Otc Medication For Shingles Nerve Pain

Topicals Are Not A Substitute For Medical Treatment

Topical products can help you manage your symptoms. But they arent a substitute for proper medical treatment.

Its important to visit your doctor if youre dealing with shingles. Your doctor can prescribe antiviral drugs and other medications that can shorten the duration of your infection and help you avoid severe complications.

The following creams may be able to help you manage shingles symptoms.

If You Have Shingles Symptoms Get Treatment Now And You May Avoid Permanent Nerve Pain

Shingles, a viral infection of the nerve roots, affects 1 million people in the U.S each year. Most people recover from their bout, but for as many as 50% of those over age 60 who have not been treated, the pain doesn’t go away. It can last for months, years, or even the rest of their lives.

These people have what’s called postherpetic neuralgia , the result of the shingles virus damaging the nerves of the skin. In some cases, the pain is mild. In others, even the slightest touch — from clothing or even a breeze — can be excruciating.

“PHN causes a great deal of suffering and high social costs,” says Robert H. Dworkin, PhD, a professor in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y. “It can severely disrupt people’s lives.”

But the good news is that there are drugs that can help treat and even prevent PHN, and doctors are learning more about who is at greatest risk of developing this debilitating condition.

Study Assesses Relief Options Against Shingles Pain

• Study Assesses Relief Options Against Shingles Pain

The painkiller oxycodone is effective at treating the acute pain of shingles, an illness that often causes severe pain which can become long-lasting and sometimes even permanent.

The study, published in the April issue of the journal Pain, is one of the first to carefully evaluate different methods to relieve pain during a course of shingles, which many patients say causes the worst pain they have ever experienced. Effective pain treatment is crucial. Not only can the pain of shingles disrupt peoples quality of life, but it is also possible that the less effectively the pain is treated, the more likely it will become a long-term problem that can change a persons life forever.

Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same bug that causes chicken pox, and only people who have had chicken pox are vulnerable to shingles. About 20 to 30 percent of people will get shingles at some point in their lives the odds climb to 50 percent for people who live to the age of 85.

For most patients, the first symptom of the infection is pain, quickly followed by a rash where the pain first appeared. The rash appears most often on one side of the chest or face, oftentimes causing dozens of small pimple-sized lesions. Some patients also get flu-like symptoms like a headache and lethargy. The illness usually lasts about three or four weeks.

Also Check: How Long Dies Shingles Last

Shingles And Nerve Paths

Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. Only people whove had chickenpox or chickenpox vaccines can develop shingles. Having a chickenpox vaccine can lead to shingles because the vaccine contains the virus that causes chickenpox.

Shingles isnt contagious, but people who have not had chickenpox can develop chickenpox if they come in contact with open blisters of somebody with shingles.

After your body fights off a chickenpox infection, the herpes zoster virus remains dormant in your cranial nerves and spinal ganglia until it becomes reactivated. Spinal ganglia are nerve cells that connect your spinal cord to nerves in your body and limbs.

The virus reactivates when your immune system is no longer able to suppress it. Reactivation most commonly occurs in older adults because the immune system tends to get weaker with age, as well as in people with suppressed immune systems.

Once the virus is active, it usually spreads down sensory nerve fibers that lead from your spinal cord to your skin. These nerves carry sensory information like feelings of pain, itchiness, or pressure from your skin to your spinal cord and brain.

Once the virus gets to the end of these sensory nerves, it reaches your skin and usually leads to a rash. This rash often shows up in one or two nearby areas of skin called dermatomes.

A dermatome is an area of your skin where the sensation is supplied by one spinal nerve.

Steroids Can Sometimes Help

Dr. Auwaerter notes that some older research done in the early 2000s supports the use of the steroid prednisone taken with an antiviral for short-term shingles pain relief, as well as a decreased risk of developing the more serious PHN. Steroids may be especially beneficial for people over 50, who are at higher risk for PHN. However, they can increase your risk of immunosuppression over time, so theyre generally used for shingles for just one to two weeks. If youre trying this approach, work closely with your doctor to manage the appropriate dosing.

Also Check: How Safe Is The Shingles Vaccine

What Is The Best Medication For Shingles

Your healthcare provider will determine the best medication for your case of shingles based on your symptoms, medical history, and response to shingles treatment. Heres an overview of the popular shingles medications that your doctor may prescribe.

Dosage is determined by your healthcare provider based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight.

Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

Terrasil Shingles Treatment Cream

Terrasil shingles cream may provide relief from itchy and painful shingles rashes.

