# Shingles



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Have a cousin, who had shingles. This was quite a few yrs ago. He never got early treatment early. Consequently, he's in severe pain all the time. I told him about the yogurt-desitin relief. This seemed to give some relief for a short while. Is there anything he can try now. I did search this on this forum. What I found seemed to be about treating shingles as they occur.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Lemon balm.
Lemon balm is fantastic against any of the herpes virus outbreaks, whether it be herpes, cold sore, chicken pox or shingles.
The flare ups or events are less intense, fade more quickly etc..

You can get it in many forms, I make it as a lip balm and as a hydrosol (distillation of the herb) and you drink it as a tea as well.
Wonderful stuff.


----------



## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

When I had shingles a couple of years ago, apple cider vinegar was my best friend. It helped both the itching and the pain. I don't know how effective it would be on "lingering" shingles... I was lucky and my attack lasted only about six weeks, although I still have areas of my skin that are still not quite right. ACV would certainly be worth a try for your cousin, Sandra.


----------



## haley1 (Aug 15, 2012)

that's why we should all get the singles vaccine.......... just kidding:nanner:


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I LOVE the shingles vaccine sign hanging in the local grocery store.
It's very scary.
It says something like.. 'if you have ever had chicken pox then the shingles virus is already INSIDE YOU!!!":run:


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

chickenista said:


> I LOVE the shingles vaccine sign hanging in the local grocery store.
> It's very scary.
> It says something like.. 'if you have ever had chicken pox then the shingles virus is already INSIDE YOU!!!":run:


Well...that's true.


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

...................Get the SHOT !!! , fordy


----------



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

chickenista Do you have actual experience with lemon balm tea for shingles?


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

DW is getting over a bout of shingles. At first we wondered if it might be insect bites, so she went to doctor, who prescribed an anti-viral. After two doses, there was noticeable leg edema and I went to Huntsville to get lemon balm and she stopped the anti-viral. Found it in both capsule (soloray brand) and tincture form. Got home, made a mix of four drops of the tincture and some DMSO and put it on the affected area. Within three hours noticed a decrease in redness and the area was "itching" instead of hurting. She has been doing three capsules per day since I got it on Saturday afternoon. Pustules were actively drying up yesterday. This morning she woke up feeling considerably better except for some muscle soreness which could be from straining her arm. Thanks, Chickenista.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Oh YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh it makes me so happy when folks can feel better.
And with something healthy and natural and real.
I am thrilled and I am glad that she feels better..and so quickly as well.

I have noticed that with prescription medication the 'heal time' is 7-10 or more and the natural things are mere days. Yay!


----------



## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

I just read about the use of cayenne pepper.

I had shingles myself, thought I had been bit by spiders. By the time I realized it needed to be addressed, I was numb on from by thigh to my waist, on my left side. Eventually it went from calf to armpit. 

I'm one of the lucky ones , I never had pain. I hear its horrible tho.

Here's the quote for that cayenne solution; from EarthClinic.om


NOTABLE RECENT POSTS FROM THE EC COMMUNITY:

CAYENNE PEPPER FOR SHINGLES 
Ahmad_h from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: "I'm 27 and I recently had a breakout of shingles on my leg. A day after I had the red spots the nerve pain arrived. That's when I realized it was shingles and immediately began seeking remedies. It appeared that cayenne pepper was key to suppressing the virus, according to a number of folks on earthclinic. I began looking for natural pastes around the house to mix with cayenne pepper. All I had at the time was Tahini (sesame butter). I took a tablespoon of tahini and mixed it with a whole lot of cayenne pepper, almost to the point of saturation, and applied it to the red spots. 95% of the nerve pain was gone and the red spots were no where in sight within 24hours. I've been reapplying it almost daily (usually when I feel the pain creeping up). Cayenne pepper is shingles' worst nightmare. I've been ingesting half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper every few days as well, just for good measure. And they said it takes 2-3 weeks to heal!"


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Most people do not get enough vitamin C. I'd suggest your cousin get a high quality Vit C supplement and start taking 1,000 mg twice a day.


----------



## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Harry Chickpea said:


> DW is getting over a bout of shingles. At first we wondered if it might be insect bites, so she went to doctor, who prescribed an anti-viral. After two doses, there was noticeable leg edema and I went to Huntsville to get lemon balm and she stopped the anti-viral. Found it in both capsule (soloray brand) and tincture form. Got home, made a mix of four drops of the tincture and some DMSO and put it on the affected area. Within three hours noticed a decrease in redness and the area was "itching" instead of hurting. She has been doing three capsules per day since I got it on Saturday afternoon. Pustules were actively drying up yesterday. This morning she woke up feeling considerably better except for some muscle soreness which could be from straining her arm. Thanks, Chickenista.


