Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Apple Cider Vinegar for Shingles

5 star (48)		81%
4 star (7)		12%
3 star (1)		2%
1 star (3)		5%

Angela (Honchurch, Essex, Uk) on 02/25/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

What a wonderful website. Came across this when I did a search for treatments for Shingles which I was diagnosed with yesterday. Having read most comments on ACV I called my husband on the phone who was out shopping to get a bottle from Holland and Barrett (£1.75) and applied it with cotton wool as soon as I got it. Unbelievable but true. I applied the soaked cotton balls to the blisters and rash on my face around my mouth and up my cheek round to my ear on the left side of my face and the relief was instant. I could hardly believe it. I am still taking anti viral drugs but they do not help with the burning sensation, ACV does. So now I will apply it every 1-2 hours. It really made a difference and it is such an inexpensive solution. Thank you all for discussing ACV on this site, I would never have thought to try it:) THANK YOU

Dkimb (Redondo Beach, Ca, Usa) on 02/24/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

I want to thank you all for the great tips ~ I found them late at night, when I realized I was indeed coming down with what could have been a terrible case of shingles on my face, close to my eyes, which was pretty scary. While waiting to find out how soon I could see my skin & eye doctors, I applied a lot of apple cider vinegar, and also took it in tea, and added l lysine and Brewer's yeast (great source of B12). EVERYTHING calmed down! I still have a case of shingles, and am now on the med, but not stopping any of these other things, ESPECIALLY Apple Cider Vinegar, it has made a huge difference. The itching, burning, tingling is all but gone, the blisters that had started already are drying up (in 1 day! ), and other blisters I really feel have been halted. I will complete my whole course of meds for the week, with ACV applied all the way. I would never have thought of this, but it is unbelieveably effective ~ so to all of you here ~ THANK YOU, so much. This could have been really awful!

Ja (Burlington, Vt) on 12/26/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Follow-up. YEA! ACV is a big help. I can definitely say that over the last 5 days ACV has drastically helped alleviate my shingles. The first few days the skin on both arms were a flaming scarlet red with little dots appearing like crazy. For the first few days I diluted the ACV with about 2-3 parts water and would use a compress for about 40 minutes, 2-3X per day and then daub with full strength. The first day I used a full strength compress and my skin was really irritated from that.

I then would daub any new little red dots with calamine lotion and that over the course of a couple days dried them up. I was really impressed with the results of the combo of ACV and calamine lotion. Finally yesterday my arms began to return to normal, but it took a few days to get there. The last 2 days my arms are looking so good I only do 1 compress and ACV daub/calamine lotion per day.

My flaming red arms are now retuning to their normal color. I have a few other small areas to deal with--but my arms were the worst. At one point they were flaming red 12"x 4" and I never saw anything so virulent and rapid. I'll list some things I've learned to help you.

1. Dilute the ACV with 2-3 parts water for a long compress. Then daub with full strength.

2. Let dry and apply calamine lotion to any small red dots and let it dry. Wear loose cotton clothing. And drink at least 2 oz per day of ACV per day--dilute with 6 parts or more of water.

3. I would take a Benadryl capsule with antihistamine if there was any itching. Sometimes the itch urge can drive you crazy.

4. I beefed up my vitamins and took a good multi, 2000mg of C, and a B Complex.

5. Wash with cool or tepid water and minimal mild soap. Warm or hot water only aggravates the skin. When you wash you are throwing trauma at your skin.

6. Try to rest and don't eat any junk food. Also no sugar, coffee, choclate, nuts, strawberries and spinach--they will aggravate your skin.

7. Any rash on your face--get to a Dr.

8. Shingles is a virus and will run its course. Once you have it all you can really do is to alleviate the pain and itchiness and keep the shingles from being infected and to reduce the dots as fast as you can. ACV with calamine worked for me.

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Maggiemae (Dearborn, Mi) on 11/21/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Looking for relief for pain from shingles--ear, neck, head. Just tried 2T of ACV (followed by a little honey) and got instant relief. Also applied to my bumps and blisters. It's as close to a miracle as I've seen! THANK YOU! Also, going to look up morton's neuroma....

Nalatie (Farnham, Surrey) on 11/19/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Thank you so much to this site for saving me! I have Shingles so badly on my face/scalp/eye. So bad that my GP sent me to A&E eye clinic. The blistering and swelling has been so intense that I could not sleep from pain. After researching how long shingles could take to settle down I worried about my face and cancelled every appointment for the next 2 weeks. Suffering badly and fearing the worst I researched more about home remedies and came across this site.