It contains all-natural ingredients that may appeal to people looking to avoid putting synthetic chemicals on their skin. In addition to cottonseed oil and beeswax, it contains activated minerals.

There are claims the minerals can help clear the skin, but there is no evidence of this. Of nearly 1,700 users on , the product earns a 4.3 out of 5 star rating, with many users indicating that the product works well for them.

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Treat Your Body And Mind

You can get worn down mentally when youâre in constant pain. Stress can make it seem even worse. Self-care starts with treating your rash, but donât stop there. Your mind and emotional state need to be cared for as well.

5. Stick with good habits: Your bodyâs working hard to fight the varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles. To give it the right support, you can:

• Eat nutritious food and have regular meals. Ask someone to make a run to the grocery store for fresh fruit and such if youâre not up for it.
• Try to get a good nightâs sleep and rest anytime you need to.
• Do gentle exercises, such as walking or stretching. Light activity can help take your mind off the pain. Keep it simple though, and check with your doctor if youâre trying something new.

6. Distract yourself: Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to put your focus elsewhere. Here are a few things to try:

How Should I Take Gabapentin

Take gabapentin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

If your doctor changes your brand, strength, or type of gabapentin, your dosage needs may change. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about the new kind of gabapentin you receive at the pharmacy.

Both Gralise and Horizant should be taken with food.

Neurontin can be taken with or without food.

If you break a Neurontin tablet and take only half of it, take the other half at your next dose. Any tablet that has been broken should be used as soon as possible or within a few days.

Swallow the capsule or tablet whole and do not crush, chew, break, or open it.

Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .

Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may cause increased seizures. Follow your doctor’s instructions about tapering your dose.

In case of emergency, wear or carry medical identification to let others know you have seizures.

This medicine can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using gabapentin.

Store both the tablets and capsules at room temperature away from light and moisture.

Store the liquid medicine in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

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Have Shingles Get Treatment Take Action

If you have shingles, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your risk for developing PHN. Ask whether preventative treatment with antiviral drugs makes sense. If your doctor says it’s not necessary, ask why.

The full implications of the psychological risk factors for PHN aren’t clear yet, says Dworkin. But he suggests that people with shingles should try to stay active and connected.

“If psychological distress is a risk factor for PHN,” he says, “then we think that people who have shingles might benefit from getting out and not being isolated and homebound.”

You might make an effort to stay connected to family and friends and not to dwell on your symptoms. Also, keep in mind that even if you do develop PHN, there are treatments that can help.

“We have about a half dozen types of drugs that are used as first-line treatments for PHN,” says Dworkin. They include lidocaine patch , pregabalin , gabapentin , capsaicin , carbamazepine , tricyclic antidepressants, and painkillers.

The most important thing is to get prompt medical attention if you think you might have shingles.

“If you have a one-sided rash — especially if you’re over 50 — see your doctor right away,” says Dworkin. “It could be shingles. And we know that prompt treatment can dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing long-term pain.”

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Topical Pain Relief Products

e.g. lidocaine preparations , capsaicin cream

• topical pain relievers can be used in addition to oral pain relief medicines
• lidocaine is a local anaesthetic and numbs the skin
• do not apply lidocaine to broken or irritated skin avoid contact with eyes
• capsaicin cream should NOT be used on active shingles and may only be used to help with post-herpetic neuralgia . It should be discontinued if symptoms persist for longer than 2 weeks
• do not apply capsaicin cream to broken or irritated skin avoid contact with eyes

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The Best Pain Doctor For Shingles Pain Treatment Is Roziermd

If you have shingles pain, you should immediately seek the care and treatment of a reputable pain doctor.

Dr. Antonio Rozier is a highly experienced and reputable pain management doctor. He is the best pain doctor for shingles pain treatment in Dallas, Mansfield & TX. He is equipped with different interventional techniques and treatments for various types of pain including shingles pain.

If you have shingles pain or you are searching for a doctor that is very experienced in the treatment of shingles pain, Dr. Rozier is highly recommended.

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When Chronic Pain Comes From The Nerves These Nerve Pain Medications Can Help When Added To Other Pain Relievers

For chronic muscle and joint pain, effective therapies include rest, ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, and time. Usually, the pain calms down and you feel better.

However, muscle and joints may be only part of the picture. For instance, pain can be coming primarily from irritated nerves, along with the injured and inflamed muscle or joint.

Often the discomfort is only arising from nerve pain. Typical signs of this “neuropathic” pain include sharp, stinging pain or pain that radiates from one part of the body to adjacent areas. One of the most common causes is diabetes, although it can also be brought on by injury, infection, and some medications.

