Replied by Joy (Battlegound, Wash) on 03/14/2013
I feel for you, been there a few times. Once I used a dandruff shampoo on the outbreak and it toned down the misery to almost null. I had three shampoos at the time, so it may have been s..... blue or h... and shoulders or another common one but no coal tar, DON'T GO THERE. That stuff burns like hell. Get a relaxation tape with deep breathing, these are brought on by stress... B vitamins and calming herbs might help. Start writing a journal about what is going on in your mind and emotions. My first outbreak was on the stitches from neck surgery.Replied by Alexandra (Cheshire, England) on 03/14/2013
Hi Sharon, I had shingles on my right hand side, (itchy spots on back/shoulder, intense pain above elbow to swollen gland in arm pit). Doctor gave me a prescription, but said it probably wouldn't work because I hadn't caught it early enough. I did not collect the medication.
Tried lavender oil on the spots and they disappeared quickly. But the pain was still intense in arm and glands, the arm skin was unbearable to touch even though there was nothing visible there. Saw a different doctor who said it probably wasn't shingles because he couldn't see any spots. So came to Earth Clinic, thought I would try L-lysine. I'd had the pains for about 6 weeks, then tried the Lysine, and they were gone in a few days. I had also been taking vitamin C.
