Donna (Halifax, Nova Scotia) on 10/23/2008:
Apple Cider Vinegar for ShinglesI used cotton rounds soaked in Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and swabbed area as often as I could, approx every hour. I also drank 2 tbsp mixed in juice, morning and night. Best to leave the soaked cotton on affected area as long as possible. On first attempt, I placed cotton on area and wrapped plastic around myself to keep cotton from moving, however, after approx 30 min the burning sensation was too strong and I had to remove plastic. From that point on I placed soaked cotton on affected area and laid down with it on my back for as long as I could. I saw a drastic improvement in less than 24 hours. The affected area looked better, pain had decreased substantially and rash stopped spreading. Never would have believed it if I hadn't tried it myself!!
Gena (Baltimore, Maryland) on 09/14/2008:
My son had his first case of shingles (13yr) this week. I came upon your site and read the remedies from others. We tried the apple cider vinegarI soaked cotton balls in ACV and put them on the rash area for about 45 min. 2 times a day. I also had him drink 1 Tablespoon ACV w/ 10oz of cold apple juice in the am and at night. His rash begin to heal overnight. His pain and rash went away within 3 days. I think that we will try this remedy when he feels the rash coming on. I believe that if you start it early on-this remedy will lessen the shingles time. Thanks so much to others who shared their remedies and to you for getting this info to others! Gena
Bert (New Brunswick, NJ) on 04/02/2008:
SHINGLES REMEDY I'm getting over a case of the shingles now. Thank you for all the inputs provided here...they really helped. Here's what worked for me. When the rash starts to appear accompanied with the burning sensation, apply vinegar to the rash. This will soothe the burn (this same remedy is used in jellyfish stings) Also use Neosporin to help with healing and the itching. Aleeve or Tylenol for the pain. TylenolPM at night to help me sleep. I also took Vitamin C, B and Lysine everyday. When the rash first appeared, I was in so much pain that I was willing to do anything that would ease the pain. My friend recommended acupuncture so on I went. My skin was so sensitive to touch that they could only apply the acupuncture needles in a small portion of the rash. The part of the rash that received the treatment never actually turned to blisters. It just became less red and went away. The rest turned into red bumps and blisters. That was my first time getting acupuncture. I was so nervous. I'm not a fan of needles at all but I think it really helped eased the pain and the rash. So if you are brave enough for it I think acupuncture works.
Denise (Tampa, FL) on 08/29/2007:
Shingles stopped with apple cider vinegar -- I suddenly had severe stabbing pains in my back on the left side. A few hours of this and some red blisters were starting to appear. I read about the Apple Cider Vinegar and took 1 1/2 Tablespoons in a glass of distilled water with some honey for taste. I had only 2 more stabbing pains and went to bed. In the AM the rash was gone. I am continuing to take the ACV twice a day and so far I feel like it is trying to break out again on my upper thigh, but then disappears due to the ACV. Time will tell, but I have no doubt that it is the ACV that is keeping it at bay.
Dani (Melbourne, Australia) on 08/06/2007:
My Bf got shingles almost 1 and a half weeks ago now. he went to the doctors and got anti viral tablets, and i spent almost a full day in between answering phone calls at work reading up on natural remedies,as i fuss over him, and wanted him to get better quick! im a quick fix type of person. i went out and brought him everything i had read about, ACV, tea tree oil, broccoli, fish, which i cooked with lemon grass, parsley, a killer amount of garlic and rosmary,to ensure he got a good does of all the good stuff, along with all these other things. he didnt want to drink the vinegar or have it on his body! "it stinked" according to him, and he didnt see how it'd help, so i maintained feeding him heaps of broccoli..with all of his meals and applied tea tree oil twice a day after his showers. this helped it maintained the rash and kept blistering to a minimal, but it was not a quick fix. last night i talked him into trying the vinegar as while the sores were slowly clearing he was starting to get sharp pains, and i told him it was either try everything natural to help otherwise acupunture, so the chicken decided we'll try the vinegar. i soaked cotton wool, i brough in strips from the supermarket in ACV placed it on his sores and wrapped him in cling wrap for a good 2 hours or so! he still had a few sharp stbbing pains for the first half an hour, but then the pain stopped and when we took the plastic and cotton off, the infected area had completely cleared up with the exception of a few little blisters. he woke up this morning, the affected area still looks great and the pain is minimal. a few more days of the ACV treatment and he should be 100% and would have dodged acupuncture completely.
Sue (Charleston, SC) on 09/28/2006:
I cut strips, sufficent to cover areas affected with Shingles, from a brown paper bag and soaked them in ACV. I placed them onto those areas and covered the entire area with cling wrap which kept the paper from drying. I was amazed at the results--immediate comfort, drying of small blisters, and my first night of painless sleep since they first appeared.
Note: I do not leave the treatment on overnight. I do use it at least twice a day for short periods. Thanks for the help your website provides.
