The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne
Posted by Myra (California Missouri) on 06/13/2025
★★★★★
My husband came down with shingles on June 4th, I didnt know any thing about his sysptoms until he was full blown broke out. So I came to Earthclinic which I have used around 15 yrs. Thank you everyone for your help. I went with ACV with chyenne pepper proably 1/2 cup ACV and 1 tsp pepper then I would put it on rash with makeup pad do as often as needs for itching and pain and I had him to drink 1oz water with 1/2 ts pepper 1 tsp ACV 2x aday.With mins no more pain or itching and within 12 hrs it was drying.But this really knocked him down with No energy he has seplet alot but is getting better everyday we are on day 9.Thank you everyone
Castor Oil
Posted by Renee (Nyc) on 12/29/2024
★★★★★
I had very painful shingles right half of pelvis. Applied castor oil packs twice a day and often slept wearing castor oil pack. Completely gone in five days.
How To Avoid Shingles
Posted by susanmaria (buffalo ny) on 03/07/2024
For viral infections: lysine 500 mg twice a day plus
iodine 12.5 mg once a day
Take the lysine and iodine until viral symptoms disappear. Then take both iodine and lysine for three additional weeks.
Limit intake of coffee while on the above protocol.
Neem Oil
Posted by Rita (Merritt Island, FL) on 12/20/2022
★★★★★
Neem Oil works! My husband is 56 and noticed blisters last week. He had them once before in his late teens. I looked here for recommendations and found Neem Oil. I actually had recently purchased some organic cold pressed Neem oil and applied it to the blisters 2- 3x a day. Its not even been a week - today he saw the dermatologist who confirmed its already healing. My husband said its not only helping dry the blisters, but also helps with the pain. So glad I checked on Earth Clinic Website. This is so awesome. A few years ago I searched for a strep throat remedy and the Cayenne pepper gargle took care of that too!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Deirdre (Earth Clinic) on 04/06/2021
Oregano Oil
Posted by Carolyn (Canada) on 11/20/2020
★★★★★
Shingles -
Hot water made it way worse for me. Oregano oil capsules worked - at first 1 cap with each meal until some relief. Shouldn't take too long and then take 1 cap breakfast and dinner...and then drop to 1 with dinner. Oregano oil kills viruses.
Coconut Oil, Carrots
Posted by Art (California ) on 04/13/2018 2545 posts
Trish,
I have used a topical aspirin lotion that I made myself for a friend with shingles and they found it quite helpful. The aspirin is antiviral and disrupts the replication of the varicella-zoster virus. The aspirin also acts as an analgesic to help with some pain relief and all without causing digestive upset!
Art
Peppermint Essential Oil
Posted by Amy (Florida) on 11/19/2017
★★★★★
I used peppermint oil and it helped the shingle crust over in 2 days. This the second time I had it. The first time it was horrifying but this time it is one single shingle but peppermint oil not only helps the pain but accelerates the healing process!
Maca
Posted by Irene (Pennsylvania) on 09/22/2016
★★★★★
Maca works very well for shingles! Take 4 capsules, it's cheap under $5, take them 3 times a day, then taper to 3 and and 2 capsules, as needed. It takes away pain and itch.
Clay
Posted by Danny (Toronto, Canada) on 10/03/2015
★★★★★
I had shingles on my back over thirty years ago.
I have a book Our Earth Our Cure. It suggested to use a clay poultice on the area. I went to the Heath food store and bought regular powdered clay. You take a glass or ceramic bowl, put some clay in the bottom and cover with tap water.Let it sit for a couple of hours. Get a white piece of cotton cloth and put some clay on it with a wooden spoon ( no metal ). Place the cloth on the affected area. Since it was on my back I used one of those elastic bandages and wound it around my body.Keep it on overnight and re-apply in the morning. Within 24 hours the pain disappeared.
I kept it up for a whole month and have never had any recurrences since then.
Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Sadie (Los Angeles, Ca) on 07/13/2014
★★★★★
I recently noticed a spot on my right eye brow. I thought it was a spider bite that had become infected, so I got some antibiotics. 2 Days later I notice small bumps and began to feel a tingling sensation. Then I knew it was shingles. I got the antiviral medicine from the Dr, but I actually started to feel worse after taking it. I did a google search and thankfully found this site. From everyone's recommendations I made a paste and the pain and sores started going away almost instantly.
