Exploring Natural Remedies and Supportive Care for Shingles

Vitamin C

Posted by Jennifer (Raleigh, Nc) on 06/25/2012
★★★★★

I went to the doctor with a fist sized rash, and was told shingles... The whole mess started with deep muscle itching in my leg for a week, then I thought I scratched the skin and had an infection/rash. There were also two bumps on the sole of my heel that made it painful to walk-- the doctor listened to my description of events and except for the heel thing, diagnosed shingles right away. She thought maybe the heel break out was because the nerves in the heel are connected down the leg. She prescribed Valtrex, I refused steroids. I wasn't really in any pain. I filled the scrip and then went home and googled it.

Everything I looked at and read said I was in for 6 weeks or longer of intense pain, seeping sores and so on... Yikes, I could not take even a week off work!

I read about Vitamin C and started taking 1000mg at different intervals from the Valtrex, 3X a day for Valtrex and 4X a day for the Vitamin C. I applied Caladryl (calamine lotion with itch reliever) to my rash as needed, about 3 times a day. I was back at work after three days.

I never got open sores from the rash, just bumps. I did get more rash and bumps, some would go away and others came, up and down my upper thigh (and butt), but I did not experience weeping sores or have intense pain, and was walking fairly normally after three days. The bumps on my heel stayed dark, but hurt less to walk on.

I think it was the vitamin C, but I did not stop taking the Valtrex. I didn't seem to take enough Vitamin C to cause diarrhea, just loose stool one day. Another thing with the C, it seemed to calm me down a little bit. I work on my feet 12 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week as a restaurant manager, and have never been good at sitting still, but the C, I think, might have calmed me a bit.

Essential Oils

Posted by Tony (St Paul, Ab, Canada) on 05/29/2012
★★★★★

Hi, this is about treating SHINGLES.... Put pure oil of cinnamon on the soles of the feet, and the palms, twice a day. Also I would put oil of sage on the affected areas. I have found this to be a reliable treatment for anything viral.

Calamine Lotion

Posted by Tressa (Mount Pocono, Pa.) on 05/27/2012
★★★★★

I'm in my 80's and got a case of shingles, the perscription my Dr. gave me was too expensive and it was to treat shingles. So I didn't buy it I saw that shingles looked like poison ivy so I treated it with calamine lotion by soking toilet paper with it, placed it around my middrift and wore a white T shirt. My shingles was gone in 2wks.

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Sarah B (Jefferson Twp., Pa) on 05/27/2012

I used an essential oil mix that has provided so much relief in only a day and a half. Tried bc it was all I had that had Eucalyptus oil in it and turned out to be amazing.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Posted by Bondibox (Rockville, Md) on 05/19/2012
★★★★★

I found complete relief from shingles with peppermint essential oil. My impression was that the peppermint overwhelms the nerve endings, that's probably how the eucalyptus oil works. I first prepped the area with cider vinegar, but it works without that. Also, to help with my energy I found that a massive dose (8x) of Lysine daily works.

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Desertpoc (El Cajon, California, United States) on 05/03/2012
★★★★★

I came down with shingles, searched the internet and luckily listed was this post. First, I used what Gloria suggested - which I could see some improvement but not enough. Then I combined some of the suggestions from Gloria and David T. Used the ratio of ingredients:

1 T. Coconut Oil

1 t. Alo Vera oil from capsules which is approx. 4-5 capsules

1/2 T. Vitamin E oil

1 T. Cayenne pepper

Plus added corn meal to thicken the mixture. Applied the mix to the shingles, as it was spreading; let the application dry then removed as suggested by David. I followed this treatment for 2 to 3 times a day. Depending on the severity and process of healing. After 2 days, the shingles were starting to heal, then I made another batch of the mix without the corn meal and applied the mix to the shingles area. Thank you to all that contributed to this subject of shingles.

Shea Butter, Turmeric, Homeopathy

Posted by Quantumchick (Irvine, California) on 04/29/2012
★★★★★

I've received so many great natural remedies from this site that I want to contribute one of my own.

I suffered from a bout of shingles, got the pain to calm down with drinking apple cider vinegar, spraying it on the lesions, and eating raw unrefined coconut oil. The episode lasted maybe a couple weeks.

My mom passed recently, and with the stress of that, it came back and I did not realize it until after the funeral - they were all on the left side of my body, on the front. Talk about painful!

Well, I didn't have anything in the house and I'd bought some salve that had helped previously but it was all gone. I noticed a jar of african shea butter my cousin had left and thought what the heck - it might work.

I put some on, and went out for the day. Almost immediately I noticed that the stabbing pain and itch disappeared and the raised bumps had gone away too!

Needless to say, I scraped that jar then went in search of more on Amazon. com - I ended up buying a pound of it.

Another benefit is that it fades the scarring and marks that shingles leaves.

Even though the skin got 100% better, I had tremendous post-herpetic neuralgia. My skin was so sensitive, it hurt to put anything on it.