I have used just ACV directly on the blisters on my face (Dabbed on cottonwool) and within 12 hours the blisters looked better. After 24 hours they have totally dried up and are completely calming down. I am still dabbing the blisters every 3 hours. Along with Anti Virual, antibiotics and pain killers the blisters are less painful. ACV alone HAS helped and been the cure. ALos taking one cap in water. Take what you can as ACV is the best cure. Don't be afraid just dab it on and keep persisting as it takes the pain away and also the yellowness from the blisters!

Thank you to everyone that has written about this unbelievable aid to an extremely pain and horrid virus.

Happsoul (Frisco, Co) on 10/24/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I have shingles. I found this website at 2:00 in the morning on day 2 of shingles. I was in extreme pain. I was desperate. I had raw unpasturized apple cider vinegar and drank one ounce to start with and immediately the stabbing pain got better. I was able to sleep. I used it every 4 hours but did reduce the dose to one -two Tablespoons. I added lysine and cats claw. By the time I saw the doctor I was much more comfortable. I have been able to sleep and have not used anything for pain control other than the three I mentioned. I did start on an anti-viral 12 hours later. I have continued to use the ACV every 4 hours for pain control. I use it locally and take 1 TBS orally. I am SO GRATEFUL for this site and for this information.

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Autodinman (Modesto, Ca) on 10/20/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

55 years old and first time credit card size rash showed up on upper arm near elbow. Like many, I figured I must have scratched the area while carrying redwood or maybe brushed against a "gopher plant". Once I read all of your comments, I knew it must be shingles. It is; blisters, redness, pain. I saw that many of you applauded ACV. So, I went home and applied a cotton swab with ACV. Only put it on for a minute. The next day the blisters are subsiding and the rash is going away. I'll reapply tonight. Thank you all.

Amanda (Anchorage, Alaska) on 09/17/2011:
4 out of 5 stars

I would like to say this information was very helpful! I've never had shingles before and had four docs misdiagnosed me until they got it right! At 29 years old and coming down with a unknown rash in well, a very fragile area that started at my tail bone and wrapped down and around was one, very embarrassing and two, didn't feel the best!

I woke up this past Sunday with the shingles and never had a sign that it was coming.. Nor the true signs of symptoms.. No pain.. No itch.. No burning.. I guess in that part I was rather lucky.. When I went to the doc that diagnosed it I was already past the point of the anti viral meds working.. So I was looking for anything herbal that might help clear them up faster.. So I bought the gallon size bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar and started cleaning the affected areas right away.. Not gonna lie.. Yes it burns.. I started with one good soak and scrub and noticed a difference right away.. Later that night I did another soak and scrub and by the next morning I noticed the sores had already dried up and swelling had gone down! Now two days later it's dark.. And dried up.. Wouldn't say 100% gone.. But much better then what it was when I started..! I'm following up with zinc oxide ointment and lysine vitamin.

I would like to say thank you as reading everyone else's first hand experience has been rather helpful. I think a few good more soaks and scrubs and it will keep getting better and better.. And will heal up faster compared to if I would have just let it runs it's course as the doctor stated.. It's a pretty nasty experience and embarrassing.. I think I showed my bum to more people in the past week then my entire life.. Best of luck to everyone who experiences shingles!

Karen (Tulsa, Ok) on 09/12/2011:
1 out of 5 stars

I have had shingles for the first time for a week now. I thought it was poison Ivy, really painful, itchy, burning hot patches of blisters. After three days of applying poison ivy meds, including the apple cider vinegar therapy, which actually caused mine to worsen as the Apple Cider Vinegar initiated furious blistering and swelling, I went to the dr who diagnosed shingles and started me on a potent anti-viral. I also went to the health food store (Akins) and got a gel rub which works wonderfully for relieving pain and itch. Also taking 1,000 mg Lysine 3x a day and 1-2, 000 mg of a good quality Vit C 3x a day. Shingles is a very serious ailment and can be life debilitating.

Liz (New York, Ny) on 08/21/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Out of desperation, I began searching for a remedy for my mother who was suffering from shingles. She said she has had the worst three weeks of her life. Her doctor prescribed vicoden and benadryl but she couldn't function and these only provided minor relief. We started the ACV yesterday. We first applied it with a spray bottle mixed with a basil tea I made. (Her outbreak was in her head. ). We also gave her 2T every 4hrs yesterday. (unfortunately she couldn't tolerate the 4th dose..... She gags on the vinegar hahaha). It wasn't an immediate relief, but almost!!!! She slept for the first time last night without any medication!!! Said it's like a miracle and much better than benadryl. She said she doesn't mind the taste because the benefit is far greater!!!!! She said it was a 70% improvement.

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