Paste: 1 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs ACV
10 drops colloidal silver
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp DMSO
I put the paste on and let it sit for 10-15min. It burns, but it's a good burn. I think adding in aloe would help, but I didn't have any. Then rinse.
Then I mixed ACV with 10 drops eucalyptus oil and dabbed that on the sores. Again it burns, but it's more like a cooling burn.
Within 2 hours the pain was almost gone and the sores had gone down by almost half. It's been 36 hour now and some of the sores are completely gone and the others are on their way out. This really saved me some anguish. Good luck to everyone!
Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Judyl (Philadelphia) on 05/01/2014
★★★★★
I found this site via Google and was very grateful for all the ideas on how to relieve the painful symptoms and rash associated with Shingles. I'm normally very healthy but had become run down about 2 weeks ago when I discovered I had a rash, then pain - after considerable research on medical and holistic websites it became obvious I had shingles, given my age, photos of rashes and a drawing that explained the nerve pain in my skin. Thanks to the ideas from this site and dietary guidance I have skirted this scourge by using the following suggested remedies - L-Lysine, Vitamin C, Multi Vitamin B, Beta Glucan (immune booster), Olive Leaf - all taken internally in large doses without delay. The tip on eucalyptus oil prompted me to use my brand of Eucalyptus oil, V-Vax, which friends who are nurses urged me to get years ago. It was amazing - reducing the pain, redness, blisters and healing the skin on my right hip and low back. Though I like apple cider vinegar, it didn't compare to eucalyptus oil. So in gratitude to those who shared their stories, I contribute mine to help those who are similarly afflicted by Shingles. We don't need to suffer - there are remedies that can alleviate both the painful symptoms and bring us back to health sooner than later.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Karen (Pueblo Of Acoma, Nm) on 04/25/2014
★★★★★
I have been suffering with shingles for a couple of weeks now, using various treatments from this website, such as dabbing ACV with a cotton ball, which stings, but also soothes. I've also tried mixing baking powder and cayenne with a little ACV to make a paste and rubbing that on and letting it dry. That really gave me the most relief until a friend suggested colloidal silver. I was not familiar with it, but was desperate for some relief, so, after reading up on it on this site, I have been taking 1 tsp. 3 to 5 times a day, as well as dabbing it on the areas with a cotton ball. I'm also drinking ACV in filtered water, and taking goldenseal, lysine, B vitamins and Vit. C. I am finally getting some relief and some much needed sleep! The patches are no longer thick and hard, but are much softer and not as raised. Some areas have almost completely disappeared, no more lumps, just reddened skin. I'm not sure which of the treatments are making the difference, but I will continue to do all of them until this is gone! I hope this helps anyone else who is suffering from shingles!
Vitamin C
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 12/07/2016
Dear Hisjewel and Timh,
I am following this conversation with interest and have been pondering the whole vitamin C and shingles thing.
It really struck a chord with me because I think I have had a couple of shingles flare ups recently; one was during the Thanksgiving holiday when we had company and I was very busy. I realized I had a burning pain on my skin on on side at my waist. I took aspirin (Ted says it has antiviral properties) and about 8 grams of vitamin C a day. Plus I used a topical menthol/eucalyptus salve that I make. The burning passed and I never had blisters or other symptoms.
So, shingles is caused by the varicella virus, which we have in our systems from having had chicken pox as children. So, while the acute chicken pox clears up in 10 days or so, we are left with a virus that is in us for life and flares up at some point later for some. It seems to come in conjunction with other sicknesses, times of stress, or other low immunity situations.
It makes me thing of Dave's theory of many chronic illnesses (like autoimmune) having a viral link.
The Epstein Barr Virus, which causes mono, is another that seems to flare back up or be linked to other problems later on. My children had mono several years ago. One of my sons, when he gets sick, even a cold, will start to act like he did when he had mono (extreme exhaustion.) Well, we had found that coconut oil was amazing for mono. So now, every time he is sick with anything and seems run down, I give him coconut oil and he is better fast. In fact, over the weekend he had a cough and I gave him coconut oil for it before I tried anything else, and poof! The cough was gone. I don't actually know if that is because the coconut oil was fighting a mono flare up or just because he responds well to that antiviral. But I know it works.
