Effective Home Treatments & Natural Remedies for Shingles

For Shingles, I found that using tabasco rather than ground cayenne worked best for me. It is emulsified cayenne with vinegar and doesn't leave ground pepper all over where you dabbed it. I used it with the DMSO and my blisters were gone in two days, now I am just dealing with the little scabs drying up and shedding off, only 1 or two new single spots that are gone the next day, with no pain. Thank goodness mine were hidden in my hair, nasty stuff!!

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.

I got a nasty case of the shingles right below my rib cage on my right side a few weeks before I left for an overseas trip. It was so painful, I really thought I would have to cancel. The valcyclovir did nothing but upset my stomach, so I only took it for a few days. What really killed the shingles was olive leaf extract and vitamin C. I took 4 capsules of 20 percent standardized olive leaf extract and 500 mg of vitamin C 6 times a day for 10 days, when I reduced it to 3 capsules plus 500 mg vitamin C 4 times per day. After a month, I reduced it to 3 capsules plus 500 mg vitamin C 3 times per day and so on. It significantly reduced the pain and blisters and in 2 weeks both were pretty much gone, save for some zapping pain every once in a while. I continue to take a reduced dose just to make sure it doesn't return. Oh, and I had a great trip!

Meghan, the coconut oil caused you to vomit. You should never take such a high amount to start of anything, and especially not when you are feeling so desperate. Many people start with 1/8th teaspoon and work their way up. Don't give up on the other remedies, I have tried them all and they are awesome!!

At 21, I was diagnosed with shingles yesterday for the 1st time ever and am devastated. I want it gone ASAP. I read almost all of these remedies. I just drank a shot of orange juice mixed with 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Followed by a mixture of green tea, with 2 tablespoons coconut oil and 2 tablespoons ACV. I threw up in the trash can before I even finished the cup. It was so disgusting and all that mixed did not settle well at all. I would not recommend drinking any of that and I doubt it helps much, if any. I think I'm just going to stick with applying it to the blistered area from now on!

My boyfriend was diagnosed with Shingles. It was the left side of his face, from his eyelid up to his hairline. It was very painful. He was prescribed steroids and an anti viral medication. I immediately went to your site to see what else he could use to help the affected area. He uses coconut oil. It soothed the area, and it is helping the area heal faster. Thank you for all the great info you provide, it was extremely helpful. Sincerely, Debbie

Collodial Silver (liquid dietary supplement) is great to use as eye drops if you want to protect your eyes from your shingles outbreak. It's safe to use in eyes.

Has anyone ever tried Manuka Honey on shingles?

I mixed organic coconut oil with vitamin E oil and palmer's olive butter formula since it was all the stuff I had at hand and I was desperate since I was itching really bad, I made the mixture and instantly I felt relief I am on acyclovir 800Mg tables

I had a mild outbreak of shingles earlier this year. I tried ACV at first and it helped slightly. After a few days of pain I decided to try cayenne even though I was worried it might be even more painful. To my surprise it dried out the blisters and I immediately began to feel better. I simply mixed cayenne powder with water, applied the paste to my skin, and allowed it to flake off as it dried. The nervy pain persisted as the blisters dried. I used undiluted geranium essential oil directly on the skin and the residual nerve pain dissapeared over the next few days.

I'm 63 years old and in pretty good health. My shingles hit me on a trip to Idaho for a meeting. Started as a small pimple near my scalp. Odd. Then I had severe pain under my right eye. I suspected a severe sinus infection. On the plane flight home the rash broke out. I could feel something crawling from my scalp toward the tip of my nose. I thought it was hair, went to brush it and it was liquid under my skin. Pain got worse but no fever. High anxiety - what is this??? Trip to an urgent care after plane landed and the PA said "you've got shingles. " They gave me a prescription for Valtrex, Predisone and Lorban. When I got home we hit the web for knowledge. Came to this site and already into natural health - started self- treating. Hit L-Lysine, Cayenne, Bee Propolus, coconut oil, Echinatia, Colloidal Silver, Vit. C and Vit. B supplements.