Harry, what does DMSO stand for?


----------



## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

bowdonkey said:


> Harry, what does DMSO stand for?


Dimethyl Solfoxide. A very curious compound that could be the miracle of all time; and perhaps one of the biggest conspiracies in medical history. 

It's a by-product of the wood industry and was actually a solvent. It's very controversial because, although it is one of the most studied compounds of our day, so little is understood about it because it is a very peculiar compound that does not react in any way of other compounds. For instance, it can _immediately_ penetrate the skin _very_ deeply, yet leaves no damage or trace that it was even applied to the skin whatsoever.

Some studies claim it to the ultimate cure-all. Kind of like how asprin was when it was first discovered. 

In the 1960's it was studied so extensively that it was actually found to possibly kill cancer cells without any harm to any other cells. This was found in 6 separate studies. However, the FDA very suddenly shut down all testing because they claim a woman in Ireland died from an allergic reaction from DMSO; even though it was never proven what she died from. It was just a claim by the FDA who now only allows it for diluted topical use and preserving specimens.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I love that people here know about such stuff. I was using it as a carrier as much as for its own properties. I wanted the tincture to get below the skin to the nerves quickly, and DMSO has the properties described above by Karen. That was an easy way to do it. I could have double distilled some water and used that as an alternative.


----------



## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Where do you get DMSO? I think I may have seen it listed in some horse liniment I use? I rarely read labels! I have shingles and was wondering if they're stress induced? While fighting wildfire in OR this year they cleared up. I've been home a couple months and it's back and it seems to get worse with each episode. I may go to the doc, is it to late to get the shot?


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

If you are having a flare-up, you have to wait to get the shot. (six weeks? I think DW reported back that time limit) Yep, horse liniment - TSC. You can use other stuff for a carrier, and after a couple of days of taking the capsules, it shouldn't be as important anyway, as the lemon balm should be working internally by then.


----------



## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Thanks Harry


----------



## mommatwo2 (Nov 7, 2013)

Hubby had them a yr ago 2 months of doctors and meds. I started him on cayenne pepper and lotion mix to a light pink color. Apply to area. You will feel a warm sensation but it's not uncomfortable. The cayenne blocks pain in the nerves. 2 days of this and they were gone. The meds they had him on caused lung issues. So I had to find something that would work without all the chemicals.


Sent from my iPad using Homesteading Today


----------



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm sure I don't understand shingles. Cousin had shingles many years ago. Now, his pain is excrutiating and constant. He didn't get treatment right away. Many of you have offered treatments. Do these treatments work for pain this many yrs later? What I think I'm reading from you is, treatments only work for initial out break of shingles. I have to be careful what I tell him. A RN, had a book of natural for dif things. Book said; to mix yogurt and desitin together and apply. This did some good for a short time. I will tell him about treatments listed here. Just wanting to make sure I understand the facts before I do so. Thanks All!


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

If there is damage to the nerves, the above won't be much help. What might be possible is a retraining of the brain to pay such pain less attention. Hypnosis/acupuncture/meditation would possibly help reduce the apparent pain level.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I just made a nice hydrosol mix for a friend's grandmother with shingles and a nephew with the pox.
Lemon balm, rose and yarrow hydrosols with a few drops of myrrh tincture.
I hope it fixes them right up!
I'll let you know what the verdict is.
Sure smelled great!


----------



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Saw where Harry C., recommended acupuncture, for relief of shingles. Is there an EO he might use?


----------



## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

When my 97 yr old godmother was suffering from the shingles pain, one cc of B12 injectable took the pain away starting immediately, and lasted for about 6mos. B12 heals nerve endings. Suspect the sublingual liquid/meltables would do the same, but didn't have that available.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

chickenista said:


> I LOVE the shingles vaccine sign hanging in the local grocery store.
> It's very scary.
> It says something like.. 'if you have ever had chicken pox then the shingles virus is already INSIDE YOU!!!":run:


I've had shingles and I got the shot so I won't get it again. My eyebrow was numb for several years after getting shingles.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I don't have enough experience or training to recommend any essential oil or aromatherapy to accompany acupuncture.


----------