For that, what has worked like a charm is Turmeric capsules - 500 mg x 2, 4 times a day, along with homeopathic remedy Hypericum Perforatum (30x 4 times a day). I'm still taking it, but it started working on the post shingles pain after the first few doses.

Because I read about this stuff online, and I was eager to try anything that might work, I just went to my local health food store to get the Hypericum, and went to Walmart and bought the Turmeric.

Hope this is helpful for anyone who is suffering from this terrible, painful condition!

Turmeric

Posted by Lou (Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-natal South Africa) on 04/12/2012
★★★★★

A reliable cure for Shingles is the crushed herb Turmeric used in curry or to boil with rice which gives it a bright yellow colour. This herb is a wonderful antiseptic for shingles. Simply take a teaspoon of it with jam or peanut butter twice a day and within a week your painful shingles is history. I use it on a daily basis but I have never had shingles and am quite healthy, I am 76yrs old. Lou

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Carla (Rusk, Texas) on 04/10/2012
★★★★★

I've had a terrible re-occuring case of shingles in the back of my throat since I was about 12 years old. After slowly removing and adapting to the stress in my life I only have one or two occurences a year now. This last week I've had a terrible case and did not want to use vicious lidocain, so I checked this site and saw that cayenne pepper helped some people. I bought some vitamin supplements of Cayenne Fruit and took one last night as directed on the bottle and did some meditation before sleeping. I had very little pain when I woke up this morning. I have just taken another pill with some wheat cereal and have had only a little pain. I recommend to try this for anyone that has Shingle of the Mouth.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Donna (Newcastle, Nsw, Australia) on 04/04/2012
★★★★★

Last Wednesday dr diagnosed shingles. I was given antivirals. I came home in shock!

After looking up loads of information, I changed my diet. Cut out a lot of meat, juiced up loads of vegies (beetroot, spinach, purple carrots, parsley and some fruit to sweeten it) and added extra vitamin c and zinc (big healing properties there). I drank 1x 8 ounc glass before every meal. Two days in, fevers stopped, one week later, blisters are healing and no itching. I also used eucalyptus oil, which was great!

Hypericum Oil

Posted by Ernest (Newcastle, Nsw Australia) on 03/23/2012
★★★★★

I have suffered with shingles for three years on the left hand side of my face the pain has been debilitating, but I have just found a treatment that has eased that pain. That treatment is a bottle of essential oil called hypericum oil, I rub it into the painful areas twice a day. Hypericum oil is oil of saint johns wort.

Herbs

Posted by Susanfrommontreal (Montreal, Canada) on 03/17/2012
★★★★★

Shingles: My husband had a severe case of shingles 3 years ago all over his upper body that lasted 3 months. The only way he could sleep was to wrap ice in a towel. We finally found a Dr who recommended a 9 step treatment at the hospital (injections in the spine) that finally worked along with a cream compound (xylotaine)

The shingles are back again (no more cream) but on his face this time. I had an herbal infusion made at a local shop that I read about with oak bark, sage, lady's mantle, oats, sweet clover& chamomile that I boilled, let cool and he used it as a compress. Itching gone. So far, so good.

Ice

Posted by Renee (Pensecola, Florida) on 02/21/2012
★★★★★

I have read many of these replies of all treatments you have tried, I have suffered for 3 CONSTANT years now with the shingles on both sides of the body, face, arms and other places. I have found to help stop immediate itch and severe pain till anything you have taken orally can work place ICE on the blisters, red bumps, or just when the itch starts this will calm it and feels great! Ice for 20 minutes at every hour soothes the nerves.

Olive Leaf Extract

Posted by Quercus (Inland Empire, California ) on 02/12/2012
★★★★★

Have had shingles on and off for several years. What really seems to knock them out is olive leaf extract. Olive leaf has anti viral properties and brought me almost instant relief during the last outbreak. I have found using the standardized extract of 20% Oleuropein in 300 mg /3 times a day worked well. I have also found that the Zyrtec antihistamine helps with the uncontrollable itching. Diet/stress for me seems to cause an outbreak. Usually chocolate and nuts are factors. How long they last seems to depend on rest, diet and supplementation. Lysine, B & C vitamins along with the olive leaf extract really helps me.

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Jo (Southampton, Hampshire, Uk) on 01/31/2012
★★★★★

Last night my whole leg was covered in painful red rash and blisters. I was at my wits end until I discovered this site. After purchasing aloe vera gel today and liberally applying it with eucalyptus oil I simply cannot believe the difference. The blisters have dried, the redness has significantly decreased and the pain has all but gone. I did try the ACV but found that it stung a lot and irritated the blisters. I did take it internally though. Last night I was writhing in pain unable to speak, today the pain is manageable and significantly better.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Awagner3216 (Albuquerque, Nm) on 12/07/2011
★☆☆☆☆

I tried some aloe from the plant that I have and it made the itching and pain worse! I'm going to go to the store and get some Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oil.... Hopefully it will work, I'm only 22 and this is the first time that I have ever dealt with this. I hope that this is not a life long thing that keeps coming back!