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.
L-Lysine
Posted by Barbara (Ny) on 08/16/2016
★★★★☆
I'm drinking 1/4 c of apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of water 3x a day and taking 1000 mg of l-lysine twice a day and my shingles (I've had it before and treated it with traditional pills) is not progressing.... I will keep you updated.It's on the side of my nose above my lip where I had an outbreak before.
Licorice Extract
Posted by Daffodil (British Columbia, Canada) on 07/18/2016
★★★★★
After my husband passed away I got shingles 2 years in a row. I bought a bottle of Licorice Root Extract from the local drugstore. It had a dropper in it and I just dropped some liquid on my fingers and applied it to the shingles sores. This took the pain away and I was immediately able to go back to sleep at night, or be painfree during the day. The shingles seemed to stop spreading at that point and eventually cleared up, although I had raised bumps (nerve endings I think) that still show up occasionally 5 years later.
I also supplemented (to boost my immune system) with Vitamin C (Camu is readily available to the body) 500 mg 3x/day, L Lysine - 500 mg 2x/day and Folic Acid - 1 microgram/day. This is inexpensive and worked for me.
Essential Oils
Posted by Mrsg (Fl ) on 06/29/2016
★★★★★
I am 50 years young and I just had my first experience with shingles. The symptoms started very low key about a week before with loss of appetite, a little nauseous, feeling tired. Then started with a very painful right shoulder pain that made it almost impossible to sleep. Two days later, I felt like I had severe flu symptoms, chest pains, headache, my skin feeling sensitive to touch especially on my right arm. The same morning I also noticed some bumps along my right arm like ant bites. The next day the bumps turned red and the rash was spreading. I still did not think it was shingles because I've never had the chicken pox. By the next day the rash was still spreading, still had pain on my right shoulder and headaches. I was feeling miserable.. Finally went to the Urgent Care (Sunday) to be diagnosed with shingles. Was given three prescriptions including Valtrex and sent home.
I've been reading horror stories about the pain so I called my PCP and got my pain meds ready. After reading the posts here, I wrapped my arm with a small towel and sprayed Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and kept it moist.
At night I mixed coconut oil and tea tree oil and spread it on my arm. To go to work, I put a layer of the coconut-tea tree oil mixture, wrap a soft gauze, then an ace bandage. I also drank water with ACV.
Within four days after the initial rash appeared, my skin was already healing with scabs. No broken skin. Hardly any pain. I still took the prescription Meds, but I truly think the ACV and coconut-tea tree oil mix helped in my recovery time.
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.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne
Posted by Anna (Roswell, Ga) on 09/06/2013
★★★★★
My boyfried had what we think to be shingles. That is when I discovered Earth Clinic. I fixed him a bottle water with ACV (apple cider vinegar), cayenne pepper (3 good size shakes) honey to taste. had him drink this 3 times a day and mixed cayenne pepper with ACV (heavy on cayenne) took cottonball and put it on him everywhere, three times a day and shingles were gone within 3 to 5 days. It made him a believer. Now we both drank ACV as a often as we can.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Liz (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/14/2012
★★★★★
Hi, l have had shingles 3 times in 3 months but quite mildly, l use colloidal silver and keep a wet solution on at all times with cotton wool, you can put it in your eyes, l have been using it successfully for 15 years on any external infection. Sometimes l drink it for my ulcer and it helps straight away, also sore throats, eye infections. It's fantastic.
L-Lysine
Posted by Little Wing (Boston, Ma) on 11/08/2012
★★★★★
My mom had shingles and the best thing that worked for her was taking lots of Lysine and applying Salve a few times a day. I know some have been helped with ACV wraps, putting it right on the shingles, but I know that can burn.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Healthnut (Scarsdale, Ny, Usa) on 11/05/2011
★★★★★
Hi Everyone-
Much to my horror, I had all the symptoms of a shingles outbreak on my scalp and face - headache, pain, tingling, electric shock - 4 weeks before my 40th birthday party!!! After finding this website, I started my own treatment in an attempt to stave off any rash/blisters on my face. Here's what I did DAILY for 3 straight weeks and I never did have the outbreak!!! After a total of 4 weeks of symptoms and my daily routine, no outbreak and symptoms disappeared. Good luck and God Bless to everyone dealing with this.
1) 3 times per day: 2 TB _____'s Apple cider vinegar. You can mix with apple or pear juice.
2) L - Lysine - 1000 mg, 2-3 times per day
3) Folic Acid - 800 mg, 2-3 times per day
4) Vitamin C - 2000-3000 mg per day
5) B12 - 1000 mcg per day
6) mixture of plain yogurt and zinc oxide - applied on my face along the nerve where I felt tingling and electric shock.
Cayenne Pepper
Posted by Jessaka (Tahlequah, Ok) on 01/10/2011
★★★★☆
Hi, I have been using Tabasco Sauce for years whenever I had a sore throat and always wondered how well it would do on shingles. Then my friend's husband got shingles, and I told her about it. He tried it and felt so much better that he went to his doctor and bragged to him about it. I have tried capazin on certain things, but it doesn't kill the pain as well as Tabasco Sauce.
Essential Oils
Posted by Stacey (Martinsburg, West Virginia) on 06/30/2026
★★★★★
My husband is 68 and had a terrible case of shingles on one side of his head and around his eye. He started getting the worst BURNING (like fire) on that side that would last about a minute. He would run into the bathroom and splash water on it with no relief. It happened once a day and then twice a day. After research, I applied 2 drops of Frankincense oil, 2 drops Peppermint oil and 2 drops of Glove Bud oil in Argan carrier oil 3 times a day (away from eye). Since the very first application he has not had one episode. Truly amazing. Glory to God.
DMSO and Castor Oil
Posted by Beeple (Norman County, MI) on 05/15/2026
★★★★★
After the case of shingles I had on my lower back and belly had dried up, I used 50/50 DMSO and Castor oil concoction painted onto to the healing skin. I used a soft, fluffy long haired oil-painting brush, an artists brush, so as not to irritate the skin. It does sting a bit for a a few minutes, but feels good after that. Now that I'm well over the shingles, my skin still sometimes itches and might sting just a tiny bit and so I still put the 50-50 DMSO and castor oil concoction on it only now, I use a bathing brush with a long handle it it's much stiffer, but it feels really good on the skin now.
BHT
Posted by Deborah (LA) on 10/14/2025
★★★★★
Thank you earth Clinic and Oscar/Art Had chronic shingles for almost 2 years! Taking BHT orally and on coconut oil on my back with misalignments and DDD. 4th day and I feel so much better! Pain down 80%! Also Hylaronic acid makes pain worse, so I had to stop it.
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
Coconut Oil, Carrots
Posted by Art (California ) on 04/13/2018 2891 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
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.
