Effective Home Treatments & Natural Remedies for Shingles

Apple Cider Vinegar for Shingles

I wanted to write this post because I'm pretty sure this is the best remedy there is for Shingles. I tried almost everything including aciclovir antivirals, but it was apple cider vinegar (ACV) that cured it at the end. I had no idea what the outbreak of itchy blisters where when I got it about 6 months ago.. It took quite long for my to figure out it needed proper treatment and it had time to spread all over the body and with extreme itchiness and burning. After taking aciclovir for some weeks I thought the shingles was gone, but it actually came back again not as bad, but still very itchy and burning on various places. I think I can say that alcohol and coffee (although I don't drink much of either) seemed to make it worse, as well as chocolate, and fats such as butter and olive oil.. I definitely noticed worsening of the symptoms after eating big lunches. So since I then thought it had something to do with the gut and the antibacterials/virals didn't seem to work I started supplement with prebiotics instead such as kefir and yogurts, which seemed to work a bit, but it wasn't until I tried ACV that I started notice a real change! This was probably after 3-4months since first getting it. I took about 1-2 tablespoons diluted in a glas of carbonated water with breakfast, and another tablespoon at supper time. If I could, I would have taken it at work as well for lunch, but a bit messy bringing a bottle along, so I didn't do that. It probably didn't take more than a few days before I started seeing results, and after a few weeks it pretty much all disapeared, although I have continued taking ACV afterwards as well at least once a day. Lately I have seen that you can actually buy ACV in pill form as well, so that's a good option to have in the bag when out and about. I wish everyone to stay healthy with this little marvel which is ACV!

Yes, drinking ACV (ALWAYS diluted! ) helps. However, my 2-cents here......I had shingles on my face & eye over 10 years ago. Using DILUTED ACV in a spray bottle (or gently dabbed) helped relieve / reduce itch. Probably also prevented scarring......

Several have mentioned and I believe that shingles pain, itching, burning is worse at night. Not sure why. However, it pays to be pro-active and apply your ACV, and drink your ACV right before going to bed, even though you haven't had any problems during the day.

Applied ACV directly to my shingles on my back/flank area, was the only thing that stopped the painful itching and burning!!

Shingles with NO PAIN

On a recent Friday, my wife's personal support worker noticed a small rash on her waist, nothing to worry about. On Saturday, she thought it might be shingles.

Having no experience with or knowledge about shingles I started to look into it. The only thing I knew was that my wife's father and mother had it, and it was very painful. Her brother had fairly recently had it, and said it was excruciating, the most painful experience, that just lasted and lasted. So I expected a grim experience ahead.

After my initial inquiries as to the nature of shingles, I of course came to EARTHCLINIC. The most interesting results were with ACV. People who did not receive pain relief from their pain meds then tried ACV, with some success at pain relief.

But those results were after the shingles had matured. I decided to be proactive. On Sunday, I started treating the rash with ACV.

On Monday, the doctor confirmed it was shingles, but said it was too late to do anything to prevent it (because it was over the weekend we couldn't get in earlier). She did give her an anti-viral. The next day, we went to the Naturopath, but she couldn't offer anything else, but gave her another anti-viral to take as well. Whether or not these did any good I can't say, but I'm sure these would have been given to everyone else, so I doubt that they had any significant effect. Both the doctor and Naturopath expected the shingles to become worse and painful.

I used an atomizer bottle to spray the ACV directly on the rash 3 or 4 times a day. It was covered so there was no rubbing. I also gave her a tablespoon of ACV orally once or twice a day. I used organic ACV.

My wife took no pain medication.

She had absolutely no pain and only an occasional slight itch. Only a couple of the lesions burst. The rest just shriveled. The shingles were finished in 1-1/2 weeks.

I have no further experience to confirm this, but it certainly seems that ACV did the job.