On the blisters on my face I had five areas of rash and blisters including three big red blisters on the tip of my nose and three patches near and into my scalp. I used aloe Vera, Vitimin E oil, tea tree oil (product called Miracle Oil) and Listene balm. Immediate improvement to the rash and blisters. Applied several times a day. My work briefcase looked like a medicine cabinet.

The urgent care PA told me to go to an eye doctor ASAP. The next day I got into an eye doctor and she indicated it had not entered my eye ball. She prescribed some Bacitracin for my eyelid. Things stabilized but my right eye started to get blurry. This was during a weeks vacation in Florida during which I avoided any water activities for fear of infecting my eye. On a follow-up visit I was referred to a corneal eye doctor. I had clouding of my cornea. He put me on Valcyclovil pills and Predisolone drops and Zirgan drops (though the Zirgan is like a glop and challenging to apply a drop at a time).

During this whole time I have continued the natural supplements and natural topical items. Excellent results. Within three weeks all the scabs have gone away, the rash is all but gone. My face looks normal except a little redness in the original areas. Note: I did forgo having my hair colored and cut while the rash was active in my scalp - didn't think the hair chemicals would be good. I looked like crap but stuck it out.

I also followed the other blog suggestions on this site and avoided chocolate and nuts and using many of the supplements suggested.

I still have some residual pain in my head but am slowly getting back to normal. I give high praise and thanks to this website for helping me to get through the hell of shingles. Good luck!

I don't know if you have been diagnosed so forgive this comment if so, but I was diagnosed as having shingles when young and for 20 years as I continued to experience this just assumed it was a correct diagnosis. Actually I had herpes, HPV2 which manifested as blisters on the buttock. Shingles does not (or rarely) repeat more than once. As I got older I also started to experience sciatic pain with outbreaks. I love natural remedies but to control the constant back pain I developed and stop outbreaks - I use zovirex and havn't found any other remedy. If any one has a similar issue, don't let them talk you into more modern versions.

I'm 27 and I recently had a breakout of shingles on my leg. A day after I had the red spots the nerve pain arrived. That's when I realized it was shingles and immediately began seeking remedies. It appeared that cayenne pepper was key to suppressing the virus, according to a number of folks on earthclinic. I began looking for natural pastes around the house to mix with cayenne pepper. All I had at the time was Tahini (sesame butter). I took a tablespoon of tahini and mixed it with a whole lot of cayenne pepper, almost to the point of saturation, and applied it to the red spots. 95% of the nerve pain was gone and the red spots were no where in sight within 24hours. I've been reapplying it almost daily (usually when I feel the pain creeping up). Cayenne pepper is shingles' worst nightmare. I've been ingesting half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper every few days as well, just for good measure. And they said it takes 2-3 weeks to heal!

Yes, the recommendation for Ravensara (Ravintsara) and Callophylum / Tamanu nut oil is from Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt's "Advanced Aromatherapy". You can use a 50-50 concentration. No additional carrier oil needed. I added a few drops of geranium which is also a great anti-viral oil. This blend smells earthy and sweet - it's great!

I currently have the VERY characteristic "shingles pain" , no blisters yet. The pain is already MUCH better and I'm praying it only gets better not worse. I additionally took a few oregano capsules, lots of L-Lysine and got a chiropractic adjustment - just be to be sure. I HATE the shingles!!

I thought my case of shingles was poison oak and put cortisone cream on for two days as that had cleared up a case of poison oak (that I had for 2-3 months) in 3-4 days. But the cortisone was not working so I went to see my doctor and he said I had shingles. I had experienced more blistering from putting diluted clorox on my poison oaked areas and I smelled like clorox too all day long. This was a popular remedy I saw on the internet. So I was glad when I got the cortisone cream to heal my poison oak. Now I will have to be as persisitenet with this shingles. It's been the year of rashes for me.

The reason I mention the diluted clorox is that the dermatologist my doctor consulted with also on the shingles recommended a diluted clorox bath but I think it could spread the blisters like it did with the poison oak so I am not going to try this.