Sorry, I know I am rambling here and not sure how to get to my point.
The body is so complex. And I think past diseases do flare up again depending on other stresses to the body (including sickness, lack of sleep, stress, etc.) Could we completely eliminate them with more diligent use of natural antivirals? Maybe so.
Another thing I notice is that everyone is different. Here Vitamin C helped me a lot with shingles but made it worse for you, Hisjewel. I see this with my children. Different ones respond to different remedies. You learn your body (or that of your children) to know what suits you. My one son - coconut oil is the answer for him when he is sick.
I so enjoy reading what others do to heal diseases. There is so much to learn. Always something new to try. While it would be easier if there were always a one size fits all solution, it does keep it interesting that healing can be so complex.
Keep sharing and I will keep reading!
~Mama to Many~
Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Paste
Posted by Candace Pfau (Franklin, N.C.) on 08/03/2013
★★★★★
I have shingles, taking the anti viral. But accidently found out that a paste of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda stops the spreading. Or changes its course. Stopped from going up my face cold turkey. Of course then it started working down my neck. Each place you feel it breaking out, the itch, a paste of this will kill it or stop it. It also makes the blisters feel better. I had used this on cuts to heal them when nothing else would. Going to try the cayene pepper.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Tiffany (Texas) on 08/23/2020
There are different varieties of aloe. Make sure it is aloe vera baradenisis miller. You must also drain the cut leaf of yellow liquid in a large cup of fresh water after harvesting for at least 30 minutes before use.
Homeopathy
Posted by Eva (San Jose, Ca) on 05/03/2011
★★★★★
Homeopathic Rhus tox C30 stops the pain of shingles. I used it years ago, and now a friend of mine got shingles and he healed within a day.
Zostavax Vaccine
Posted by Lisa (FL) on 04/22/2024
I would not. Vaccines are loaded with toxins, mercury being the worst. Instead be prepared to take colloidal silver and iodine for infection.
Black Salve
Posted by Kate (Nevada City, CA USA) on 10/16/2008
★★★★★
I have used black salve successfully on many different skin lesions, as well as moles. Two years ago I had an initial, very painful outbreak of shingles on my chest. After several days of suffering I decided to try black salve on the blisters. At first it hurt like heck, but it hurt anyway. By the next day the pain and itching were gone. It took a long time to heal completely, and a couple more spots appeared in the area along the way (which I treated also), but the pain was gone and it eventually healed nicely. I still have scars, but no more problems since.
I haven't seen any other postings for using it on shingles, so I thought someone might find it helpful.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne
Posted by Claudia (Goshen CT) on 04/07/2024
★★★★★
I got shingles a few weeks ago. Initially, I thought the pain was residual from a back spasm I had in the same area, but when it didn't resolve, I took a look and sure enough there was the rash. I got on the antiviral, but had known from this wonderful site that ACV would help with the burning and itching. I dabbed it on with a cotton ball and sprayed it on my back where I couldn't reach it. Instantly the burning subsided! The next stage is the nerve pain which I still had deeply after the rash had cleared. I had also learned from this site that Cayenne pepper mixed with aloe lotion Would help. After days of hoping the pain would resolve on its own I decided to try it. The first application didn't make much difference, but the second and third did. In fact, after the third application, the pain was completely gone! So easy and so worth it . Thank you Earth clinic!
Echinacea
Posted by Ann (Phoenix) on 09/22/2022
★★★★★
I had a nasty case several years back and if it even starts to appear I take an herbal supplement with echinacea that knocks it out of the park before it becomes a nuisance :)
L-Lysine
Posted by Julie (SWFL) on 03/21/2020
★★★★★
Lysine + maximum strength (MGO) raw Manuka Honey raw
My husband had chicken pox twice (as a child and in high school) and recently had his first episode of shingles, on one arm.
I gave him 1000 mg Lysine (by mouth) twice a day, coated the rash with the highest MGO rated Manuka honey and covered it with gauze + a tube bandage overnight for 5 days. It's gone.