A while back I got shingles on the back of my leg. It is the second time in 2 years, I am getting old unfortunately. I read about apple cider vinegar, so I got some, put it on a cotton ball, and taped it to my leg. I slept with it on with a piece of plastic taped over the cotton ball. For 2 days I left it on. Shingles were basically gone. When they started to come on the second time, did the same thing. Never had a chance to even get started. When your system is too acidic it allows herpes, shingles, etc., to erupt. It brings back the correct ph and stops it in its tracks. Same thing when I got a UTI (age again.). I took drinks of vinegar dressing and voila, gone after 2 days. It is really a wonderful remedy that is so underestimated. Just think what they do for cats who get UTIs all the time.....they put apple cider vinegar in their water. We pay the pharma companies billions that are unnecessary. They know it, we just need to stop believing in them so much.

So good to read these posts. I got hit two weeks ago with shingles across the right head into my temple, jaw and nose, shocking pain like nails being driven in to me. Thought it was bad sinus or flu as the temple headache felt "fluey", but could not see why the pain spikes moved around my head.Turns out those sites were the sites where shingles outbreaks would occur but not for about 5 days. The slow reveal of the red marks slowed down my formal diagnosis which slowed down my anti virals which made my outbreak worse, so dont wait til the spots out before noticing that the pain line follow a nerve.

Anyway I used the apple cider vinegar suggestions and the compresses described thanks to my sister who read all this when I was too sick to know anything . They helped a lot and put the sores into retreat within 48 hours and comforted the burhung nerve lines. Sores now settled after 5 days bur neuralgic pain still strong . Got up today for 2 hours but needed to rest all afternoon.Apple Cider Vinegar compress helps me at night when pain disturbs. Think this may take some time to get free of this viral impacts but luckily no eye damage and face recovering . What an experience! What out for codeine constipation- avoid at all costs maybe only use codeine for first 4 days of pain relief then switch to panedol. Serious constipation seems to be inevitable if you use codeine for long and it creates its own pain and slows down recovery. With thanks to all advice.

My teenaged son showed me a spot on his back, within 3 days it had spread from shoulder blade, under his arm, through to his chest, became so painful internally and to touch that he couldn't sleep. Checked shingles symptoms, fit the bill - and by this time it was blistering because OTC rash cream was not working. So I checked this site (of course) for remedies.

We applied cotton ball dipped in Apple Cider Vinegar 3-4 times per day, especially before bed. For the first two days we used the coconut oil/cayenne/turmeric salve also. I had him take Echinacea immune boosters, and turmeric supplement (because we had on-hand). After the first day/night, the blisters were beginning to dry up, no more spreading. Area was still painful on second day, so I massaged with arnica gel (which worked, pain mostly gone next day, and he slept that night). By day three, we were overjoyed because the area was thoroughly dried out and obviously shrinking, only slightly painful, thanks to the arnica I think. Within a week, the rash was gone. WOW!

Note: My son said the ACV burned and tingled, but not unbearably. He was desperate to find relief, and said this was far less painful than the rash. He is fine now - that was 3 weeks ago.

I developed a case of shingles on my left arm and across my stomach and a few spots on my shoulder blades. The pain was horrendous! After re4ading about Apple cider vinegar, I decided to try it. I drank 2 tbsp mixed with about 8 oz of apple juice. Next I soaked a long sleeve t shirt in a mixture one half ACV and water, wore it wrapped in a fuzzy bathrobe (so bed wouldn't get wet). The pain stopped within an hour and the blisters went down. This was the first night I was able to sleep. I tried this on the third day after contracting shingles and by the end of the week, I had no pain and the shingles rash was barely there. I have continued this drinking and soaking in ACV for two weeks while continuing to take the antibiotics. My doctor could not believe the improvement when I returned for a check up. When I told him of my natural remedy, he was skeptical but it worked for me!

YEA!!! Thank you all so much. This remedy has worked absolute wonders. The first night I experienced an other-wordly burning sensation was the only night. The next morning I drank and applied the ACV and that night, I felt like a new man. Thank you.