Update on my shingles: It's day 6 and I have been alternating ACV on gauze padsand Eucalyptus oil pats, and taking L-Lysine, my chinese anti-viral herbs, Vit. C, B-complex, Raw Honey with propolis, and drinking the ACV. Eating nutritiously, but sparingly as my appetite has decreased. My energy level began to improve on Day 5. This morning, I noticed scabbing on one of my larger blisters and drying on most of my rash. I have photographed the stages of my shingles and am keeping a log, as I want full documentation for the naysayers. After contemplation, I remembered I had fell on my tailbone On Oct. 27 and it hurt for a week until I got myself adjusted. Then with the power out for 5 days, I was somewhat emotionally stressed, but I really think the fall and my diet had the most to do with it.

This site is fantastic. I've read every single post on this site about shingles and taken the best as suggestions for myself. I am blessed that my pain level is low, but I think that may be because I don't use OTC or scripts, just homeopathy and herbs.

The best way to get rid of shingles is to wipe them with a little clorox on a cotton ball. Early on this will work really well and dry up the lesions in 1-2 days. I have not tried in on PHN and don't know if it works. I know it dries up the lesions. It really works. If the lesions are on your face be so careful not to get clorox into you eyes as it will burn!!! DO NOT DRINK IT!

I am 53 and was recently diagnosed with shingles. Glad to have found this site! Right now I am typing this while slathered with a salve made today from Vit. E oil, aloe vera gel, cayenne pepper, 50 drops of pure essential eucalyptus oil and corn starch..... Covered with gauze bandages and a t-shirt. I haven't had any pain from this, but I am not taking any chances. I had used a homeopathic anti-pain cream when the area was aching everynight at bedtime. I didn't know the shingles were emerging. Oh, I just drank 1/4 cup ACV and chased it down with 500mg. of lysine and a teaspoon of raw honey.

About the vaccine: I totally agree that the chicken pox vaccine is causing the outbreak of so many with shingles. And after (of before) having shingles, unfortunately many people will get the vaccine. Who knows what new complications will arise.

I've been studying herbs, homeopathics, blood-type diets, macrobiotic diets, you name it. for 30 years! Problem is I was low on lysine, too much sugar, post-menopausal, recently had a stressful weather-related event in the northeast USA.

I consider this a wake-up call for me to eat right, build my immunity up once again and thrive!

Thanks everyone for some great information. This site is a keeper!

About 4 years ago, I had severe stress reactions to my partner and my family's behaviors and "ran away from home" 800 miles away to a little house that my grandma used to live in. The house is full of black mold. After a month of hiding out there, I got shingles for the first time, I was 46. Now, I'm almost 50 and this illness is returning yet again. I've had it every winter, sometimes severely and it's hung on as long as 5 months. Got some relief that first year by floating in the ocean in February near Boca Raton, FL. Back then, I did not know I had shingles because I don't get the pain others describe. Perhaps this is because I've never used painkillers.

I'm an herbalist, and this year as the stressful holiday season approaches and the itching starts, I'm grateful to find your site. Woke up at 5 AM and stoked the woodstove (we are off-grid) and got a headache from the cold in the house. Can't shake it. And bumps are starting to rise! So, I'm megadosing Vit. C, powdered and made into a paste with cayenne and honey. 2 Tblsp/hour...Plus Lysine--I think I'll try 3 1000-mg. Caps today. Plus ACV in filtered water from our spring. Plus 1/2 a B-complex tablet each half-hour. Quit coffee, chocolate (waah! ), nuts. Eating organic apples, homegrown cabbage, lentils, garlic, and oats. Teas of lemon balm, oatstraw and licorice root. Washing the areas with decoction of lavender, witch hazel and ACV. Will update.

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.

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.

When you have shingles, you want to AVOID chocolate and nuts!! It literally feeds the virus! Also, you want to take a lot of B vitamins (B-12, B-6, etc.) it will seriously help!