Treatment and Prevention
Anti-viral drugs work best if started within three days of developing the
shingles rash. This will minimize the extent and spread of the rash and
minimize the pain associated with it. Blisters will also crust over and heal
faster. Anti-viral drugs may also help to reduce the risk of developing chronic
pain from shingles.
Antiviral drugs currently in use today include acyclovir,* valacyclovir, and
famciclovir.
There's some evidence that starting treatment quickly can lower your risk of
developing PHN, or at least shorten the duration of symptoms if you do get it.
Talk with your pharmacist about using over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen
for the pain associated with PHN. If your pain is very severe, your doctor can
prescribe other types of medications that work to decrease the action of pain
fibers and alter the way pain signals are interpreted by our brain. Your doctor
may also recommend an ointment containing capsaicin that can help to ease the
pain of shingles.
To relieve the itching and pain of shingles, you can try:
- applying calamine lotion to the blisters
- using cool, moist compresses
- soaking in a tub with cornstarch or oatmeal
To prevent shingles, the first step is to avoid getting chickenpox.
If you haven't had it, make sure you don't touch the blisters of people with
either chickenpox or shingles. A vaccine against the varicella-zoster virus
is now available for both children and adults. As immunization of children becomes
routine, the incidence of chickenpox will go down and fewer people will be susceptible
to developing shingles.
For most of us, vaccination comes too late, because we've had chickenpox as
part of our many childhood diseases. To prevent the virus from becoming active
again and causing shingles, the best bet is to keep your immune system healthy
- a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest can go a long way.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.