I just wanted to write a thank you letter to all the people who have shared stories on Earthclinic.com about the Cure for Shingles. My mom was suffering bad she had them on her back, neck and even spreading to her face. She went to the doctor and got $80 medication that was doing little to nothing for her pain, she couldn't sleep. I read the stories here and picked up a bottle of Apple Cider Viniger. I made a drink for her with two tablespoons of ACV and two cups of water and told her to take this mixture daily every morning. I applied the ACV directly undiluted to cheesecloth, then I taped that cheesecloth to the infected areas. With medical tape. I called her two hours later to find out how she was feeling. She reports that it is working the pain is lessoned, she is finally able to sleep the entire night soundly. The next day is reports back that the pain is gone for her. Thank you everyone, and my mom thanks you too.

What I thought was a kidney infection was diagnosed as shingles. After finishing the prescription (7 days) for the virus, the pain came on with a vengeance, and was so excruciating I was eating ibuprofen by the handful. Found this site, and walked like a mummy to the store. Mixed 1oz of apple cider vinegar with a 12 oz glass of orange juice, and within 20 minutes, the debilitating pain was reduced to the annoying level. As a skeptic of home remedies, I attributed it to the massive dose of ibuprofen. The next day, the intense pain returned, and instead of reaching for the pills, I drank a straight shot of ACV and chased it with water (yuck). Within 20 minutes, the pain was reduced to annoying again. WOW. Still can't believe how effective the ACV is with pain. Now I drink it at regular intervals mixed with lemonade, and have purchased the cayenne, aloe, olive leaf extract, etc, as recommended in the previous posts. Hopefully the paste will be just as successful.

THANK YOU!!!

Wow! So glad I decided to do search for natural pain relief from shingles. I was diagnosed with shingles on 5/24/2012 after having gone a week with severe pain, that was thought to be muscle strain. I'd gone to Dr. week before with pain in my lower left back and was given Rx for Vicodan w/tylenol...few days later itching started and thought it to be from pain meds till noticed what appeared to be bug bites on area where pain was. When I went back to doctor because pain wasn't better I mentioned the itchy/bug bites... he then advised it was shingles and gave Rx for Valtrax and gave samples of Zovirax topical cream for rash, but said that it wouldn't likely bring any relief.

Ironically, I had just gotten a new bottle of _____ Organic ACV the other day, since I'd been drinking the 1T with honey in 8oz water daily. I'm glad to find that it's been helpful to so many here when taken internally and applied topically. Once I read that, I immediately applied to my areas of discomfort. I also made a mixture of manuka honey, EVCO(extra virgin coconut oil), and 2 drops tea tree oil, as each of these have natural anti-viral, antibiotic, and anti-fungal properties... Applied to the rash with cotton square and left on... I did get some relief from the pain. I will continue this along with antiviral, and pain meds prescribed.

Like many others have posted, sleeping was quite difficult the first few days I had pain and no rash, it almost felt like I had really, really bad gas!!! Sitting upright in chairs and even laying in bed was extremly painful. Thankfully I work from home and desk is setup in family room where I have two theater style recliners. Well the other day I couldn't take sitting in my work chair, nor could go through another work day and not take pain med until work was done. I slid the recliner from the wall and put it in recline positon, and let me tell you it was the MOST COMFORT I'd had since the pain started. I was able to use one of those lapdesk type things I'd gotten from Bed, Bath, &Beyond that has these two cushiony things on the bottom and set my work laptop on it. I was able to get through the rest of the work day with ease.

My wife (50) had her second bout of the Shingles. Last time was about a year ago. This forum completely changed her visable rash on her left thigh overnight. She applied Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) with a cotton ball and drank 2T ACV. Had breafast that had some raw local 100% pure wildflower honey in it and organic extra virgin coconut oil (cold pressed) too.

Shingles are affecting my neck, face and scalp, I took the advice of earlier posters, and use the ACV as an alternative to shampoo and harsh soaps that might infect the area and cause scaring alopecia. The ACV really does help take the burn and itch out of the blisters, and my hair is clean and healthy looking.