my sympathies. 

hollym


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I had shingles once even though my mother swears I never had chicken pox. Evidently I did but it was so minor it was overlooked.

Mine started with my hair hurting as I drove with my window open. It spread down one side of my face until I looked like a bad case of gravel rash. My eye brow stayed numb for several years after that.

I didn't receive any treatment but a relative of mine did with an anti-viral medication and an antihistamine.

It was no fun so I hope she has a mild case.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Karen you cannot have a balanced discussion of alternative approaches if you cannot also discuss their allopathic counterparts for a compare and contrast.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

suburbanite said:


> Karen you cannot have a balanced discussion of alternative approaches if you cannot also discuss their allopathic counterparts for a compare and contrast.


However, it is not necessary to give the allopathic treatment. The discussion on this forum is "alternative" treatments; not a discussion on alternative vs. traditional medicine. I've sent you a PM explaining.


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## dogo (Dec 3, 2005)

I want to thank all of you for the advice . The Bayer aspirin/acetone really works . My sisters shingles have healed . What is left are drying up . Once again you guys have come through . She hasn't tried the L- Lysine yet. But she said she would . I liked to have never gotten her to try the Bayer aspirin/ acetone . But now she wish she had of when I suggested it to her . Again a big thank you from the bottom of my heart. " IT WORKS "


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