“People say things like, ‘My knee hurts and I feel like it’s coming up to the middle of my thigh and down to my shin,” says Dr. Padma Gulur, a pain medicine specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “In those cases, the nerve may be involved.”

In neuropathic pain, the nerve that was the mere messenger of pain now becomes the actual source. Narcotic pain relievers don’t often help and even when they do, they should not be used as a long term solution. Fortunately there are other options. Certain drugs that were originally developed to treat depression and seizure disorders also damp down inappropriate or excessive pain signaling in the nerves.

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Lifestyle Changes For Nerve Pain

While making changes to your lifestyle is unlikely to eliminate your nerve pain, it might help — especially when combined with other treatment. Here are some suggestions.

• Eat a good diet. There’s no special eating plan for nerve pain. But a well-balanced diet — with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — help to ensure that you’re getting the nutrients you need. Your doctor might also recommend reducing the amount of alcohol you drink — or cutting it out entirely.
• Get regular exercise. Many studies have shown that people with chronic pain who exercise feel less pain, have more energy, and have improved mood than those who donââ¬â¢t.
• Don’t smoke. In addition to all of its other bad effects, smoking can reduce the blood supply to the nerves and worsen nerve pain. If you smoke, you need to quit.

In some cases, sensible changes to your lifestyle have an additional benefit. They might also help treat the underlying cause of your nerve pain — particularly with diseases like diabetes.

How Is Shingles Diagnosed

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or urgent care facility if you experience any symptoms of shingles . You may require immediate medical attention if shingles develops in the eye, if it is widespread across the body, if youre 60 years old or older, or if you have a weakened immune system from another chronic illness. Consider contacting an ophthalmologist for urgent care as you may be able to get an appointment sooner.

Your primary care provider can diagnose shingles. However, if symptoms appear in the eye, then you might need to see an ophthalmologist.

Shingles can usually be diagnosed with a simple physical exam, as symptoms are usually distinctive. However, if your symptoms are atypical, your doctor may send a tissue scraping or culture from the blisters to the lab for testing. Blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or saliva tests may be necessary if you have nerve pain without a skin rash.

Your healthcare provider may also ask the following questions to help confirm the diagnosis:

• Have you had chickenpox before?
• Are you over the age of 60?
• Have you had the shingles vaccine?
• Are you stressed?
• Do you have a chronic illness or are you taking medications that could weaken your immune system?

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Treatment For Shingles Rash And Pain

Medications and lifestyle changes can provide relief.

Despite the availability of a highly effective vaccine, an estimated 1 million Americans develop shingles each year.1 Early diagnosis and treatment are key to limiting the severity of the outbreak as well as its associated complications, including nerve damage. There are also simple at-home remedies that can help patients stay as comfortable as possible.

Antiviral medications should be started within 72 hours of the first shingles symptoms. The three antivirals most often prescribed are acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. They help the shingles rash crust over, dry up, and heal, shortening the course of the infection.

Pain is a major factor with shingles. Patients can consult with their health care provider on over-the-counter and prescription options to manage it. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen can be effective, while prescription glucocorticoids such as prednisone can help with more aggressive pain. Short-term usage of opioid pain medicationlike oxycodone or hydrocodone/acetaminophen is reserved for the highest levels of pain.

Shingles typically lasts between 2 and 6 weeks patients are usually confined to their home for the duration both for their own comfort and to prevent spreading the virus to others. There are a number of simple steps they can take to promote healing and increase their comfort level.

References

How Does Shingles Spread

Someone with shingles can pass the virus to someone who hasnt had chickenpox or shingles before. That person is likely to contract chickenpox first. Then, the virus may reactivate later with symptoms of shingles.

The virus cannot be passed to someone who has already had chickenpox because they already have the virus. If they experience shingles, its because they already had the virusnot because they came into contact with you.

You can go to work, school, and other public places with shingles as long as youre otherwise healthy. However, you should take precautions and keep the shingles rash covered, regularly wash your hands, and avoid at-risk people. Infants, children, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems are at higher risk for contracting a virus, like shingles, than other people.

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Soak In A Colloidal Oatmeal Bath

This DYI option hasnt been tested for shingles specifically but experts say it may provide some skin relief while your rash is still acting up. Colloidal oatmeal is made by grinding oats into a fine powder . A study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that this natural remedy has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which can make it helpful in treating irritated skin. Add colloidal oatmeal to a bath of cool or lukewarm water and soak for about 10 minutes, once per day, for as long as your rash lasts.